The Founder and Spiritual Head of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabit Ariyo Olagoke, JP, has called on the Federal Government to strengthen and empower traditional rulers through constitutional review as a lasting solution to the nation’s worsening insecurity.
Prof. Olagoke who is also the Arole Ogunelu and Mogaji Aare Alasa Dynasty in Ibadanland made the call on Tuesday when he paid a courtesy visit to the Balogun of Ibadanland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Tajudeen Ajibola Abimbola, in his Ibadan residence. He was accompanied by members of the Shafaudeen organization.
Speaking during the visit, Prof. Olagoke said Obaship in Yorubaland is a revered institution and that despite huge security votes, insecurity has defied solution because traditional rulers have not been given their rightful constitutional roles.
“Obaship in Yoruba land is a revered position. The present state of insecurity which we are now grappling with, despite all the high amount of security votes, defies solution rest squarely with the Obas. Obas therefore are supposed to be highly strengthened, empowered, through some constitutional review, to put them at their rightful position,” he said.
According to him, most acts of violence and insecurity are local, and and those fornenting trouble know the terrains of all the nooks and crannies of where they are operating and there are Obas there.
“All acts of violence, problems we are having as a form of insecurity can be regarded as local, because all the Obas are supposed to know those who are fomenting all these troubles. They know the terrains of all the nooks and crannies of the area where they operate. If the Obas are rightly empowered and they are given that leeway to be able to train our locals, hunters, train our local outfits on security, the insecurity will be a thing of the forgotten past,” he stated.
Prof. Olagoke lamented that traditional institutions cater for many people but are poorly funded, making it difficult for them to perform their fatherly and peace-keeping roles as in the days of their forefathers.
“When you look at the number of people being taken care of by every institution of Obas, you will agree with me. How much are we now giving each of these Obas to fend for all these people, and we want them to really assume the positions of their forefathers, whereby they adjudicate over matters, they go into various conciliation resolutions to keep peace and maintain serenity and amity around,” he queried.
“So the federal government must see to all this for revered positions, which is our symbol of ancestry or ancestral heritage, which has to be preserved,” he added.
The Islamic scholar, who said he came on behalf of his constituency, Ogunelu Aare Alasa Compound, noted that Ogunelu arrived in Ibadanland in 1796 and was among the early war veterans who defended Yorubaland and the Alaafin empire against the invasion of the Fulanis led by Uthman Dan Fodio.
He said his visit was also to present his efforts at reviving the glorious virtues of the past through culture, education and religion.
“Besides that, I come here to present my efforts regarding how best we can revive the glorious virtues of the past of our culture, whereby it anchors on having understanding of what we mean by integrity, which every home has to imbibe as a culture to nurture their children, to produce useful children for society,” he said.
“Culture, education, and religion are supposed to work together to produce a viable strong political gladiator for the nation. If we are able to revert back to the glorious past in terms of discipline, then we’ll be able to achieve that,” he stressed
Prof. Olagoke presented some of his books to the monarch, describing them as products of his curiosity and experience to restore sanity and order. He listed the books as “My Roots”, “Companionship In The Voyage of Life” Ileoye Museum”-the necessity to preseve our cultural heritage, and “The Bloodline” which traces his ancestral lines from Saki, Ilioye Okere-Ado rulling House, to Otamako, Ejigbo Ejemu to Songbe to Abanla and Aare Alasa in Ibadan.
He disclosed that Ogunelu Aare Alasa had the first native court in Ibadanland built in 1901 and roofed in 1914, and that he has reconstructed the court building, sanitized the environment, and embarked on the resurrection of Ogunelu who died in the truce war in 1870.
“This is what we are supposed to use any title that we take up to do. It is for construction, for rebuilding. It is not for grabbing land. All the Mogajis can use Ibadanland as a pilot project for the whole Nigeria. Use your title to rebuild the decayed values and the decayed edifices to bequeathable legacy for the upcoming generation,” he said.
Prof. Olagoke, who is the third Mogaji of Aare Alasa compound established since 1800 and now in its fourth generation, appealed to the Olubadan institution through Oba Abimbola to look into how the Ogunelu dynasty can break the jinx and join the chieftaincy line and climbing the ladder to the Olubadan stool.
Responding, His Royal Majesty, Oba Tajudeen Ajibola Abimbola, expressed profound gratitude for the visit, describing Prof. Olagoke as a respectable Islamic scholar whose contributions in transforming lives through moral and spiritual virtues and through various books bringing to fore some undocumented history of heroes of Ibadannland and lectures are commendable.
The monarch described Ibadanland as a strategic commercial nerve centre in the country due to its accessibility, lamenting that many historical facts about legends of Ibadanland are yet to be documented.
“I read your books, follow your lectures on YouTube in my room. You are educating people, teaching good moral virtues to the present and upcoming generation,” Oba Abimbola said.
He charged Prof. Olagoke to step up enlightenment through the media about the various projects he has been embarking upon for the development of Ibadanland so that such efforts can be acknowledged by the traditional institution in Ibadanland
He noted that Ibadanland needed people like Professor Olagoke in it’s efforts to take the city to greater heights stressing that the era where Ibadan traditional chieftaincy titles are bought with money is over
“Ibadan Chieftaincy titles is not for sale. We are looking for dignity, impeccable character and serviceable people — serviceable in your home, to the town and to the people ahead of you,” he declared.
