Ondo 2024: Let’s Vote The Best Candidate – HRH. Oba Benjamin Omoleewo
Oba Omoleewo Benjamin Oluwafemi is the Elekun of Ilekun, in Akure South Local Government area of Ondo State. He was among the Olus that was promoted to Oba by the Akeredolu-led administration. He spoke with Ayodele Ologunola about his achievements, challenges, and many other issues. Excerpts
When you heard that the Ondo State government announced your name among the Olu’s promoted to become Oba, how did you feel?
I was so happy and filled with joy. Such a thing had never happened before at Ilekun, because I was the first Olu of Ilekun to be promoted to become Oba in the history of the community. And I thank Governor Akeredolu for that great honor and opportunity.
For this Obaship, I have written a lot of letters to the government which does not yield any positive results. But when the Ajama Commission was set up by the Mimiko led government, I presented my documents which allowed me to be made a king before the commission. The commission did its job. It was when Akeredolu became the governor that he set up a committee to look into the report of the Ajama Commission. As God wishes, when the report was approved and signed by the Governor, my name was among the Olus that was promoted to Oba.
I am the sixth Elekun to be installed as Olu, and the first to become Oba.
I thank our able governor for the privilege and I pray that God should give him sound health.
You have spent 39 years on the throne as Olu before you became a king last year. What are some of the benefits that have been to the community?
When I became the Olu from 1983 to the year 2022, the house at Ilekun then were few. All these places were forests. Immediately I ascended the throne, I called our elders and my people that we needed to come together to do the layout of the town, because as it’s, it is not good.
Immediately we finished the layout, people started to come and buy land. The community started to expand. We have a central receipt that we give to anyone who buys land from us. For this reason, there is no land hijacking in the Ilekun community. Even, in the popular Ijoko Ojogbon, no one bought land from the community then, went to “Ijoko Ojogbon” to report us for fraud.
The health center we have in the community is in my father’s house and the place is very small. God gave me the grace to build an additional four rooms attached to it. It’s the place we are using now. We have electricity but it doesn’t stable because the transformer is not working properly. With my help and that of the people in the community, we bought a transformer that we are using now. We thank Governor Akeredolu and Hon Afe Olowookere when he was in the house, he helped us greatly. He built us three blocks of classrooms as primary school. We also wrote a letter to Governor Akeredolu, he gave us another three blocks of classrooms. In that primary school as of today, we have about 400 pupils with the teachers.
We have a game village at Ilekun which was provided for us by the Adebayo Adefarati regime. The land in which the game village was built belongs to us but the government bought it from us. During Mimiko’s regime, he built us Ilekun Estate. Our road from the shop rite to Oda is being dualized by the Akeredolu-led government, and I believe that in a few months will be completed.
What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered since you assumed the throne?
We’ve faced a lot of challenges but we thank God for being with us. Every day is a challenge but it’s for us to overcome it. Our challenges are numerous.
Here, we have land for a health center which is about four plots for the government to help us build a befitting comprehensive health center, but they have yet to assist us. Sometimes, anyone who falls sick here is taken to a state hospital which is far away from us. Assuming we have a comprehensive health center here, it is going to help us. We need a secondary school. We have about eight plots of land that we have designated for the building of our secondary school. It is yet to come to reality, but I have the belief that sooner, our prayer shall be answered. It is not a thing we just can rush into. Our children at Ilekun are going to private schools which some of the parents can not afford. Let’s say we have a public secondary school, it will help us a lot. We have land for the modern market. If government helps us to build it, it’s going to generate IGR for them.
What about the issue of security in the community?
With God’s grace and prayer, God is protecting us here. We’re yet to have a police station, it’s the one at Oda town and its headquarters is at the Ala Division that we are using. Whenever there is any problem beyond our control, we call on them. Our security here is in the hands of God. Our youths are trying their best to protect us when there is a need for it.
What can you say about the present government in Ondo State?
Without mincing words, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu SAN has tried his best for the people of the state in the area of good governance. He tried especially in the area of security. He was the one who championed the Amotekun Corps in the South West. If not for him, I don’t know where we are going to be today. In the area of infrastructure, he tried.
The governorship election in Ondo State is around the corner, what’s your advice for our politicians?
My appeal to gubernatorial aspirants is not to be self-centered. They should think about other people. When they get there, they must fulfill their electioneering campaign.
They should create employment for the youth. I know that the government alone cannot do it but they must do their obligations. Our people must shun money politics. They must stop ” Dibo ko sebe syndrome”. Let us vote for the best candidate who is going to meet our needs.
What is your word advice for Ilekun sons and daughters?
My cogent advice for Ilekun sons and daughters is to face their education. We cannot compare education to any other thing. Education is a valuable asset that nobody cannot take away from you. The little education I have is what brought me to where I am today. I had been working before I obtained my NCE certificate.
Parents should endeavor to train their children. Whoever does not have money to train his or her children into higher institutions, should allow him or her to learn handwork. After graduating, they should buy them instruments to work.
