It is very tempting to commence by sharing with you the conclusion of my discussion with a former military governor of Oyo State about 15 years ago shortly after he had finished his tenure. Subsequently, at various intervals we refreshed our previous conclusion, namely, that the problem with Ibadan is that there is too much politics already! Hence, it should jettison political manoeuvring, all-night scheming, broad-daylight mischief-making and unrelenting plotting against enemies and foes alike. We both agreed that Ibadan would be better served if its powerful elite and indefatigable politicians would devote their time and energy to reviving and sustaining the fortunes of its indomitable football club – Industrial Investment and Credit Corporation (IICC), often nicknamed 3SC or “Oluyole Warriors”.
According to the military governor, every Ibadan citizen – man, woman or child – is a born politician. They are stubborn, dogmatic and utterly fearless. His official report was that confrontation is their favourite sport. Ibadan is swarming with lawyers. “They are ready to abuse anybody at any time, even if he is the military governor, right there in his presence. They do not believe they owe anybody any apology unless he is the Olubadan.”
Fortunately, Kabiyesi Oba Samuel Osudiran Odulana, Odugade I, Olubadan of Ibadanland, is here with us. Without necessarily hiring the services of a forensic accountant or auditors, Ibadan should take stock and count its blessings before allowing itself to be sucked into the cauldron of Nigeria’s eternal crises and the vortex of mega conflicts.
For a start, the process of selecting Olubadan is a unique contribution of Ibadan to the rest of our nation which is yet to come to terms with the enduring merit of peaceful and orderly succession. It bears repetition that with the hierarchy firmly established and in strict accordance with rank and title, the selection of Olubadan is guaranteed to be smooth (without rancour or resort to litigation). This is uncommon ingredient of statecraft.
As a bonus, Ibadan has no issue regarding who is an indigene on non-indigene. The sons and daughters of the soil know each other and they also “know themselves”. The matter has long been settled. This is most unlike Lagos where every now and again we are confronted with the claim that Lagos is no man’s land! Neither the Olubadan nor the people of Ibadan would give such postulation anything but short shrift.
We should also rejoice with Ibadan for the social harmony which prevails between Christians and Moslems who have clearly embraced each other as brothers and sisters. In the middle of Ramadan, some of my cousins who have long ago established their roots in Ibadan observed the Ramadan fast even though they are church-going Christians.
Of course, we are all aware that in Ibadan (as in Lagos), Christians and Moslems inter-marry without anybody batting an eyelid. Indeed, we need to look further than His Excellency, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, who is a devout Moslem. His wife, Florence Ajimobi, is a practising Christian and I understand that their children have been given the freedom to adopt any religion of their choice without any hassle or recrimination.
From my rather infrequent visits to Ibadan, I have been able to appreciate the distinct difference between the lifestyle in Lagos and what prevails in Ibadan. Whenever my Ibadan cousins venture to come to Lagos, they cannot wait to rush back to Ibadan. Their constant refrain and lament is that they cannot cope with the tension, traffic, hurly burly, congestion and chaos on which Lagos thrives. According to them, Ibadan provides a permanent refuge and oasis of calm as well as serenity. Their evenings are spent mostly on the balcony of their homes chatting with neighbours. Dinner (amala of course) is served on the same balcony and after the 9pm news, it is time for bed! By way of contrast, in Lagos the social frenzy commences well after 9pm and at weekends it stretches to the early hours of the morning with just enough time left to attend communion in church.
I am also informed that in Ibadan, it is not unusual to find that the same buildings serve as both churches and mosques depending on the time of the day without any problems with worshippers who have memorised which hours are devoted to Christian prayers and those reserved for Moslems who wish to perform their religious rites. We need not dwell on the vast tourist potential of the crocodile (alleged to be 130 years old) which is located at Oje part of Ibadan. It is reputed to possess mystical powers which would be beneficial to all those who are facing health challenges, financial problems, domestic tension, problems at work and other debilities which require magical attention in order to deliver instant cure.
It can even be argued that amongst the blessings with which Ibadan has been endowed are numerous hills which Ibadan people prefer to call mountain (Oke)! In ancient times, they served as a bulwark and natural defence against marauders and invaders looking for loot, slaves and women in no particular order. Ibadan is dotted with “Oke Bola”; “Oke Padre”; “Oke Mapo” and “Oke Sapati”.
There is not enough time to recall the numerous wars fought by Ibadan against Egbas and Ijebus and virtually everybody else. Indeed, according to folklore, Ibadan used to be a walled city and entrance was restricted to only those who had access cards or knew the computerized code!
Perhaps we should add that Ibadan is also fortified by a vibrant press amongst which The Tribune founded in 1949 by the sage, late Obafemi Awolowo, is an enduring and recurring reference point and champion. As for the “Lagos/Ibadan” press which has terrorized politicians over the years, they remain the formidable Fourth Estate of the Realm.
Late Adegoke Adelabu deserves all the encomiums with which he has been showered as well as the bountiful harvest of commendations — even from his foes. However, it would not be out of place to seize this opportunity to pay tribute to three other sons of Ibadan whom I had the privilege to come across. I refer to late Olu Aboderin, who like Adelabu was from the Kudeti area of Ibadan. He was the founder of The Punch newspaper which over 30 years after his death is right there in the front ranks of Nigerian newspapers. One of the other gentlemen is the inimitable late Mashood Akanbi who, as MD/CEO of National Oil and Marketing Company of Nigeria, had amongst his top lieutenants none other than Abiola Ajimobi. The third gentleman in the index of great citizens of Ibadan is none other than the revered late S. Ade Ojo. He attended King’s College, Lagos and thereafter became a teacher and eventually a house master before joining the Federal Civil Service.
J.K Randle
