PMParrot/Parrot Xtra’s correspondent, EMMANUEL ADENIRAN recently had an encounter with the monarch of Itapa Ekiti Kingdom, Oba David Makanjuola Ajaja (Ph.D), Ilufemiloye Ola III. He shared his view on Nigerian leaders, the cultural practices of his kingdom among other many salient issues… Excerpts
Kabiyesi, do you wish to further introduce yourself to our esteemed readers sir?
I am His Royal Majesty, Alayelua, Oba David Makanjuola Ajaja (Ph.D), Ilufemiloye Ola III, Ekutanbierelu, The Owa Itapa The Great, Itapa Ekiti Kingdom.
What are the activities lined up to celebrate the ten years anniversary of your coronation?
By the Grace of God, I will be marking my 10th years on the throne as the Owa Itapa of Itapa Ekiti and I hope to celebrate it along with my 70th birthday. Those are the two activities to take place.
I am expecting many personalities to grace the occasion including my colleagues that are monarchs, High chiefs, friends, sons and daughters of the land among many others.
The programme is schedule to take place just for three days starting from 15th April, 2022. During that period, I will celebrate my 70th birthday anniversary followed by the conferment of chieftaincy titles on some eminent Nigerians.
Among those to be honored are the wife of Dr. Akintunde Ayeni, who is going to be installed as the Erelu of Itapa Kingdom. Others include Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, Niyi Aniye and Mr. Dare Borisade.
The event will be rounded up with an anniversary thanksgiving at Methodist Church of Nigeria, Itapa Ekiti.
What can you say are the achievements you recorded so far since your ascension?
I have a catalogue of achievements. Firstly, the native customary court building was renovated during my reign while the palace is going and is undergoing renovation courtesy of the Governor of Ekiti State, His Excellency, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi.
Furthermore, the relocation of the Pre-degree Directorate of the Federal University, Oye – Ekiti to Itapa Ekiti is another wonderful achievement recorded so far while the maternity centre has been furnished and handed over to the Ekiti State Ministry of Health for use.
Above all, I have been able to raise the visibility of Itapa Ekiti beyond what I met 10 years ago.
Can you enlighten our readers on the contributions of Itapa Ekiti towards the growth of FUOYE?
Itapa played a leading role in nurturing the university at Oye Ekiti. Let me clarify this openly, FUOYE is not only meant for Oye community. It is a federal university and it belongs to the whole of Ekiti State because Oye Ekiti community does not possess minimal standard of qualifications to play host to the University because there is a limitation to the land areas, which Oye Ekiti commands.
FUOYE is a multi-campus institution; our community including Ilupeju Ekiti, Ayegbaju Ekiti is only hosting an arm of the institution and that is how it will continue to extend to neighboring communities around Oye Ekiti.
Itapa Ekiti among other surrounding communities played a major role during the formative years of the institution to make it a reality.
What benefits do you think Itapa Ekiti stands to derive from Ifaki Ekiti that is playing host to the campus of the Nigeria Law School?
Thank you very much. It is not open for any debate because Itapa Ekiti will surely benefit from the Ifaki Ekiti Law School.
Frankly speaking, Ifaki Ekiti happens to be my second home. I went to Secondary Modern School at Ifaki Ayupapa, Engr. Segun Oni, the former governor of our state was my classmate with others sons of the community and we still interact with one another till today.
In addition, we have good number of Itapa Ekiti indigenes living in Ifaki Ekiti that are involved in inter-marriages with them. The Law campus will provide job opportunities for many of our children once it is operational.
What is your view on the worsening security situation in the country?
I will answer the question not relating it to Ekiti State alone. The state of insecurity in Nigeria is alarming coupled with the increasing rate of drug abuse and internet crime popularly known as ‘Yahoo Yahoo’. I pray for the future of this country.
What is the way out of the current conundrum?
The way out is to return to God and cry to him in prayer and fasting asking Him to turn things around for better.
Some youths are already polluted. When you offer them employment or admission, they will not embrace it rather they prefer to smoke and peruse the ontological specimen of the female organ and that is the greatest thing that have occupied their minds, and such things are not profitable and cannot lead anywhere.
Well, concerning the leaders of the country, if you are asking me that, you are only asking me the usefulness of fire to the cooking pot. The Nigerian leadership and followership are both very fraudulent and I don’t give a damn. They may pick me up after stepping outside from here to Aso Rock in Abuja or to the DSS centre and it does not mean anything to me. The truth must be told that our leaders are too bad.
It is very unfortunate that we are having a crop of leaders at the corridors of power now. The leader that I pray to parade in the corridors of power in Nigeria now is a person like Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, the Governor of Ekiti State. I am not mentioning Fayemi’s name because he is my brother or classmate. He is one of the very few leaders that have lived in the country, whose public and private morality is excellent.
There are other Nigerians who are doing preferably well that have registered their names in the minds of the people and these are the leaders we ought to parade in the corridors of power in Nigeria.
How symbolic is the traditional festival of Itapa Ekiti among it contemporaries?
Itapa Ekiti is unique among the various communities in Yoruba land. The uniqueness is that if you go to Ile-Ife today, there is a place called Itapa Street from where my ancestors migrated to the present site. There is also a forest in Ile-Ife called Igbo Itapa (Itapa Forest) and it might be difficult to give due respect to any individual elected as Ooni of Ife who is not taken to Igbo Itapa.
There is also a festival in Itapa known as Orisa Itapa. In all the festivals in Ile-Ife, it is only during the celebration that you will find the Ooni of Ile-Ife as the chief celebrant. That is why you will see some natives of Ile-Ife bearing ‘Eluyemi’, ‘Eluwole’, ‘Elutunmise’, ‘Eluyemisi’, ‘Elusola’.
When my Great Grandfather, the first Owa of Itapa, Oba Amowa was leaving Ile-Ife, his father Oduduwa, presented to him Elutapa and since then we have been worshipping Elutapa in Itapa Ekiti as far back as 700 hundred years ago.
This is historical evidence that there is a special connection and relationship between Itapa Ekiti and Ile-Ife, which most communities in Yoruba land today are not enjoying.
Can you talk to us about the taboos in Itapa Ekiti Kingdom?
Firstly, the regent that was on the throne before my ascension was my own blood, my blood sister. As soon as I ascended the throne, our tradition permits that she leaves the community and does not allow us to see eye-ball-to-eye-ball again for the rest of our lives. Any day, she violates the law and I see her, she will die. It is a taboo.
In addition, there is a chief under my supervision called Onipebo. He watches over the Ogun shrine in Itapa Ekiti and he is only permitted to see me once in a year or once in 3 years. If he dares to violate or disobey that traditional injunction, it will be better for Sodom and Gomorrah than for him.
But what happens if you accidentally come across one another?
We will never. If incidentally, we stumbled on each other, he will pay the supreme price. Within 32 hours, they will dig his grave. He will die, that is the meaning.
Also, there is a stream very close to my house and palace, known as Ijeti stream. It is a taboo for any soul to draw the water from Ijeti stream to my house.
Furthermore, it is a taboo for any male or female to use the water from Ijeti stream to cook food for me. If such is done before they set the table for me, such individual will not survive it.
What are the cultural festivals commonly celebrated among the people of the community?
Itapa Ekiti has arrays of festivals. There is Ijeti Olomi, Oye Okelejo, Elutapa festival among others. There are many but I will only discuss the ones that directly affect me and it is the Ogun festival, which comes up every September.
That is the day the monarch of Itapa is adorned in military regalia to dance round the town with the subjects, youths and elders who can withstand the rigors involved.
Also, my queens always sing a song after me which interests me so much. It is only permitted for that day alone and whoever sings or say that to me the following day after the celebrations of the ‘Ogun festival’, will die.
In Itapa Ekiti, we believe in ‘Ogun festival’. Ogun is the god of iron in most communities in Yoruba land.
