I’m a pastor, but I have my reasons for marrying many wives –Oba Adediran, Owa of Esa-Oke

The Owa Omiran of Esa Oke, Oba Adeyemi Adediran , in this interview, explains why he knelt down in a church when he was ordained as a pastor despite being an Oba 

How was growing up?
I was born in Oyo town but into the Aragadagbagun ruling house in Esa Oke. I grew up in Oyo town and attended primary school after which I went to a modern school. I attended Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo for both ordinary and higher school certificates. While in Olivet, I was also a sports man. I played football, I was a sprinter and then I played handball. I was the first captain of the handball team of the school. I even led our school to tournaments in 1980. After my secondary education, I started working with the Oyo State Government as a clerical officer. I went further to obtain Ordinary National Diploma and Higher National Diploma in Business Administration at Iree Polytechnic, Osun State where I finished in 1991. I won a scholarship to study in Israel after I won a competition where I came first among the Nigerian states. I led the exam and the interview, so I was given the scholarship to study advance diploma in tourism in 1999, then I came back to start my Master’s programme at the then University of Ado Ekiti. When I was in the civil service, my interest was into tourism and I practised it. I started my work in the Ministry of Commerce in Oyo State but when Osun State was created, I was transferred. I used to organise trade fairs and exhibition for the state government throughout Nigeria and outside Nigeria. I was at a time posted to Erin Ijesa waterfalls to manage the place. I developed it to the best of my ability. At a time, they used to call that waterfalls ‘Omi Brother Yemi. I am that Brother Yemi.

You were a sportsman in school; do you still engage in sports now?
Ehh… I only engage in walking because of the position I am and age because it is advised that if you are above 50years of age, you should not do more than 30 minutes’ walk,

Is it every day?

 No! I only do it either twice a week or three times in a week and it is within the palace or I trek from my house in the town to the palace.

Can you tell us a brief history about how Esa Oke came into existence?

I was told and I read it that the founder of  Esa Oke, Adeolu, was one of the descendants of Lafogido. He came from the Lafogido Ruling House  in Ile Ife. He came from the Aragba compound and this was confirmed after my installation as a monarch. I was taken to the compound of Lafogido to confirm if truly I was from the place. Nobody entered the place with me, I was there alone and I prayed to Lafogido for guidance, wisdom and strength. I prayed to him as my father and I came out. Before I entered our compound in Ile Ife, they had to perform some rituals which authenticated my root as a bonafide son of Lafogido

How did you confirm this?

 My eyes turned red when I came out of the place and nobody could look straight into my eyes. I do attend the meeting with them in Ife at the ruling house of my descendants. We are called Adagba komoyepo; we do our things together with them.

To confirm this, you will see my door marked ‘Esu-Esa’. I was told that the founder of this town was a great warrior and a very radical person but very intelligent. He fought so many wars and settled in many places as I was told before he came to settle in Esa Oke. They called him Omiran, not a giant but it means O-m-o-n-r-a-n(intelligent). Instead of consulting oracle, he was the one being consulted and he would advise you correctly. Then when he was on this stool, he was called ‘Olumojo Esa’ he had the authority to command rain. The man was so intelligent to the extent that he would make sure he prepared cover for the guns he was using while he would use his power to command rain on his enemies in order to make their guns and weapon wet. That was why they called him an intelligent Oba. When he left Ile Ife, they missed him because instead of consulting the oracle, they consulted him.

You said some rituals were performed before you entered into the Lafogido Ruling House, what type of rituals?

 That is traditional. I would not know what they used but I can confirm that a sheep was slaughtered and the blood was sprinkled around and some other things before I entered into the place.

You said that you are a direct descendant of Lafogido Ruling House in Ile Ife , does that mean you too can become the Ooni?

 I have come to establish my own town; to poke my nose into the affairs in Ife means I am going beyond my boundary. Some people are still there and those ones should be in that line.  As at today, we have some Obas  in Ile Ife that come from Adagba Ruling House . There are other children of Lafogido that left the town but going to that place requesting for what is not existing; that is like trying to cause a crisis where there is none.

How did Lafogido answer your prayer when you went there to confirm your paternity?

 He did not appear to me in person but when I came out of the place, no one could look directly into my eyes as they turned completely red. That was a sign that something had happened to me. Also, there has been no calamity, no outbreak of disease since I ascended the throne. That is enough evidence to confirm that he answered my prayers.

Were you a pastor when you went to do this?

No! but I had been undergoing the training privately before becoming an Oba with Bishop Mike  Bamidele of Victory Chapel.  I served in other units in the church and I was the head of the church’s security unit.

Is there any taboo in this town?

 I wouldn’t say there are some and I wouldn’t say there are not some. But anywhere you are, you must adhere to the laws of the land and listen to what the king and the chiefs say. I will appreciate my predecessor who tried his best. He laid down his life, I am talking about Oba Isaiah Adeniran. He did so many good things.

How many wives do you have?

For now, they are many.

Many wives even as an ordained pastor, why?

I am a royal father. Pastoral duties are there and traditional duties are there. Even in the Bible, there are circumstances that led some people to marrying many wives. I have my reasons and they are personal.

Thirteen years after you ascended the throne, you were ordained as a pastor, why?

 As a royal father, majorly our duty is to lead the people in the community. If you check the story of David in the Bible, you will discover that David was a king and also a servant of God, so there is nothing strange there. I am so friendly to all religions even my last born was named by the Muslim community. They gave him Usman as his name just to show their love for me and my love for the religion.

Secondly, I was born by a very strong Christian father and I grew up in this environment. Although I had undergone the training, there are many revelations  even before I became Oba that there would be a time that I would become  a pastor. Though  this didn’t appeal to me that time, Pastor Adeboriota came all the way from Akure, that is the founder of the Acts of Apostle Church. He came to request for a piece of land and we gave him some plots of land to build his church and he came with some people to the palace. When he came I preached to him and talked to him but when I was talking, he got a revelation that I should be ordained as a pastor. I didn’t even know the man at all. I never met him or spoke with him before that time. But that revelation was given to him when he came to the palace.

 He said Lord told him to ordain me as a pastor but he said that he told God that he did not come here to ordain a pastor but to acquire a land and pray for the king. He told me that when I was talking, God told him to ordain me as a pastor but when he said it, I didn’t take him seriously. Another pastor came from Germany called Pastor  Adenuga who is a renowned evangelist. He was to hold a crusade here.  I also didn’t know this pastor before this time.  The crusade was organised by the Christian Association of Nigeria, Esa Oke branch, He came to the palace to see me. He also told me that when he was praying the previous day that he got a revelation that he should come and ordain me as pastor. When he told the CAN members here, they told him that a revelation had come before that I should be ordained a pastor. So, with these revelations, I knew that what they were saying had God’s backing. So on June 4, 2017, I was ordained and by April 22, I would be 14 years on the throne.

Punch