The Onisiwo of Tomaro and Abagbo in Eti-Osa Local Government Council of Lagos State, Oba Mohammed Musiliu Adio Yusuff ascended the throne in June 2016. In this interview by TUNDE BUSARI, he speaks of his experience as the King in the island town in the last 10 months, his vision to lead his people to greater heights and other issues. Excerpts:
Can you tell us about how you grew up?
I was born and raised in Tomaro in the late 60s. I was born precisely on April 16, 1968. I attended the Local Authority Primary School in Tomaro and proceeded to Dr Lucas Memorial Secondary School at Kirikiri Town. Thereafter, I enrolled at the Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research in 1993. I also attended Ghana Maritime University at Tema where I had my Masters in Marine in 2006. I returned to Nigeria and gained employment with Capital Oil and Gas in 2007. I was working there till 2016 when the call to serve my people came. I give thanks to God almighty for all He has done for me since He created me .
What form did the call to serve your people take?
It came after the transition of my predecessor in 2015. I must tell you sincerely that I was not part of the plan because I was always away. I was only close to the palace when we were kids, when we used to come to the palace here. But as I grew I had to stop coming, to concentrate on my studies. As I said earlier, I was always out of the country as a Marine Navigator. I hardly had time even for my immediate family.
Then what happened when you received the message?
I wanted to reject it because it was most unexpected. But because I needed to respect the elders, I told them to give me some time. Then I consulted my mother and she prayed and said I should consider it as a great honour which I must not reject.
What is the name of your royal family?
We are Ogabi Onisiwo royal family. This royal family consists of four ruling houses, namely Moyeni, Opegbuyi, Ogabi and Orefunmi.
Succession dispute is a common feature in many towns, what was your experience like?
It is true but in our case, the 1975 Declaration had since resolved any problem that would arise. The declaration was signed in 1975 and became effective immediately. Omoyeni ruling house first took its turn in 1976. Unfortunately, the Kabiyesi reigned only for two months. The next ruling house, according to the declaration, was Opegbayi. That was the house that produced my immediate predecessor, the late Oba Yunusa. He reigned from 1977 to 2015. Naturally, Ogabi comes next. That was the process through which I emerged.
So you had a clear passage to the palace?
Surprisingly, there was an issue but thank God, one of the signatories of the declaration, Alhaji Aremu Onisiwo was and is still alive to set the record straight. Alhaji Lasbat Akanni Ayinla, the head of our ruling house is also alive. The matter was resolved and I entered Ipebi afterwards.
How did you observe the Ipebi?
I observed it as it was expected. I spent nine days they which I was taken through all necessary orientations needed to function as a traditional ruler in the town.
What are those things they taught you?
I am not allowed to divulge this to you because they are not meant for public consumption. It is not about secrecy. It is about our custom and tradition and how they should be preserved because they are our heritage.
Didn’t you feel detained during the Ipebi?
I did not see it that way. It was an important aspect of transition to the throne. And once I had accepted to become the Oba, there was no going back, talk less of complaining over the process. As a matter of fact, I saw the period as a moment of rest. I was back to my root where I spent my childhood years. It was an interesting time for me.
How do you balance your faith with the demand of the throne as the custodian of custom and tradition?
I have no problem with any of the obligations. None is affecting the other. Don’t forget that we are in a secular society where freedom of religious belief is allowed. You would also agree with me that the way we live here does not allow for extremists. There is peaceful co-existence among different faiths here. That is why we do not have religious crisis. We are so interwoven and united. I must also tell you that I am always surrounded by chiefs and elders who perform certain functions on my behalf. A traditional ruler enjoys the compliment of his traditional chiefs and elders. With these people, he is good to achieve his desired goal for his town. He must be accessible to them and give them the sense of belonging. It should not be a one man affair. Any traditional ruler who believes he is the one who knows it all will not succeed until he retraces his step and accords the elders the honour they deserve. You may call that my strong point since I came here. I had to invite the elders to witness this interview to show that they are important and borrow from their knowledge. You can see that they are making this interview more interesting with their contributions. That is how it should be to build a better town. You can also see the youth listening attentively. That is my style and I am happy it’s giving me result.
When were you given your staff of office by the government?
That was on June 4, 2016. It was a day to remember by my people because many important personalities witnessed the ceremony. The Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Musiliu Folami represented the Governor of Lagos State, Akinwumi Ambode. The Oba of Lagos, Oba Ridwan Akiolu was also in attendance, the Oniru of Iru Kingdom, the Oba of Ilase Kingdom. The head of the Idejos, the white cap chiefs were also in attendance and a host of other important personalities.
What is your action plan for the town?
There are 26 communities under my town to tell you how big it is. We have some challenges which I believe God will assist us through the government to fix. Our roads are not in good state. I have sent a letter to the government. With the physical development going on in the state, I am positive that the governor will respond to us too. We also have the problem of electricity supply and Health care. In short, our challenges are on infrastructural facilities. Senator Oluremi Tinubu has constructed a technical college for us. We are hoping it will be equipped and academic work will start. I am using this opportunity to express our appreciation to Senator Tinubu for her effort. She has shown that leadership is service to the needy.
Going by your experience, is it possible for a traditional ruler to stay away from politics?
I need to be truthful by telling you that we are all politicians in one way or the other. Some theorists say we are all political animals. But I am conversant with the fact that an Oba is a father to all. Regardless of his preference, he must be seen as the father to all politicians in his town because traditionally, they are all his children. But as I said, I need to be truthful to myself, if a government is doing what is expected of it to the people, a traditional ruler reserves the right to encourage such a government. How then do you encourage it? You do that by supporting and telling your subjects to also support the government.
Many Nigerians, irrespective of class or age are addicted to European Football Teams. Which team do you support?
I am not addicted to any team but I support Chelsea because it gives some African players opportunity to showcase their talents. But in Nigerian Professional League, FC IfeanyiUba is my favourite because of obvious reasons.
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