Meet Oba Fatai Aremu Aromire, the Ojora of Lagos

I became the king as the youngest contestant… Oba Fatai Aremu Aromire, Ojora
The Ojora of Lagos, HRM Oba Fatai Aremu Aromire, is undoubtedly to be reckoned with when one is to talk about tradi¬tional rulers with influ¬ence and might, yet he’s so humble and kind-heart¬ed. In this chat with Life & Times MUTIAT ALLI, HRM Fatai Aremu Aromire led us into the events that greeted his ascension to the throne, and lots more. Excerpts:

Been Oba of Ojora community will be easy at beginning and tough at some point, how has the journey been so far?
Let’s thank the almighty for the journey so far because I must be sincere with you that the journey was not smooth at the beginning because it was a real battle as so many people knows that Ijora was not a peaceful environment but thank God and all things been equal everything has been working fine for me and the entire Ijora communities at large.

Becoming the ruling head of the entire Ijora Community, how was that made possible?
Well, the late Chief passed on in 1993 and then I was his personal assistance, I must say that while he was alive, he was a nice man, father and fun to be with as he majorly exposed me to all the nitty-gritty of the community.

So when he passed on, it was the turn of my own ruling house and seven candidates contested for the tussle, since we could not determine who the last person that reigned in my own ruling house so the head of the family then, the late Onitire of Itire Land called the elders of the family together and suggested that the contest be thrown open to all the prince.

Before then, I had my own aspirant that I was supporting because I was the youth leader in the community and I had drummed support for my elder brother to become the king because I was never interested in the tussle at all having a knowledge about the whole Ijora story and its environ since it was tagged one of the most troublesome community in Lagos.

I had already packed by bags and baggage to travel abroad but then I was waiting to witness who will eventually emerge as the king since my brother was one of the contestant but funny enough some of our families members were behind the crisis of telling him not to go along with me to see the head of the family.

I was actually afraid that the ruling house will shift from my household if we don’t submit names of candidate after three month and as such the next ruling house will eventually take over; so what we eventually did was that everybody was told to write application and I equally did since my elder brother was reluctant and by so doing a date was chosen for all the candidate to meet at the palace of Onitire and my own thinking was that we were going there to vote for our candidate and even as I was contesting too, I was equally drumming support for my brother.

So when you got to voting arena what eventually happened and how was the final selection made?
Funny enough there was no election what so ever but rather we met a young Ifa Priest and we were informed that he will be the one to carry out the selection process and I was shouting there that we were told that it was going to be an election because I am the secretary of my own family and I had mobilize people who will vote for my brother and since I was the one that had all the candidate forms.

So I dragged my brother’s form as number one, so when the Ifa priest asked me to start; my brother was the first candidate to sit in front of the priest and shocking for me, when my brother sat down, he was given cowry to speak to and when he was done, the next thing the Ifa priest did was screaming, water!! Water!!

And that if my brother becomes the chief, he will be an armed robber and die on the throne and that was my own candidate; the next candidate sat down (Mukhaila Onisemo) and again the Ifa priest told him he will not spend two years before his death on the throne, then another candidate (Oyadina) was next; when he sat in front of the priest.

The priest said he was a good candidate but I was not happy because my brother has been declined already and immediately Oyadina said he was not contesting again that he only wanted to be sure that he has the royal blood.

After all the other candidates, the priest discovered that it was remaining one more candidate which was me and I was told to seat right in front of the priest, I was given a cowry to speak to which I did not even say anything to because I was afraid of the comment I will hear from the priest and when I dropped it, the Ifa priest shouted (Eji Ogbe) and he said to the entire house that this is your Oba.

When the Ifa Priest named you the Oba in the presence of other candidates, what happened next?
In all fairness, I was not happy that I was announced as the candidate of the Ifa Oracle having in mind that Ijora is a trouble-some community; so when we left the palace, I told others that since everybody in the community is aware that my elder brother is one of the candidate, why don’t we all seek for prayers from all the religion and give him that total support but in all none of them was interested.

So when I stepped out of the palace my brother’s elder sister naked me and tore all my clothes, it was Buhari Oloto that came to my rescue and so I ran to the nearest police station and I was given one of their extra uniform and I was driven in their land rover car to the community and already the news have circulated that I was the chosen one and since then I was officially installed in June 5th, 1994.

When your wife heard that you were chosen as the Oba, what was her reaction?
Actually I never wanted the title in the first place not to talk of my wife, but since there was no choice, she drummed support and stood firmly by me in all conditions.

Ijora has been known as a trouble-some community, since your inception as the head, has there been peaceful co-existence?
Total peace in all ramifications and it was through this I knew that my ancestors really needed me to be the Oba for peace to reign again and I must tell you that the entire community is one.

Before now, nobody can place their drink or food and step out for few minutes because my time you come back, there is 80% assurance that your food will have been poisoned but now I want to thank the almighty for making everything easy and smoothly.

What was growing up like for you?
Growing up was fun for me in so ways and the other way round because from childhood I learnt how to fend for myself with the little support I get from the parent because I was not born with a silver spoon but we were comfortable.

While growing up, I learnt how to read through my every day studying of daily time’s newspaper; through my learning, I went to both primary and secondary school before proceeding for my HND. It will amaze you to know that I did dirty jobs as far as been a faeces parker just to survive and make ends meet.

What influence does the Ojora palace have in Lagos and Nigeria as a whole?
This palace is different from other palaces because it’s an ancient palace built by the Brazilians in 1920. You cannot see this type of palace anywhere in Lagos and that is why we cherish it.