The People Of Oda Town Will Continue To Remember Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akerelou SAN – High Chief Amusa Bakare Akuresanmi
High Chief Amusa Bakare Akuresanmi is the Ojomu of Oda Town and the Atayese of Ikoro Ekiti.
He spoke with Ayodele Ologunola of the Focus Magazine on some national issues. Excerpts
The coronation of Olojoda of Oda was done recently. How do you view it?
It is very fantastic and marvelous. We didn’t expect it would be as fabulous as it was because we have been in the struggle for some years. I thank God that we have been able to achieve what we thought was unachievable. Our Kabiyesi is a king loved by his people. People came from far and near to celebrate with the Kabiyesi. One of our sons mobilized Oda’s sons and daughters in the diaspora to Oda for the coronation. For this reason, the Kabiyesi honored him with the Chieftaincy title of Asaju of Oda Town.
After the coronation of the Kabiyesi now, what do you think the people of Oda Town will be expecting from him?
All we have been expecting has become a reality. Before the coronation, work on our road from Ijomu quarters to Okelangbodo has been going on, and now that we have a king, the town is witnessing lots of progress. There are some quarters in the town which haven’t experienced electricity for some years, now that we have king, everything has changed. They are now enjoying electricity.
In the area of security of the town, and as I told you when I had an interview with you last time, the new Oba stayed outside the country and Nigeria, which has made him gather a lot of experience. He has been discussing with the security agencies how to protect the lives and property of people living in the town.
How do you react to the death of Governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu SAN, who passed away recently?
There is nothing we can do when God says it’s time to go home. If we had power, we could have stopped the death of Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu SAN, but there is nothing we can do. My appeal to our people is to make sure that the good work that our late governor did should continue. It was he who brought Aiyedatiwa into government as his deputy governor. They have been together without any crisis before his sudden death. The cabal tried a lot but they failed. It’s only God that can stop one’s destiny.
How did the people of Oda Town feel upon the death of Akeredolu?
Oda Town has a spokesman but as a traditional chief, anything I say, I am still covered. Nobody in Oda Town would say, he or she is happy because late Akeredolu meant well for the town. He did a lot of infrastructural development for the community. Look at the road from Shoprite to Oda Town in which work is ongoing. We have been in the race for Oba in our town for so many years. It was during his tenure that we got a befitting King. He was the one who gave our Kabiyetotthe he staffs another oofficewedid the coronation recently. We the people of Oda Town will continue to remember him for what he did for the town. When God says yes, no human being can say no. I’m enjoining the family of the late Akeredolu to maintain a good relationship with the people of Ondo State. I pray that his soul rest in peace.
What is your word of advice for the present government in Nigeria?
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is someone who understood the politics of the country. He is a man that doesn’t believe in sentiment and our belief in this year 2024 is that things will get better. Let’s say the palliative program is prepared very well, our youths will have one or two things to lay their hands on. The issue of fuel is causing a lot of challenges for everyone. For now, things are very hard but with our belief in God, we’re going to laugh last. If all the programs of President Tinubu start to materialize, we will all enjoy the dividends of democracy.
We are in the year of the governorship election in Ondo State. A lot of aspirants will come out from different political parties. What is going to be your word of advice for them?
As I said before, I’m not a politician. In any standard community, a community leader must not be a politician, because we’re fathers to them. As the Ojomu of Oda Town, I still believe that the politicians see themselves above the party. They see it as a do-or-die affair because if God doesn’t say you will get there, you can’t, thus they should consider their followers. When I was in the union, I thought of my followers first before I thought of myself. Whatever I have, I and my followers enjoyed it together. So, politicians should do the same thing to their followers. They must see themselves as servant, not lords.
