Yesterday, April 6 marked the seventh anniversary of his installation as the Baaroyin of Itori, an Egba town and headquarters of Ewekoro Local Government of Ogun State. Tunde Busari, Publisher of TheTabloid.net, an Ibadan-based weekly magazine, speaks on the title, the ceremony and issues which surrounded it. Excerpts
What does the Baaroyin title mean to you?
Honestly, I had not consciously given this question a thought because a friend, Alhaji Rasak Moruf first called me by that title shortly after our paths had crossed in 2012. But breaking the title down into simple words, it gives us ‘the king of news’. But can one be the king of news in the real sense of it? I think the connotation simply is appreciation of one’s competence on news reporting, according to understanding and opinion of the awarding authority.
Can we then say Oba Akamo considered you for the title based on his opinion about you and your job?
That is correct. It is like this question attempts to dig out details of how Kabiyesi arrived at that decision. I can say everything about it was accidental.
Accidental? How?
I never met Kabiyesi, though I had read some stuff about him as a traditional ruler who was sociable and, at the same time, using his stool to open up and transform his town physically. But one day in the last quarter of 2018, the Olota of Ota, Oba Abdulkabir Adeyemi Obalanlege, was preparing for his first anniversary and asked Oba Akamo to call and give me a page advert in the Nigerian Tribune, my employer. Kabiyesi called, introduced himself, and asked me to see him the following day. I made it to his palace. I never stepped the soil of Itori. He was waiting. I was late. He expressed his dissatisfaction. I explained my constraint. He was not persuaded. All the same, we settled for the business. It was business because he didn’t call me for an editorial matter. We wrapped up the transaction. But in the course of it, I found him genuinely concerned about the development of his town and his fellow traditional rulers. I also found him lively, experienced in business and exposed politically. I took mental note. I arrived office and decided to surprise him on the day his advert would be published. I put my notes together and published a full page. I sent a message to him in the morning. He saw it, read it, and called me in a tone which showed he was awed. He said I should come to his palace the following day.
What happened when you arrived at the palace?
He quickly called his Olori and said to her “Olori, this is the man, the journalist who surprised me yesterday”. Olori greeted me warmly. After she had left, Kabiyesi asked me, “how did you do it? I didn’t see you writing anything on that day. I remember we argued because you kept me waiting”. I smiled to myself and said, ‘Kabiyesi, that’s my job, sir.’ He replied immediately, “then, you must be a special journalist. From today, you are my Baaroyin.”
How did you feel hearing that?
That title sounded familiar to me as I have said earlier. I am not sure of my response to him because it didn’t sound entirely new to my ears. He spoke about himself, how he became the Olu of Itori and his journey in the palace thus far. I later returned to Ibadan. I returned with a sense of fulfilment of an addition to the list of my friendly traditional rulers who could be my dependable sources of culture and culture-related stories.
Wasn’t you looking forward to your installation?
That was the last thought on my mind. Why should I think about what sounded like a familiar joke with me? I moved on and occasionally spoke with him. There was no further visit but I was monitoring events in his palace and town through social media, including the annual Itori Day celebrated in February 2019. Things changed after that event when kabiyesi told me that he was going to celebrate his 15th coronation anniversary in April and I was among 10 people he would install as his chiefs.
Hearing this, what happened?
That was when the joke transformed to reality. I went to Oyo and informed late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi who was relating with me like a member of his family. He gave me free access to him, and could keep me in his office for longer hours, sharing his opinion with me on varied issues, local, national and global. He was an all rounder in his analyses but very stubborn. He would admit that he had no choice than to be stubborn because he was, according to him, Sango reincarnate. He was fatherly to me and respectful of my stories, particularly his interviews I published. He congratulated me and promised his support and said he would attend the installation on April 6, 2019. Few weeks later, I was in company of Oba Akamo to Oyo to give the Alaafin his special invite to the occasion.
Did he attend?
He attended and, in fact, arrived very early to the amazement of Oba Akamo who could not believe his eyes when I led the Alaafin into his palace long before the ceremony commenced. He was always time conscious. He was aversed to the so-called African time.
How was the D-day?
Permit me to digress a bit here. A week to the day, Oba Akamo led me to the Alake of Egba, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo in his palace in Abeokuta where he introduced me to kabiyesi who asked me some questions about my job and told Oba Akamo that his choice of me was right. Now, on the day of the ceremony, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi arrived later in the day. Other royal fathers too were in attendance. K1 was on the band stand. My colleagues from the Nigerian Tribune, the Nigeria Union of Journalists and friends from Abuja including members of my family from Osogbo and my clubs members too witnessed it. My late secondary school principal, the Asiwaju of Osogbo, Chief Ajadi Badmus arrived a day to the event. It was very colourful inside the King’s Court Hall owned by Oba Akamo.
How important was the title to you?
What made it more important was that Oba Akamo funded almost the whole rites attached to the title. He did not ask me to pay a dime or make a pledge to pay any amount. He gave me the title out of conviction. I should rather say the Olu of Itori astonished me with the Baaroyin title and I remain appreciative to his magnanimity and friendliness to the my profession.
What is your relationship since then?
Cordial. He is a liberal king blessed with listening ears. He would call and ask for my views on issues. And I have never ever starved him of my sincere advice whenever he sought it. He is knowledgeable. He was a successful business man before the crown in 2004. He is an agent of change. Itori keeps expanding by the day, attracting investors and government presence. Kabiyesi is a philantropist with his periodic empowerment schemes. It may interest you to know that he funded the second edition of TheTabloid.net in October 2020. He would later sponsor another edition in 2021. He is that supportive. He also enjoys compliment of good friends who come around and offer support when and where necessary. He is a royal father to be so called by his kind gestures and love for human development.
Have you ever disagreed with him?
Yes, whenever I have a cause to differ with him, I do humbly and with sincerity knowing he would show understanding. He never undermined my views even when he would do otherwise. I respect him a lot. He earned my respect by his acts and even by his unspoken words, his body language. He loves faaji; he is social and very outgoing. May he continue to enjoy his reign in peace and abundance.