* says Dekina was not cursed
The traditional ruler and chairman, Dekina traditional Council, kogi state, HRH. Alhaji (Dr). Usman Obaje is a household name in security circle. He was of the NSO and transmuted into Department of State Service, DSS before his people called him home to oversee the stool of their ancestors. He spoke on the necessity of defining the roles of traditional rulers in the constitution, as the nation clamour for constitution amendment. He noted that their defined roles would give impetus to the fight against insecurity in the land. He clarified historical misconception of Dekina and other sundry issues as he marks 30 years on the throne.
Excerpt.
I am His Royal Highness Alhaji (Dr) Usman Obaje, OON. the Ejeh of Dekina and chairman, Dekina Traditional Council of Chiefs.
Question. Sir, there is clamour in the National Assembly for constitutional amendment to give strong roles to traditional rulers. Sir, what’s your take on this?
Very good.I pray to Almighty God, that the National Assembly would hearken to our demand and give us a role in the constitution. Traditional rulers are living with the people of the community at the grass root. We know their aims and objectives at the grass root. We can talk to them and they have to hear from us.
Now, we are not in the courtroom. And whatever I say now, they say, “Look at the traditional rulers,” well, they are nowhere. Our words does not carry powers. What we are asking, let the government test us and see what will happen at the grass root. We are ready to work with the chairmen of local governments,we are ready to serve our governors, but let us be empowered in the constitution so that where you live, you should live with your two eyes closed.
That is what we have been clamoring for. Insecurity in the grassroot. Traditional rulers will mobilize their sons and subjects to track the new faces, to know who are those that were not residents in the community. We pray to Almighty God, we pray to Mr.President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to see to this our plight. The House of Representatives, the Senate, let them see to this our plight, all over Nigeria that the roles of traditional rulers should be accommodated in the constitution. And what is to be our duty should be defined in the constitution, so that there will be no hue and cry. We have to obey our chairmen, obey our governors, but have something on the ground to work with our community effectively.let them empower us.
Question. What of state creation. Okura has long been on the front burner by the sons and daughters of Igala land. Is Okura state , if created , would serve the interest of your people
The Senate, and House of Representatives of late have been entertaining our agitation for state creation, and for us we call Okura state creation is uppermost for us.
Our people have been asking for Okura State creation which is before the National Assembly
Igala has a vast and fertile land to farm. Our sons and daughters who have not gotten opportunity to be employed, when the state is being created, opportunity has come for them. It has been long, the people have been agitating for Okura State. we have been clamoring for it. And if this state is created, the state is going to be viable, it is not going to suffer, because kogi East has something to yield revenue for itself.
And they have able-bodied boys and girls, sons and daughters to work for them. We pray, both Houses should see to the success of Okura State. Igala are all one together on Okura state at this time.
Question.30 years on the throne, how far, how good and how well and,what are the challenges?
My 30 years, yes 30 years on the throne, I thank God because it is not easy. But the easiness on it is the fear of God. Fear of God. And truthfulness.
As a traditional ruler, you should not be biased. Be very free with your community anywhere you go…. you have Muslims, you have Christian, you have traditional worshipers. Be their father, be their son. Carry them along. It’s almighty God that give somebody a place on the last day. Therefore, for my years on the throne, I thank God as a chief of Dekina
I was appointed 25th of January, 1996 as a first class paramount ruler.I’m up to date. I remain first class chief inKogi state. I have never erred from the federal government, state government, even local government. I have been working seriously to see that my community are seeing what I’m doing, enjoying the government with me, and being with government with me.
And this I’ve been doing since I assumed office and have been very successful. It is very hard everywhere now. We have to be very close to our communities, talk to them. I had almost 35 traditional ruler today. Seven are first class of reputable characters. About nine are second class, while 26 are third class and they are successful retired people from service.
I have been working with them. I’m capable. Everybody has his own domain. I am the chairman of Dekina Traditional Council And whatever we do, we render our result to his royal majesty, Ata Igala, HRM Alaji Matthew Opaluwa. Dekina local government has been very peaceful. Having said this, that I’m 30 years on the throne- I thank God and I thank his messenger, Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
and everybody involved in ensuring that Dekina remain peaceful and prosperous. But these times that I have been here, I was never one day admitted in the hospital or on sick bed. God has been with me. oh, I do go for checkup. My wife and my children have been supportive. We are together.My Communities of Dekina, we are together. Sons and daughters of Dekina we are together. Among the traditional rulers
we are Seven first class and we love ourselves. Onu Abocho. Ogohi Onu Anyigba is there. He was about 28 years on the throne now. He is a Very senior first class chief. However ,Atamodu and Onu Egume whose stools are vacant are yet to be filled and they are of first class status.
But I will say this, we live happily. And whenever you are doing something, at least people will criticize you. When they criticize you, don’t be offended. They want you to know that what you are doing is good or bad, change is very sacrosanct in life.And that was what I’ve been doing since I was appointed as Eje Dekina. I had a lot of goodwill from my community.
Among the traditional rulers in those days. I was given an honor by the federal government in the year 2008, National Honor of the Order of the Niger OON ,by late President Musa Yar’Adua. Who am I? It was because of the benevolence of God on me. My local government and my forefathers, my father, late at Igala , (Dr)Aliyu Obaje saw what I’m doing and he gave advice that, “This his son should be honored.” That honor came to me as a very, big surprise and it was an epoch-making. I can go anywhere in this country today with honour and hold my head high .Of recent, just about four years ago, I was appointed Kogi state representatives on the Northern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Committee by His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar 111 founder of Sultan Foundation for Peace and development. That is ongoing that I do attend a meeting with other 19 traditional rulers of Northern states. I thank God. As an officer of Igala Kingdom, I thank God.
I was honored with Honorary Doctorate degree by Nigeria Union of journalists, Enugu state Council. And a lot of awards from religious bodies, which I do attend. Christians, Muslims anyone who invites me.
They say, “Your Highness I know you are a man of laughters.We will laugh with you, discuss with you how we shall remain peaceful with ourselves.” And that has been assisting me, helping me. Anywhere I go, I have people to laugh with. And I pray to almighty God that before I depart from this world ,that attitude should not leave me.
Let us be brothers and sisters. Let us be father and son. The government I serve
should be with the whole truth and nothing but the truth. As I have sworn on oath, that government in power is your father, your mother.
And this has been helping me. I will say this. Only God knows what will happen in the future.
The government of President Tinubu ,yesterday, we were talking of hardship, with exorbitant food prices. Today, the prices of food items in our communities are surprisingly dropping.We thank God.And we are expectant that the price of food should continue to drop more than this by the grace of almighty God, it will continue to drop. I have my own governor.
His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, Executive Governor of Kogi State. He is a governor that loves everybody. He’s a governor that care for everybody.I don’t know how to qualify this governor.May Almighty God be with him and protect him
“After your first tenure, the result will be for you to come back as people are happy because of your good behavior. My people in my area who are dying in those days
those who are fortunate that escaped illness and death are now back on the road walking because they are receiving their gratuity and their pensions and salary is being paid in full and as at when due. May Almighty God see you and the government through.
My sons and daughters working with you.I want you people to be honest with the government in power.
Question.The Igala nation was once rated as being the ninth most populous tribe in Nigeria. The way we are now, are we really still maintaining that momentum in terms of development? And what should we do? and What is your call to Igala sons and daughter, and even the government at the national to recognize Igala as a nation?
Okay. It is very good, you know, Igala kingdom in those days,
we talk of Kano Emirate we talk of Igala Kingdom then you talk of Ilorin Emirate .But if you see from that period that we are talking to this time now, Igala is no more known to be number three, number four, number five. No more. We don’t even belong to any number now. But my appeal is that anything that has been lost, must have somebody to find it.
Let our people, Igala sons and daughter, come together ,unite together, and ask why we have lost our position in the national equation.
If you are working, and you are serving in an organization, you are in the position of authority, create an avenue that you can put one or two persons in the office where you work. Then tomorrow, if you are no more there, these sons and daughters will come up again all over. When you come home, come to elders.What we intend to do, what we intend to talk. There is no more relationship at home with our sons and daughters who are in the position of authority. Because, if you come home and you tell your fathers, immediately you could be summoned to support the government in power so that you can get something out of the system.When somebody has known that you are not supporting him how do you think he will feel, to give anything? He will not. I am calling on all sons and daughters that we must have to forgive ourselves. You got a son or daughter?Let us come together and support the government of the day so that the Government in turn will give us our own recognition. I will say this, as an old man, I have seen many things and that’s what I’m saying.
When you support somebody, he’s bound to support you. Because Nigeria today, you have something to record that somebody is not good, you will be talking to him. show him what is going on. You were in there before, but today, you will know those who loves you. You know those that want you. And if you are in power today, you are not going to be in power forever. .So the person in power today must be supported so that he will carry Igala nation along.
This is what i have been saying “Let us be united together so that we form a strong supporter for anybody in power.” So that he will in turn give us our own respect. .
Question. It is a fact the you grew up in Dekina and it is also a fact that you are the paramount ruler of Dekina. So you should know much about Dekina. However ,there are insinuations that Dekina was cursed by late AtaIgala HRM Ameh Oboni for hanging himself in the community, how true is this assertion
Thank you very much.
As far as I’m concerned, Dekina was not cursed, because at that time when His Royal Majesty Ameh Oboni passed on in Dekina
I was in primary two or three in Dekina. It was early ‘1956 .What we do gathered was that, that night that he hung himself , his in-law, Adejo Kadili and Alhaji AbdulKadri ,the then district head, and his wife came to him. They were together until when they wanted to depart. They departed with the wife. He said the wife should go. Then overnight, nobody knows how it happened, his lifeless body was found in the room in the morning. And since that time, nobody had told us that Attah Ameh Oboni spoke this to us when we were with him before this death happened. I’ve never heard it. When they said people were writing petitions against the AttaIgala and in those days, Dekina sons and daughters were not involved. We also learnt that Attah Ameh Oboni cursed those that were writing petitions against him. And what we gathered was that, some of them, that wrote those petitions , their hands they used in writing the petitions was dried off on their body. That was what they said Attah cursed. Whoever is writing petition against him will not live well before he pass on. The Dekina sons and daughters were not involved.And when I came on board people call me, to say, that Dekina was cursed ,” I used to tell them “That was the figment of their imaginations
But in reality there was nothing like that and I urged the people to work harder than before. And, you know, the Dekina sons and daughters who resides in Abuja, those in Lagos, we are all united. As to the curse, I say, don’t believe that saying, because, I know the truth from the early stage. I’m telling you on the following day when his body was conveyed to Idah or the evening when he hanged himself to when the body was conveyed to Idah, nobody told us that he was with him and pronounce the curse on Dekina.I was in my village, Ajakagwu. We watched them
when they were passing. So there was nothing like that, to my hearing. And the Dekina today, is doing fine and flourishing. We thank God. We’re living well. . Dekina town, I mean,and even suburbs we are living well together with ourselves. Late Ata Ameh Oboni did not curse Dekina and I’m saying this for the hindsight.We have our sons and daughters doing well in their careers. They are in the Military, paramilitary, Medicine, professors of international repute, in Business and industries and they are doing very great.
Sir, looking at you, you looked so young, younger than your age. You look healthy, you look fresh. Who should have been beside you taking care of you?
Thank you very much .It’s almighty Allah.Because I had my wife ,Hajia Jumai Usman Obaje. I was with her at Ilorin for 14 years when I was in the services of DSS .
Then my senior wife was at home in the village . But of when to live-or not to live comes from Almighty God and come from us. We, human beings, should not something that is above you. You know if something is above you should keep off.I am from Ajakagwu in Odu. My father Obaje
was at that time, the AtamOdu of Odu. When I was in service, I did not claim that I’m from a royal family. I’m expected to perform my duty as an ordinary person.
That I did, and I enjoyed myself in Ilorin. After my retirement, my bossom friend, late Alhaji Isah Atodo, Chairman and the managing director of Liberty Hotel Lokoja came to Ilorin and asked me that I should not remain in Ilorin.I should accompany him to Lokoja . The House I was staying, he hired for one year and paid the money. When I came here, and then there was GBO market. A GBO quarters where people from Benin and other places came to sell goods. Yes. I used to work at that.I used to accompany him.There, the salary I was waiting for 30 days, was earned one day. And that was where my happiness started. My wife, my children, everybody were going to school. we were enjoying ourselves even when I went back to Julius Berger in Lagos. I was later posted to Abuja . I came to Abuja as the officer there. I was doing well. When I was re-posted to Lagos I was in Lagos until Kogi was created in 1991 . Then I decided to resign my appointment to join my people in Kogi state, before this issue of who becomes Ejeh Dekina came to my brothers, and I was called home.
The only secret about good life is to be very calm with yourself. Be happy with Almighty God. Discuss with your family, your wife and children, let them know, how big and small you are per time, let all of you laugh. That’s good. That was what was working for me. I have no money, but I’m happy with Almighty God. My Friends love me and I love them
I don’t call anybody to say do this one or that one for me and God forbids ,it is not me. I’m contented with what God has done for me. I’m not denying, I’m telling you. People say I’m young, I’m more than 80 years. Thank God. I’m not young. I know I have some place that used to pain me but I run for medical check up and God has been assisting me until when God says, I have finished my assignment on earth.
I am pleased to have served in DSS, because as of today, we, the ex staff of kogi state origin do have meeting here every month. We come, we laugh with ourselves, and be very happy with ourselves as senior officers. Then I’m a traditional ruler among them. They gave me respect as a traditional ruler among them.Therefore when pension comes, they give me And that was what I’ve been befitting . I thank my wife. I Thank my children, sons and daughters.
