BISI AKANDE IN THE HISTORY OF ILA-ORANGUN: Reminiscences on the 80th Birthday of Chief Adebisi Akande, By Oyeniyi Akande
INTRODUCTION
To God be the glory for sparing Chief Adebisi Bamdele Akande’s life and for making his life full of achievements we are all very proud of. He is a different thing to different people, but everyone admits that he has been a source of blessing to this generation in many ways.
He is a man of very humble beginning, rising by his bootstraps to have a successful career as an accountant/computer executive with British Petroleum in the oil marketing industry; a councillor in his local government area; a member of the Constituent Assembly that wrote Nigeria’s Constitution(1979) which transformed the country to the Presidential system of government; Secretary to the Government (and later Deputy Governor) of the old Oyo State(1979-83), Executive Governor of Osun State(1999-2003); national chairman to four big national political parties in succession (2003-2015) –namely, Action for Democracy, Action Congress, Action Congress of Nigeria, and All Progressives Congress–the last of which is presently the ruling party in Nigeria; a recipient of honorary doctorate degrees in Business Administration(DBA) and in Letters (D.Lit) from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso (2003) and Osun State University, Osogbo (2018) respectively; a holder of several traditional chieftaincy titles…
Why, then, have I restricted my reminiscences on him to his roles in Ila-Orangun, as the title of this write up suggests? It is because it appears that he is better known for his national and international achievements than for what he has done for his homestead, though they are themselves legion and very impactful.
What the average Ila indigenes of fifty(50) years old and below know about the contributions of Chief Adebisi Bamdele Akande (Bisi Akande, for short) to the history of Ila-Orangun is that the old man is a shrewd politician, the kingmaker in the progressive political groups who has helped many political officeholders over several years into their desired positions once he gives them his blessings.
They may offhand reel out names of many of their fathers, uncles or contemporaries who they know that Bisi Akande had sponsored or supported in politics successfully. Their lists may include Babatunde Agiri(Chairman, Ila Local Government, 1979-83), Ojeyemi Olurombi Durotoye(Supervisory Councillor, Ila Local Government,1979-83), M.A. Adedeji(Member, Oyo State Sports Commission,1979-83), Joseph Popoola (Member, Governing Council, Ibadan Polytechnic, 1980-83; Chairman, Ila Local Planning Board, 1979-83), Longus Olaolu(Member, Ila Local Planning Board, 1979-83), Demola Kolawole (Chairman, Ila Local Government,1984; Chairman, Ila Central Development Area Council, 2016 to date), Benedict Remi Olaniyan(Member, House of Representatives,1992-3), Durowara(Member, Oyo State House of Assembly, 1992-3), Ismaila Kolawole(Private Secretary to the Governor, 1999-2003), Yekinni Adedotun(Chairman, Ila Local Government, 1999-2002), Tunde Ajiboye (Chairman, Ila Local Government, 2002-3), Timothy Awoniyi(Member, Council of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, 1999-2004), Sola Adeyeye(Chairman, Ifedayo Local Government, 2002-3; Member, House of Representatives, 2003-2007; Senator, 2011-2019), Demola Ajiboye (Member, Osun State House of Assembly, 2011-2015), Segun Awotunde (Chairman, Ila Local Government, 2011-2016), Olufemi Fakeye (Member, House of Representatives since 2011), Joshua Adediji (Member, Oyo State House of Assembly; Chairman, Ila Local Government, 2016 to date), Obawale Adebisi (Secretary, Ila Local Government, 2011-2016; Commissioner/Member of Cabinet, State of Osun, 2017 to date), Clement Akanni(Member, Osun State Local Government Service Commission, 2011-15; Member, Osun State House of Assembly, 2015-19), etc, etc, etc…
It is within that context that they have coined the expression “Baba wi pe” to denote, perhaps sarcastically, that Akande’s word is law in progressive politics of Ila and its environs. But it needs to be stated, for records, that Bisi Akande did not become “the political kingmaker” overnight. For the last sixty(60) years or more, he has been in the trenches fighting relentlessly and very conscientiously many battles for the progress of Ila Orangun on all fronts, when evaluated against all indicators of socioeconomic development. His rather unusually enduring and successful stewardship in Ila Community appears to have resulted largely from his perseverance and long-suffering study (and, consequently, a deep knowledge and understanding) of its geography, history, culture and traditions as well as his own empathy with the interests of the people and very strong desire to promote their wellbeing.
RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE
Chief Bisi Akande first told me about the IJA ODE episode of October 1944 when a confrontation between the
local vigilantes/community night guards (Ode) and some exuberant youngmen who had recently converted to Islam led to several days of rioting in Ila. Its aftermath had negative repercussions on the unity and socioeconomic development of the town for a long time. Perhaps that sad and divisive incident stuck to his young mind.
Bisi Akande’s own father had rebelled against his parents’ faith as Sango adherents by converting to Islam. After starting school at N.A. School, Oke Aloyin, Bisi lived with his paternal grandparents and partook in their religion. At the same time, a cousin of his dad(living next door) was a christian of the Roman Catholic Mission, and usually took Bisi along to church on Sundays. Thus, Bisi was early in life exposed to a confluence of traditional religions, Islam and Christianity.
No wonder he is an epitome of religious tolerance. Though he remains a Muslim, he has sponsored in their hundreds both Muslims and Christians on holy pilgrimages; he has contributed greatly to building and/or renovating places of worship across all faiths. That way, he has taught, by his personal examples, the importance of religious tolerance in promoting community’s unity and societal peace, harmony, progress and development in Ila and its environs.
EDUCATION
His love for education is legendary and he has committed a lot of his time, energy and other resources into its promotion in Ila. For instance, from his early days as a primary school teacher, Bisi Akande began to sponsor several Ila indigenes to school up to the university level. Records show that he was one of the major mobilisers of the Ila Community to contribute the money/levies with which Ila Grammar School(1960) and Igbonnibi High School(1977) were founded. He even served for sometime on the Board of Governors of Ila Grammar School to midwife its smooth running.
As a member of the Bola Ige Government in the Old Oyo State(1979-83), he caused the establishment of a secondary school in every quarter of Ila as well as in every major town and village within the then Ila Local Government: at Isedo, Oke Ede, Iperin, Oke Ejigbo, Eyindi (on Agbamu Road, but it was sabotaged by the contractor who did so poor a job that the classroom collapsed at the foundation level), Ajaba, Oyi Aiyegunle, Oke Ila, Ora, etc.
Bisi Akande’s immense roles in the establishment(1979) of the Osun State College of Education, Ila Orangun and its massive expansion(1999-2003) have been well documented in the College’s official publication on its own history (published in 2014) and in the citation read at Chief Akande’s investiture as a Distinguished Fellow of the College in 2016.
ENABLERS OF SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Chief Bisi Akande usually reminisces how Ila Orangun was an economic hub for the Igbomina/Ekiti axis of the Yorubaland when he was growing up. He believes that to restore Ila to that status requires the development of a good road network that may situate Ila as the centre of commerce based on the agribusinesses of the present Osun, Kwara, Ekiti, and Kogi States. Therefore to achieve that end he has, at one time or the other, been instrumental to the construction and/or reconstruction of the following roads:
- Konta/Oyan/Ila
- Ila/Ajaba/Imesi-Ile Junction
- Ajaba/Oke-Imesi
- Ikirun/Otan/Ila/Ora/Kwara and Ekiti States’Junction
- Ila/Oyi-Aiyegunle
- Ila/Oyi-Adunni
- Ila/Oye/Oke-Ila
- Ila/Arandun
In a similar vein, Bisi Akande, as parts of the efforts to develop Ila’s economy, actively pursued the introduction of electricity to Ila Orangun (1974-77) and also spearheaded the establishment of a branch of the Cooperative Bank in the town.
PUBLIC HOUSING SCHEMES
Chief Akande believes that availability of decent houses with good sanitation is essential to attract and retain good staff to work in government establishments operating in a rural setting like Ila and its environs. His first demonstration of that was when he got the old Oyo State Housing Corporation to build fifty(50) staff quarters along with sporting and recreation facilities (like staff club house, guest houses, stadium) on the campus of the Osun State College of Education, Ila in 1980/81. His foresight on those houses helped the college tremendously in its early days to recruit and retain good quality staff members; and it is up till today the only tertiary educational institution in Osun State which has residential staff quarters.
In 2000-2002, his administration as Governor of Osun State also built staff quarters for, especially, teachers and healthcare delivery workers posted to rural areas (like Ajaba) for their comfort and to encourage them stay there contented. The houses were provided with potable water supply and electricity.
ORDERLY DEVELOPMENT OF ILA ORANGUN AND ENVIRONS
Chief Bisi Akande is passionate about wholistic development of Ila and its environs. This is evident in his ensuring as much as possible that public-sponsored projects are spread among the various quarters which make up the town as well as the Ila Rural areas.
We may recall that the early post-primary schools (Ila Modern School and Ila Grammar School) were located at Oke Ejigbo axis along the Ila/Otan road. Igbonnibi High School was later built on Ila/Oyan road. To complement them, the various secondary schools established when Akande was on the Cabinet of Old Oyo State were located along all the roads entering Ila so as to get those outskirts developed too.
Records show that it was at the strong insistence of Bisi Akande that the new Ila Local Government Secretariat was built at Para Alakoyi, Oke-Osin, Isedo, rather than being squeezed within the Palace area as was originally planned. It was the same Bisi Akande who got the old Oyo and Osun State Governments to site the College of Education and the Osun Central Education District Office along Ora Road.
TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Chief Bisi Akande has very strong respect for the traditional institutions. That may be one of the reasons why he hates to see them polluted in any way, especially through corruption and undue inducements in selecting people to hold traditional offices. His pamphlet “The Making of a King: the Orangun of Ila”(2004)) sheds an instructive light on his principle on the matter.
His providing good leadership and guidance for the struggles of his father’s family compound, Ile Asudan, to recently regain its entitlement to the Obaro of Ila Chieftaincy stool is another example of how strongly he believes in justice as an ingredient for Yoruba’s age-long reverence for traditional institutions. He had similarly objectively ensured that the major chieftaincy stool of his mother’s family compound, the Obalumo of Ila, was restored to its preeminence as a high-ranking Kingmaker of the Orangun of Ila.
FORWARD PLANNING
Bisi Akande always meticulously plans ahead in anything. For instance, in the early 1980s, he caused the Ila Local Government to acquire parcels of land for several imaginable public-use projects in the town, like for the College of Education and the College High School, for a College of Commerce he was trying to promote for the town, a teaching hospital which he felt would be required if and when the then newly-established College of Education could have become a university, industrial layouts and housing schemes, etc.
One of such parcels of land acquired then at his prodding is presently being developed into the Federal Government Housing Scheme at Idi Esu-Nla on Ila/Ita-Oyi road, Isedo.
TOWN PLANNING/AESTHETICS IN DEVELOPMENT
As the President of Ila Charity Club, Bisi Akande moved the motion for and actively facilitated the building of the “Ila Charity Club House” within the Orangun’s Palace area, the only such club house today in the town.
His first house, at age 22 years in 1961/2, was built within the family compound at Ile Obalumo, Isedo, to show solidarity with his roots. He built his second house in 1972/3. It was the tallest and most beautiful residential building in Ila at that time, the only taller structure in town then was the Ila Central Mosque. Again, in order to remain close to his roots, he located it within his family compound at Ile Obalumo.
His third house, “Ogunnihun House”, was built 1996-2002 at the site of his maternal grandmother’s house at Ita Obajoko. An office and shopping complex, it is a cynosure of all eyes in the market area. And his fourth house, Ile Asudan, Ora Road, where he presently lives, is a delight to behold.
“Omowumi House” at Elekian Amonija Compound, Isedo, was built by Bisi Akande’s wife in 1990-97; it is usually described by people as “Ile a wo si fila so nu” because of its height and elegance.
Akande was the first “settler” to build a real residential house, together with crop processing facilities, on his farm at the Ila Farm Settlement.
His love for promoting farming and agribusinesses also made him to assist in attracting a World Bank grant in 2017 to Osun State College of Education, Ila. The sum of twenty-two million Naira (N22m) came under the Fadama Programme of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. With that grant, the college established commercial farms in poultry, fishery/aquaculture, livestock rearing, and the cultivation of forty(40) hectares of cassava. The plan includes the establishment of appropriate farmgate processing plants for adding values to the farmproduce, thereby creating jobs and wealth locally.
A SELFLESS INVESTOR
With respect to his contributions to the aesthetics and architectural physical development of Ila Orangun’s landscape, discerning watchers of Bisi Akande keep being baffled by three questions. First, he had built his first two houses in Ila while he was still living in rented apartments at his places of work. Why didn’t he first build a house for his personal convenience at where he was working? Secondly, why did he decide to build within family compounds, areas already choked up and with rather poor road accessibility and environmental sanitation? Thirdly, people often ask if he was not a poor economist/investor, though an accomplished accountant? Or how else could any profit-minded person justify building such costly edifices in a “dead-end location” like Ila, where they attracted no economic values, whereas those properties could have brought him fortunes in form of rents if they were sited in places like Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, or even Osogbo?
His reason may be found in what President Muhammadu Buhari described in a joke between him and Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu:
“Chief Akande loves his village Ila too much”! [courtesy of a video which went viral in 2015].
Any wonder that an appreciative Orangun led the entire Ila Community to bestow on Bisi Akande the title of the ASIWAJU OF ILA ORANGUN on October 30, 1982–the very first person to be so honoured with that title!
Oyeniyi AKANDE
January 2019.
