Pastor (Dr) Rufus Niyi Ojuola is an herbal medicine practitioner, also from the ruling house of Olutoye in Irese and a contestant for Onirese of Irese. He spoke with Ayodele Ologunola on many issues. Excerpt.
We just celebrated the sixty years of Nigeria independence, what do you have to say?
Our sixty years of independence is nothing to write home about. Although,we have make some changes, but we're yet to get to the promise land. Nigeria of today is not what our forefathers dreamed of. I could remember that the Western region started with Chief Obafemi Awolowo and with his lieutenants. Everything were going on well, not of what we're seeing today. Those days politicians are very serious on what they are doing. They have the love of the masses at heart and wanted their names to be writing in gold. But today, reverse is the case.
If we look at the philosophy of the Western region government, the government was focused. They were the first region to have a television station, liberty stadium, Industrial estate, the Cocoa house among others.
When other countries never had the dream, the Western region have gotten it. Let say all this things continue, we should have been better than America and the country that colonized us. But it is a regret that we later merged with the people who don't have a vision.
Everybody becomes foolish because wisdom has disappeared. When you mix good eggs with the bad ones, all become bad. It's very difficult to differentiate the bad ones from the good ones.
Some people are saying that Yoruba's are the problem of Nigeria. Do you believe this postulation?
Yoruba are not the problem of Nigeria. Although, there was an unrest in the Western region then and that one doesn't called for the army to take over the government in 1966. The problem was an internal affairs. The army took over due to their overzealousness. If we look at it very well, no political parties in both north and east then. It was only in the Yoruba land that have a formidable political party. It was Awolowo that madre everybody to know what political party is. When their eyes were opened, everybody wanted to be leader.
Azikwe did not have a party, he was invited to join and he later highjacked it from them. When we're practising regional government, everything are going on well, but immediately the military took over the power, things turn upside down. That's the problem we are experiencing till today. Until we go back to the regional government as we're been done before, Nigeria can not move forward. Let every region control her resources and develop their region.
Some region are now agitating for self government in Nigeria, can you react to this ?
The only solution to our problem is restructuring. Let every region managed her own resources and whatever that is left behind should go to the Central. If this can happen, we are going to see rapid development in the country.
Some of the problems is that, the area that take larger part of our revenues are the place were we have highest number of poverty . You will see their children on the road begging for alms. If you value education and others don't value it, what do you think is going to happen? They are going to kill the source of education. See what is happening to our educational sector?
As one of the contestant for the Onirese of Irese, if eventually you are picked, what plans do you have for the people of your community?
Well, this is a good question. l will be close to my people. When you get closer to them, it's then you will know inadequacy. Irese is a fertile land and it is sorrounded with good land. The land had not been mapped out for good roads network. No school or health centre in the town and the only secondary School in the town is been managed by Corps members while the health centre is not well equipped.
I will invite the presence of government to the community. Our youths are very vibrant and hardworking. I want Government to do something for them in terms of employment so that they can be useful to the community. Also, I will established some factories in the community so that youths can be gainfully employed. I have a big poultry farm with about five thousand capacity of broilers. If the farm is completed, I will engage more than two thousand workers.
As a pastor and traditional medical practitioner, how will you combine the traditional post with your job?
When you talk about all this, it requires the knowledge of God. When you talk of culture, culture is a way of life and religion is your relationship with God. God Himself believe in culture. When Jesus Christ was born, the bible said, He was taking to the temple and was circumcised and named according to the tradition of the Jews. God love tradition. When Jesus Christ was about to be christened, he was named according to the tradition of the Jews. The only thing is that, you must not have other god alongside with him. God created my community and he gave them their own tradition. God knows about all the traditions under the heaven and earth because he created everything.
How will you develop your community through industrialization?
When I came to the community about few years ago, I had some discussion with the late Kabiyesi of the town that we should create an enabling environment so that we can work together to develop the community. I informed him that I want to call all the youths in the town together so that they can have a big tomatoes farm in the town. The youth said they needed some farm equipments in which I bought for them.
The youths also said they needed a formidable football team and football kits, saying the provision will allow them to participate in football tournament across the state.
If God allows me to get to the throne of my forebears as the Paramount ruler of the town, apart from empowering my people, I am going to build a sports centre that will accommodate sports like table tennis, wrestling, boxing arena where youths will be trained. The development of Irese is paramount to my heart.
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