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| Aremo Olusegun Abiodun |
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| CSP 'Prince' Hakeem Ajasa |
The countdown has quietly begun, as Lagos is waiting eagerly and others are watching with bated breath to see who would emerge as the next king, his royal majesty, the Oniru of Iruland in Lagos. And the big question that is being asked rather quietly is, would it be the amiable, very well connected & very liquid, Aremo Segun Abiodun, who many refers to as Aremo Segun Oniru, who is the eldest son (hence why the tag Aremo) of the immediate past late king, Oba Idowu Abiodun Oniru and he is also the grandson of the father of the one that just recently passed on, in the person of Oba Yesufu.
Aremo/Prince Segun Abiodun is more synonymous with the Oniru tag, as that has been added to their name and accepted by all too over the years now.
Or would it be the highly resourceful, super highly connected also, in fact the well supported and rather more quiet Prince Hakeem Ajasa? Who is a top Police officer and said to be a gentleman to the core???
The Oniru name and title from the little research we have carried out actually belongs to the 3 ruling houses that can aspire to the throne of their forebears. They are the Akiogun house, the Ogunyemi house and the Abisogun house or line.
Just so you all would understand why this stool is very very important. Iruland where whoever emerges as the Oniru would reign over, used to cover a vast mass of prime land that included Victoria Island and environs. In fact according to history, Iruland was said to have even included parts of CMS in Marina too and other parts that the Government of the day then bought and paid the Oniru chieftaincy family then a sizable £400,000 (£250,000 first & later £150,000) many years back as compensation, for acquiring their lands. So the Onirus have always been major landowners on the island.
All of these exciting large land mass, that is now valued at several, tens of billions of Naira included the 'Bar Beach', where the 'Eko Atlantic City' now sits. It also included the part that was the then slum called 'Maroko', which later became 'Victoria Island extension', which only became that after the forceful eviction then in 1988 of over 300,000 people by the regime of then 'acsion Governor' Colonel Raji Alagbe Rasaki, who acted with such power then, as the no nonsense military Governor of Lagos from 1988 till 1991.
It was 1st tagged VI extension before the former slum later transformed dramatically to become what has now become the 'Oniru Estate of the rich', after it was named after the chieftaincy family. It is even in this estate, that the Palace of Oniru was relocated to after it was moved from in front of the Bar Beach on Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Their domain didn't just end there though, as their vast control still went as far as Lekki towards where the Elegushi palace presently is in fact now.
So the chieftaincy family which began as far back as 1589 but which later became a royal family from 1994 after their status was elevated, used to sit atop a virtual goldmine of landmass. But that's not all there's it to it.
Whoever becomes the Oniru of Iruland is also said to be the very head of the Idejo, that's like being the Olori ebi, head of the royal family. The idejo are the highly ranked in fact highest ranked, highly influential white cap chiefs of Lagos. Idejo for those who don't know, comprises the highest ruling clan that determines what obtains as per the royal stools in Lagos.
'Ejo' or better still Mejo, in Yoruba language actually refers to 8. These 8 began with the 8 brothers of a father, who were the founders of Eko. According to legend or better put history, they were said to have actually come from the Oyo Empire. But before they came, as was required of them they had done some divination to chart their course appropriately, so as to know where their destiny would lead them, their ultimate destination. That is talking about where they would finally settle down to as their home.
Far more juicier details below. Click on read more
So they were given a bowl (calabash) and were instructed that, wherever they would lay the bowl or plate down and that it would sink into the ground by itself/of it's own volition, that the earth would absorb it entirely, that that's where their gods have approved or chosen as their final base. So they began to move from place to place, until they got to the present day Iddo, where what had been predicted by the oracle occurred as was said, so they established their base there and it was from there, that they began to spread.
Their descendants are still the ones that are still the Idejo (Mejo-8). Of these 8, the Oniru is said to be the head/Olori Idejo and he normally has a major play & influence in helping to determine also, who becomes the Eleko of Eko, that is the venerable stool of the Oba of Lagos, who somewhat incidentally ranks as the first, numero uno amongst the highest ranking royal fathers in Lagos, as his own throne is perceived to be more prominent & more superior than that of others. In fact the members of the Oniru Royal family can also aspire to become the Oba of Lagos too.
So to sit on this particular stool- that is the Oniru Royal stool, is not a joke at all. It is in fact a first class stool by all standards.
And it is this same stool that became vacant, very very recently, when the highly regarded last king, Oba Idowu Abiodun Oniru, passed on to become one of the ancestors at age 82, having being born in 1937. Before his passage he had reigned for all of 25 years (1994 till September 2019). People must understand though that, the Oniru stool before it was elevated at the reign of the now late Oba Idowu Abiodun, was formerly just a very high ranking chieftaincy title before.
In fact from 84 till 94, the late King was then addressed as a Chief, the head of the Idejo. It was from 94 that as the head of the white cap chiefs, whose subjects (some) were already addressed as Kings, that he was elevated. The thinking then was that, how could his subjects be addressed as Kings and him be a mere Chief? Oba Idowu Abiodun, the 14th Oniru was a man of great wisdom and some said a 'particularly wealthy king'. Some have even claimed, he was probably one of the richest kings in Lagos, bar none. Though that assertion has not ever been officially or actually confirmed though by anyone. as the late king was more of a simple man, quite humble from what we heard. His acclaimed massive wealth is said to have come from the vast landed resources he supposedly controlled.
Personally though, we think that his children were actually more of the super well to do ones.
For those who do not readily know, like we had said previously, there are three families that are actually entitled by law to vie for the Iruland throne or better still royal stool. Though they ultimately come from the same father/source, they are all still 3 highly competing lines or lineages. The 2 other lines are said or thought to have passed or conceded the succession line at some point long ago to the Akiogun line from where the Abioduns are from. That's talking about the king that just passed and the one he succeeded too, who was actually his own father. Under normal conditions or circumstances according to some, it should again actually be the turn of the line where Aremo Olusegun Abiodun belongs to again, which is Akiogun line. But because the other lines too are now also interested, they are demanding for their rights too now. They are predicating their demands on the fact that succession to the throne is not supposed to be directly from father to son, but it is supposed to be rotated from family to family, amongst the eligible ruling houses. And that since the Akiogun ruling house, have reigned twice successively for 75 years non-stop, then if fair is actually fair and according also to the actual laid down processes of the law, it's then in fact the turn of the Abisogun clan and not again the Akiogun.
But it seems from all indications as postulated by some though, that the highly connected and quite well to do former Commissioner in Lagos-the center of excellence, who is also a Royal Prince and in fact the Aremo Olusegun Abiodun, is not willing or ready to back down at all.
So on one side we have Aremo Olusegun Oniru, former Commissioner for Waterfront in the regime of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola in Lagos, who is an Engineer by training.
On the other side, though on the more quiet side, but who is as eminently qualified as anyone and one who is not willing to concede a step too, not to talk of a yard to anyone, but who we hear is said to be widely supported by many powerful individuals too, including most especially the Oba of Lagos, Oba Akiolu and an array of others, is none other than Prince Hakeem Ajasa, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), who is the current Chief Personal Security Officer (CPSO) to the current Speaker of the House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
Prince Ajasa is the unyielding candidiate of the Abisogun clan of the ruling lineage. He is said to be in his early 40s, 45 to be more precise and a bosom friend and former schoolmate of the Elegushi of Ikateland and environs, in the person of Alaiyeluwa, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, Kusenla III, who we hear, might actually be rooting for his personal friend somewhat too.
Let's digress a bit to talk about the royal stool of Iruland and those who have occupied that throne since 1589. There have been 14 Chiefs/Kings (Oba) till date, the last 2 and most recent royal fathers, had a combined 75 years reign on the throne. Kabiyesi (Oba) Yesufu Abiodun reigned from 1936 till 1984. There was now a whole decade of interregnum till 1994, because there was dispute over succession that stalled things for 10 years (1984 till 1994), before it was later resolved and Oba Idowu Abiodun, the son of Oba Yesufu emerged and was now installed and he now reigned for a further 25 years till September 2019.
Incidentally, the last 2 kings were from the Akiogun clan of the 3 ruling house. According to the Customary Law regulations that guides on how to pick the choice or selection of the Oniru Royal Seat of Lagos, as signed and approved by the then Governor of Lagos, Sir Michael Agbolade Otedola, the 3 ruling houses would rule, succeed each other by rotation. The Akiogun family produced the 13th Oba who reigned for 50years, then the Ogun Yemi who should have produced the next were said to have conceded their option and the Akiogun clan got on the throne again now as the 14th King and reigned for another 25 years. So now, if the actual laid down processes are followed, it's the actual turn of the Abisogun family line, from where Prince Hakeem Ajasa has been picked and his name submitted.
We hear that in this case there is the insistence that procedures as laid down must be strictly adhered to. That it's not just going to be about money and influence this time around. Some are even claiming that Aremo Segun Oniru, might in a way be already above this particular stool, that he should wait for the one considered to be more prestigious. Why they say such we do not know.
Prince Ajasa, the other prince vying for the stool, has had a meritorious career in the Police up till date and he seems to have been prepared over the years for a major leadership position or role. He is a graduate of the Lagos State University LASU, with a first degree in Political Science. He also holds a professional Masters in Intelligence & Strategic Studies MISS, from Osun State University, Osogbo. He was the 2nd in command to the CSO to his excellency, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, then. He later became the ADC to Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Ogun State before later transforming to the CSO to the Governor, spending a total of 5 years with the APC defacto powerhouse fondly called Rauf or Aregbe by all. He later became the Commanding Officer, 22PMF Ikeja after his stint in Osogbo. It was from here that he was appointed as the current CPSO to the current honorable speaker of the House.
The selection process promises to be very exciting. From what we have gathered, as recent as yesterday, it was said that the other ruling houses have unanimously picked and adopted Prince Hakeem Ajasa as their only and preferred candidate to become the 15th King. The unconfirmed & unofficial gist stated that their was even a vote of 9 to 1 in favor of Prince Ajasa at a meeting in their choice of who to become the next Oniru. Though some have disputed that such a meeting or voting ever took place at all, they are not planning to sit on their asses though like it never happened at all, we hear that there's the possibility that there would be a press conference sometime today, to address the whole matter and to probably, properly dispel unfounded rumors that seems to have gained unnecessary traction.
From all indications though, all things being equal the next king to succeed Oba Idowu Abiodun Oniru, would most likely be picked this December of 2019. We hear that massive pressure is being mounted on the powers that be, likes of the Asiwaju and others to do the needful.
From us here at MM, we say quite emphatically that who the cap fits, let him where it. Kabiyesi ooooooo.
Just read Ajasa has been appointed.
ReplyDeleteReading today that it’s a rumour...
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