OBA RILWAN AKIOLU: 20 YEARS OF ROYAL SPLENDOUR

 OBA RILWAN AKIOLU: 20 YEARS OF ROYAL SPLENDOUR By  Segun. Adeyeye

The 24th of May 2023 marked exactly 20 years that his royal majesty Oba Rilwan Babatunde Osuolale Aremu Akiolu, the highly revered Oba of Lagos ascended the throne of his forefathers.

Born on the 29th of October 1943  to the illustrious Oba Ologun kutere ruling house of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu as a young Prince attended the famous Ansar ud-deen College Surulere Lagos and went on to study law at the prestigious University of Lagos Akoka, Yaba, from where he obtained a Bachelors of Laws (LL.B) and was called to the Nigerian Bar.

He enrolled in the Nigerian Police and served meritoriously for 32 years until he rose to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in 1999.

It was from these dizzying heights of national and international policing that he retired from active service in 2002. 

A year after his retirement, he was elected as the 21st Oba of Lagos to succeed the departed Oba Adeyinka Oyekan and what an eventful and impactful 20year reign Kabiyesi has had.

Monarchs are generally the custodians of the traditions, customs and cultures of their people and Oba Akiolu, ably supported by his retinue of white cap chiefs has raised the stakes in terms of the preservations and projections of the cultures, traditions and all that is beautiful about Lagos during his ongoing reign. 

He is one king with so much sartorial elegance; always resplendent in the best of Yoruba and Lagos traditional kingship attires.

Another key responsibility of worthy monarchs is in supporting the government of the day in the maintenance of peace, law and order in their respective domains and this is an area where Oba Rilwan Akiolu has incontrovertibly excelled.

As paramount ruler over a City State like Lagos which doubles as the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria, the security of lives and properties of his subjects must have occupied a key place in his mind upon ascending the throne and it is to the eternal credit of his majesty that during his reign, Lagos has consistently ranked as the most secured State in Nigeria. Long gone in Lagos are day light armed robberies, incessant kidnappings and other crimes that are still rampant in large parts of the federation.

Here a strong note must be taken of the huge investments being made by successive Lagos State governments  on security via the vehicle of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund(LSTF), however despite such comparatively humongous funds being expended on security infrastructures elsewhere in the country, the endeavour has not always been met with commensurate success, as the country at large is still bedeviled by all manner of security challenges, hence the growing strident calls for resort to community policing powered by local intelligence gathering and tailored towards the peculiarities of each environment.

However, for any attempt at local policing to succeed, top security practitioners know they must seek the buy in of traditional rulers and other community leaders who naturally understands their terrains more. 

It is therefore not a coincidence that Lagos State has been relatively secured these  past 20 years, for sitting pretty on the throne is a monarch who is imbued with a very rare combination of an in depth knowledge of his domain, a background in the Legal profession, with a grasp of criminal law and a lifelong career as a sound Police officer, who has been discharging his traditional duties conscientiously.

Successive Police Commissioners in Lagos State and other top ranking law enforcement agents  in their interfaces with him must have therefore found his  majesty's strategic advice and guidance  invaluable in the discharge of their duties, many of whom by the structure of the Nigerian Police Service are often posted to  superintend  over the security of States to which they are completely alien.

 Politically, Oba Akiolu is one monarch who does not shy away from making his position known on burning national issues, no matter how seemingly controversial. The Oba of Lagos does not prevaricate and is never afraid to speak truth to power, yet he is able to serve as a moderating influence over contentious issues and personalities that sometimes inevitably demand his fatherly intervention and input within his vast domain.

In Yoruba land a popular two pronged prayer often offered at the advent of a new king is that his reign should usher in comfort to his subjects and bring greater prosperity to his domain. For Oba Akiolu's this is one prayer that the Almighty God has no doubt answered resoundingly; during his ongoing reign, Lagos has not only experienced unrivalled peace and tranquility, it has  also witnessed monumental developments, that space constraints will not permit to be enumerated here; culminating in her emergence as the fifth largest economy in Africa.  This week, as if by way of a coronation anniversary gift, the largest single train petroleum refinery in the world was commissioned within his Lagos domain and as a proverbial icing on the anniversary cake, the week following, for the first time in the contemporary history of Nigeria, one of his leading subjects will be sworn in as the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 What a remarkable reign ! What a legacy!

From here, one can only wish his majesty longer life, in strength and health.

Igba odun, odun kan ni o

Kade o pe lori,  ki bata o pelese

Ki irukere o di abere

Did I hear someone out there say Kaaaaaabiyesiooooo!!!

Adeyeye is a Lagos based Corporate Lawyer/Content Developer

(segunadeyeyeceo@yahoo.com)

Tel/WhatsApp-  08068364435, 09159657618