SOUN’S VISIT TO SURULERE LG: The Burden and the Blunders
Less than two years ago, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III was enthroned as the Soun of Ogbomosoland having been elected by the king makers and confirmed by the Executive Governor of Oyo State, HE, Engr. Seyi Makinde.
Expectedly, there is virtually no exalted oba across the country whose selection did not witness series of litigation and misgivings from other families, groups and individuals who felt the person of the Oba or the process of his selection is unsatisfactory. It’s nothing strange or unusual to have people like that go to court. It’s their right to seek judicial intervention.
THE BURDENS
Ipso facto, Kabiyesi Ghandi hasn’t stopped saying it at different fora that he barely came to Ogbomoso three times in 30 years from his base in America. He has said it more often than not that he hardly knew ten people in Ogbomoso closely before he became a king.
When the Soun was coming to the throne, he came with a 25-Year Developmental Plan of Ogbomosoland. Of course, he had to start meeting people. He needed to mix and relate with the people.
Thus, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye started to visit Ogbomoso sons and daughters in places outside of Ogbomoso, such as Jos, Gombe, Zaria, Kaduna, Nassarawa, USA, UK and all. Subsequently, His Majesty felt he needed to meet the people at home too. He needed to share his visions, missions and strategies with them. He felt the honest need to listen to them on areas where he could be of help, navigating through his personal resources, goodwill among his friends, courting the favours of the government at all levels and sermonising prosperous sons and daughters of the land to join the developmental train.
Reasonably, Kabiyesi can not sit in the comfort of his palace to know the people, where they live and the reality of what they need. Soun doesn’t want developments to be confined to the Ogbomoso North and South alone. He can’t describe to the investors the roads and problems he doesn’t know first hand. Who owns what is not as important as who does what. The land and the fullness belong to God. This is both an evergreen maxim and the position of the holy writ that must be respected by all men.
5 THINGS THAT DRIVE OBA GHANDI AROUND:
1. The desire to leave Ogbomosoland (or Ogbomoso Zone as may be preferred by some of our people) better than he met it.
2. He wants to know the people, their prospects and their problems.
3. The need for us as a people to recognise our own roles in the emancipation of our land. Great visions travel on two legs: God’s ability and man’s responsibilities. He reminds people everywhere to develop robust penchant for education, digitalization, diligence, love, oneness and more.
4. Desire to help.
5. Building a bridge of unity across board.
THE BLUNDERS
It’s a grave mischief to say the Soun is coming to dable in who becomes the next Aresa-Adu It’s neither the spoken nor unspoken motive of the Town Hall Meeting.
It is not correct to say that Kabiyesi Ghandi is planning to take over the land belonging to other traditional rulers. He has said it everywhere that if he needs land as the Soun, he will buy with his own money. There’s a season in one’s life when all that matters is legacy, not possession.
Good people of Ogbomoso, let us revive and sustain the culture of first-class honour, dignity and sanctity that our ancestors bestowed on their kings. We’re a people of honour, culture and intelligence. We are known for peace and tolerance. Bully is a taboo for the Ogbomosos. Let us promote the actions that unite us and denounce the actions that polarise us further. We’re one. We are a people of love.
Join Kabiyesi Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye at Iresa-Adu today, July 3, 2025. Let us show the world that Ogbomoso North, South, Surulere, Ogo-Oluwa and Orire can be in different geographical areas, but we’re one at heart and in acts.
