The Humble Beginning
Tuesday, September 14, 1943, was a remarkable day across the globe because it served as the renaissance of many notable occurrences in human history. It was the day many ‘will be great’ human beings were engrained on the surface of the earth.
In the United States, it was the reign of the great American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and a time when famous individuals like Jean-Jacques Aubert and Irwin Goodman were born.
And, in Abeokuta, Nigeria, a ‘will-be’ firmly rooted and globally influential human ‘baobab tree‘ was planted into the Laarun Alake ruling family of Egbaland. The 10th Alake of Egba, Oba Michael Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, the Okukenu IV, was born to the lucky couple – Omoba Adesanya Osolake Gbadebo and Madam Amoke Gbadebo, a distinguished Egba woman from the Ikopa area of Abeokuta.
Perhaps the traditional Yoruba oracle, Ifa, would have been consulted and would have spoken extensively on the exemplary royal life Aremu Adedotun would lead. As the grandson of the 6th Alake of Egbaland, Oba Gbadebo, who ruled between 1898 and 1920, and a nephew to the 8th Alake, Oba Samuel Adeshina Gbadebo II, who ruled between 1908 and 1971, Michael Aremu Gbadebo certainly was raised with nobility and silver spoon, relative to his contemporaries. Little wonder he had it smooth academically and on career paths.
The little Gbadebo had his elementary school in a catholic institution, at Itesi Nursery and Primary Montessori School, located just behind the Ake Palace, stress less. He later proceeded to the famous Baptist Boys’ High School, Abeokuta, where he became schoolmate to most famous Egbas and Nigerians today. He was also at the renowned Ibadan Grammar School and later at the Nigerian premier citadel of learning, University of Ibadan, from 1965, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Arts.
Military Career
The today’s septuagenarian was enlisted into the Nigerian Army on December 16, 1969. He attended the Command and Staff Military College at Jaji, Kaduna State, between September 1976 and August 1979.
Thereafter, he rose along the military ranks and later became the Principal Staff Officer to the late Major-General Tunde Idiagbon, the then Chief of Staff at the Supreme Headquarters of the Nigerian Army at the famous Dodan Barracks, Lagos, between January 1984 and September 1985.
Adedotun disengaged from the Military as a Colonel after 16 years of meritorious service and went into private business practice. He had series of awards as military personnel, including the forces Service Star and the Defense Service Medal.
Path to the Alake Obaship
At the demise of the 9th Alake of Egbaland, Oba Oyebade Lipede, on February 3, 2005, there was a lacuna in the Egba Royal Office, and this must be effectively and efficiently filled with immediacy and alacrity. But this did not happen until six months of thorough search for the real person that should be crowned.
At last, the thoroughly bred ex-military Colonel Michael Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo was elected as the 10th Alake of Egbaland on the 2nd of August 2005, through a keenly contested selection process among nine candidates, including Prince Adeleke, his younger brother. He scored 15 out of the 23 votes of the Egba kingmakers, while Adeleke took the remaining eight votes, leaving others with zero each.
By November 11, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo will be celebrating his 13th anniversary as the paramount ruler of Egbas worldwide.
business life
After retirement from the Military and ever before the royal responsibilities, Oba Gbadebo had stronghold in Business. He was at the boards of notable organizations, including Ocean and Oil Limited, Global Haulage Resources Limited, Dolphin Travels etc. and he was appointed a non-executive director of OANDO plc. on April 10, 2006.
President Muhammadu Buhari also appointed him as the pioneer Chancellor of the Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo (FUNAI) in Ebonyi State on January 26, 2006, at the 4th Matriculation ceremony
of the institution.
Oba Gbadebo IV Reigns
On assumption of office as the 10th Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun itemised six focused agenda to deliver to the Egbas worldwide, thus:
Preservation of traditional values and dignities of the institution of Obaship and culture of the Egbas – home and in the diaspora, promotion of welfare and aspirations of the Egbas, building on the peace and concordance established by the past leaders, working with the government to re-position the Egbas for commerce and industrialisation, bequeathing to posterity a legacy of service and integrity for the greater honour and glory of the Egbaland, and the promotion of education in the entire Egbaland.
In a press conference on Monday to flag-off activities marking his 75th birthday, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo undertook a kind of self-assessment 13 years later, and thanked God, the Ogun State Government, his chiefs and the entire Egbas at home and in the diaspora, reiterating that he had enjoyed the support of all to reach the level the Egbas had attained during his reign.
He was emphatic that areas of developments include unity and love among the Egbas, infrastructural development within the towns, educational advancement, industrial development, employment generation and poverty alleviation.
On education, he was specifically happy that the Egba clan housed the highest number of higher institutions in Nigeria and, still, is concluding arrangements to accommodate the University of Medical Sciences and Medicine.
TRIBUTES
Information went round the key Egba indigenes for them to assess the impact of the era of Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, as he celebrates his 75th birthday over the week.
Notable Egbas worldwide assessed the Monarch’s reign while felicitating with him on his 75th birthday.
Prof. Musa-Olomu
A Medical Professor and Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Professor Adewale Musa-Olomu who, on behalf of the management, staff and patients of the hospital, celebrates Oba Adedotun Gbadebo on his 75th birthday, praised the royal father on his advisory and supportive roles in backing the current administration of the Federal Institute at upgrading the centre to a teaching hospital status.
He said, “On behalf of the management, staff and patients of Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, I hereby seize this opportunity to heartily congratulate and rejoice with your Royal Majesty, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, CFR, Okukenu IV, the Alake & Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, on the auspicious occasion of your 75th birthday anniversary.
It is indeed a thing of joy, pride and inspiration for us to see Kabiyesi aging gracefully. We give thanks to the Almighty God for seeing you thus far.
I wish to specially acknowledge the tireless efforts of your Royal Majesty towards the overall rapid development of Egbaland and peaceful co-existence of people of various tribes and dialects, since your ascension to the throne of your fore-fathers.”
Chief Lai Labode
The Aare Baaroyin of Egbaland, Chief Lai Labode, a seasoned broadcaster, in his own congratulatory message to Oba Adedotun Gbadebo on his 75th birthday, described him as a most quintessential monarch, lovable, affable, religious, compassionable, patriotic and not necessarily ‘controversial’.
His statement:
His majesty, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, CFR, Okukenu IV, is many things to many people. His friends and foes would naturally see the Egba paramount monarch from the extreme opposite angles.
His friends and admirers cannot also have same yardstick to assess this 10th Alake. He is many things to many people. We could only agree, in varying degrees, that he is lovable, affable, religious, compassionate, patriotic etc. He is not necessarily a ‘controversy’.
The common denominator is that Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo is human, with blood and flesh; capable of feeling either hot or cold weather like other humans and, yet, he is a special breed of a man and a monarch. A people’s Monarch!
Call him quintessential, archetypal, a classic model or veritable representation of his (Okukenu) stock, idea or dexterous, you are still talking about a consummate leader of the Egba Nation.
I physically met the ‘Prince Dotun Gbadebo’ exactly 50 years ago (1968) at the University of Ibadan. He had been there before me. I had heard of him from Princess Adebisi Gbadebo, who was a teacher as I at the Egba High School, Asero, Abeokuta, in 1967. She would proudly mention his name in discussions concerning the premier University and Gbadebo Dynasty.
The enduring mental picture I still have of him is the ever smiling visage, especially when standing at the gate of the Tedder, the neighbouring hall to my own Mellanby. The smiling face still endures! He graduated the following year (1969) and left us at the UI. I met him again at Ilorin in 1973. He had been commissioned into the Army. I enjoyed his bountiful and proverbial generosity as those of us from Abeokuta, including Chief Dokun Adesanya, a retired teacher and broadcaster, and Dr. Kingsley Sowande, a retired provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos, who were using the Army mess at the Oba’s pleasure.
We were all happy for him when he left Ilorin for higher responsibilities on military transfer. We did not mind that we missed his regular presence at the mess. The continual and once-in-a-while contacts continued until he was crowned the 10th Alake of Egbaland in 2005.
Since His Majesty’s installation as the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland on August 2, 2005, the real quintessential reincarnation of the Alake Okukenu stock was there for everybody to see, feel and enjoy the impact of an edifying symbol of peace, progress and prosperity. I have no hesitation in describing his on-going era as ”Just like Pax Britannica or Pax Americana”, typifying a significant peaceful and prosperous period in the life of Egba people at home and in the diaspora, during his time as symbol of the Egba nationhood and unity.
This is why I shall confidently compare Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo in mold of both historical and Shakespearean King Henry V of England. Henry V was historically the best representation of an ideal king, who sufficiently demonstrated capability of unifying all the people. English history adjudged Henry V as a most successful monarch during and after his life time. Henry was very religious and credited all his victories and achievements to God.
Shakespeare said King Henry V was a most patriotic English monarch, who only celebrated Englishness and managed to unite the Welsh, Scottish and Irish as exampled in his four captions (Army Commanders during the Battle of Agin court) against France. Henry used the commonalities between all the soldiers of the lands he ruled, as between soldiers of different classes, always pointing out that fighting together against foreign enemies would give England victories always.”
Your Majesty, Congratulations!
Kabiyesi. K’ade o pe l’ori. Ki Bata o pe l’ese. Ki irukere d’abere. Igba odun-odun kan ni!
interview with CHIEF SHAMSUDEEN awopeju, APAGUN-POTE OF EGBALAND
What is your view about Egba development in general during Alake Gbadebo’s regime?
Under Alake Gbadebo’s regime, there are lots of developments, which are open for everybody to see in Abeokuta and Egba. Egba generally has become something that goes with his name “
Adedotun”.
Egbaland is now developing. We have good roads. Children born and brought up in Egbaland are now coming back home to build; some are establishing companies, employing the jobless. In a word, in Abeokuta now, you can get to anywhere in seconds, without much traffic. Alake has done good things, compared to what we had before.
Do you have any suggestion for him?
Abeokuta is already moving forward, backward never its own portion. Again there is not much to advise because things are moving smoothly the way we believe it should be.
In terms of unity among other traditional rulers, what role do you think the alake has played?
Alake has played a lot of roles. Before now, if you ask some people whether they are from Abeokuta or where particularly is their home in Abeokuta, some may deny and say they are from other villages like Owu, Gbagura, Okenu etc., but now what you hear is that ‘I’m from Egbaland, which means the paramount ruler has
done a lot.
Do you think the Alake has impacted education in Egba in his own era?
In education, generally, Egba is always at the forefront. There is availability of scholarship, which is his own making, in which the daughters and sons of Egbaland are enjoying what they did not have before, in terms of education.
What do you think about industry?
It has improved because we now have good roads and an able governor, who believes that Abeokuta and Ogun State should be great,
generally.
