.......... As he speaks on his 6 years on throne.
Kabiyesi is a graduate of Electrical Electronic from Federal Ploy, Ado Ekiti. He started his career as a radio repairer but today he is an ICT guru. Despite his position as an Oba, his passion for software and web design keeps growing, he is one of the software developer in Nigeria and his company Lumintech is one of the few companies in Nigeria that produce energy saving domestic bulb, they are also into automatic voltage protectors and regulators and the help in developing software’s. Kabiyesi is also into property business as he meowns the popular Royal Square Estate in Osi. Kabiyesi open up on his life and his achievement in the last 6 years on throne. Enjoy!!.
Can you tell me briefly who Oba Engr. David Olajide is?
Am Oba David Olajide the Iresi of Osi kingdom in Akure North local government of Ondo state. Am a graduate of Electrical Electronics fondly called Elect-Elect from Federal Polytechnic Ado Ekiti. Before bagging my degree at the polytechnic, I already have the background knowledge of what the course was all about and my going to school was to have more knowledge on the theoretical aspect of Electrical Electronics as a whole because when it comes to the practical aspect, I have knowledge. So with my background knowledge I was able to achieve more than what we can call theory. Back then I started small but today God have crown my effort. I became the kabiyesi of Iresi of Osi kingdom on July 2014, I was installed the Oba Iresi of Osi kingdom.
As a successful Engineer, what was running through your mind, when you where approach to become an Oba in a community like Osi?
Hmmmm, different people with different passion, am somebody who does not attached more important to prince despite the fact that I was born into the Royal family. It will interest you that I never put prince in my name, I had no interest in the obaship position and if anyone had told me I will become an Oba, I will tell the person that he or she does not know what they are saying but in the last few years of my journey as the Iresi of Osi kingdom, I know that its only God that appoint one to position and you will agree with me that the position of an Oba is not natural, believe me its not a natural thing because for someone like me who didn’t have interest in it, right from day one, hardly will you know am from a royal family, even when my friends and business partners heard of me becoming an Oba, they were full of surprises as nobody knows I was a prince. You will agree which me that what we call tradition is very powerful and it does not come naturally and if God and your ancestors want you in a position like Oba, they will do everything to make you seat on that throne. So my journey to the throne which started 6 years ago was destine for me by God and I want to say he had been good me, to my family and the Osi community as a whole. No regrets!
Kabiyesi how do you feel relocating down here?
How do I feel, I feel good and happy. At first I didn't like the ideal of me becoming an Oba but since it was what God want for me and my people in Osi, it makes me feel good. For record purpose, let me put you through brief history of Osi. Osi is one of the oldest empires in the history of Yoruba land. We migrated from Ise Ekiti over 600 years ago but the empire didn’t grow because they were always attack by bigger empire and this makes them to scratch but one way or the other they came back together again after many years. Osi is an ancient town. so I will say I met here as an amulet but because God have a plan for the community I was made the Oba, like I said my becoming the Oba of Osi was not natural but despite all, I relocate all my family down here 6 years ago. When I was coming here people asked me why I wanted to relocate here, that I can rule the community without living with them but I said no because I was not thinking of what I will gain rather all I want to obey the task my forefathers wanted me to do because I was push into it spiritually, I left my comfort zone in the estate to move to an old building because all I care for back then till now is to develop the community, I believe so much in this place and within a short period of time, I developed the community and today everyone are eager to come to Osi, even those who felt they were bigger communities then are today eager to own a property's in Osi and reason been that the community developed in a space of 6 years. Am happy because my forefathers who mandated me to be on the throne are making the task easily for me, I want to believe that all they want was for me to transform Osi to one of the best town in Ondo state and today Osi remain my small London and I will do everything within my reach to transform it and bring the recap of Lagos and Abuja here. In a nutshell I will say am happy and I have no regret of coming down to be the Iresi of Osi kingdom. I appreciate God for his backing and likewise our forefathers for their spiritual backing.
What was that spiritual thing that happens which made you to accept the Obaship position or where their predication?
There was nothing like predication in my case because all through my life, I devoted my energy and time on my work, am a busy person, like I said am an engineer who install internet, I install vast among other IT gadget, so I travel almost every day from one site to another, so I didn’t give room for any prophecy neither did I think of it for once but I believe that when the time comes for something to happen, it will surely happen, something will just push you and sometimes they stop ones business spiritually and not until you agree to the request things wouldn’t go straight and I thank God today, I have no regret and I will say that my business is even more progressing than before, the community is progressing and this gives me that joy my heart desire. So I will say the spiritual aspect of it is just the normal things that happens if God want you to do something or they want you in a place. So prediction or no prediction am where God want me to be.
Going by your passion for your community, what are some of your achievement in the last 6 years?
You see am a practical person but I will give all glory to God Almighty whom had been my strength in the last 6 years because when I became the Oba, we have nothing and only one road link to this place (Osi), so my first task was to open another road network that will link Osi to Akure many believes it was not achievable and it will take another 50 years for such dream but I did it without the support of any government, I was able to open 5 kilometers of road from Osi to Akure Airport, today it will take me just 15 minutes drive to the popular Alagbaka road and 5 minutes to Owo express road. The road I open have really helped us and my vision for the people to know that there is a place call Osi and am proud to say Osi is open for any investors to come in. Also as an engineer, I was able to re-organized a special layout for my town which I call digit layout, I developed the software in other for me to monitor the layout and as at today, we have well over 150 streets. We didn't stop at that because I believe for one to have good community or town, the basic facilities like Security, good roads, electricity among others, need to be put in place and this led to why we building a police station in Osi before then we use to travel as far as Iju, so has to have access to security but to God be the glory today Osi has its own Divisional Police Headquarter. Am also proud to say, Osi have its own Chief Magistrate court. As we speak we are working on our government primary and secondary schools though we have private schools here but I still was Osi to have government school and by the grace of God by September it should be ready for commissioning. Again we make the health sector another priority for us in Osi, when I became the Oba our health center was nothing to write home about but I was able to uplift the place to a standard health center, I construct a new building, we have a pharmacy apartment, 2 wards with well equipped facilities and I also build 3 bedroom staff quarters for the doctor and nurses because their comfort matters. Aside that we have a stint in the religious aspect as we contruct a bedroom flats for our pastors, a lot of projects were embark on in the last 6 years which have today boost the image of Osi, we acquire 500kv transformer and we run the high tension wire of about 1.5km to Osi, though we had electricity but it was not effective. You see I want this place to be one of the best towns in Ondo state and Nigeria as a whole. Today am proud to say that I have moved my company down here and reasons is because we want investors to come in. Am proud to say we are one of the few company’s in Nigeria that produce energy saving domestic bulb, so people across the country come down to Osi to do business with us and work is ongoing as Osi will be connecting IV network, we will be providing internet worldwide through satellites from here to cover the whole of Africa, we will be transmitting from here to anywhere in Africa in other to get proper internet and whoever that want to be part of the deal will have to come to Osi to sign the Mou agreement and other things and I believe with all this, Osi is getting that recognition and in a matter of years, investors will prefer Osi to any towns in Ondo state because I believe in Osi and I believe that together we can make our vision and dream come to reality. People rush to live in lagos because it had developed, we can’t compare Lagos of 1959 to the current Lagos, the simple lesson is that we should not refer to anywhere as bush rather we should key our vision and dream into developing the place and this have really work for us, in a few years from now, Osi will become a digits city.
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| Kabiyesi's office in Osi |
Kabiyesi going by your overwhelming achievement in the last 6 years, how were you able to achieve this, or are some of the project fund by government?
Hmmm, to the glory of God, I will say we were able to achieve all I mention due to the collective effort of my people in Osi kingdom, they key into the vision. On the other hand I own my own private business in lagos and Ibadan before I ascend the throne years ago, so funding project for the development of my community was easy for me. I will say we were able to fund some of the projects from what we realized in the sales of community lands. Before now land was very cheap in Osi, the price of land is appreciating on a daily basics and which the profit we make in the sales of community land and my own support fund, we have been able to transform and develop Osi without the support of any politicians or state government, though we are still expecting their support. I will use this medium to appreciate my community for their support in the last few years.
How cordial is your relationship with other Oba’sin Ondo state?
I have a very cordial relationship with them as a matter of fact I see tham as my father. I will use this media to appreciate my father Deji of Akure kingdom Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi Odundun II for his word of encouragement which have helped me to be where I am today, he will always embrace me, appreciate me and encourage me. And I will also appreciate my own father who brought me up and trained me for who I am today, in person of Oba General Olutoyese, the Alani of Idoani his impact in my life is what am enjoying today. So in a simple word I have enjoyed the fatherly love from all the Oba’s in Ondo state.
How do you relax yourself?
Am not the party type but I will say am more relax when I develop software, website and also interact with my clients. Interacting with my client and getting feedback gives me more joy. And when am in my community, its gives me more joy and it glancing my heart.
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