OBA OGUNLEYE@70: I’m the only surviving of the 13 children

Oba Olufemi Adewunmi Ogunleye, the Tow­ulade of Akinale in Ewekoro Local Gov­ernment Area of Ogun State never thought he would grow old enough to be 70, but on Sunday, September 28, 2014, he literally rolled out the drums to celebrate the milestone age as he joined the club of septuagenarians.
Ogunleye’s fear of not reach­ing the biblical age was fuelled by the death of his 13 siblings, both those younger and older. This made him the only surviving child out of 14 siblings. The sto­ry of his life aptly demonstrates the desire of someone destined to live long despite the frequent deaths of his siblings.
Aside from this, Oba Ogunleye could also be described as a self-made man having attained his academic and professional stan­dards in journalism and public relations through personal effort and private studies. A trained ste­nographer, Oba Ogunleye retired as the General Manager, Public Relations of the defunct Nigeria Airways in 2000 after working for the national carrier for 25 years. Currently, Oba Ogunleye is a third-year student at Bola Ajibola College of Law, Crescent Univer­sity, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
In this interview, the veteran journalist and public relations icon reflects on his life at 70 and expresses gratitude to God for sparing his life this far despite the vicissitudes of life.
What does it feel like to be 70?
I thank God for seeing me through this far, even though I have been telling my friends that I don’t believe that I am 70, but the calendar is very straight for­ward about my age.
However, what I noticed is that I am growing old because I realise lately that I could no longer do most of those things I was used to doing. For example, I now find it difficult to wake up at 2.00am to type and read as I used to. That’s a sign that some­thing is happening to my body. Aside from that I am fine; I am still alert, still very active and agile. But for the traditional de­mands of my office to always be, in flowing agbada, I would have loved to wear trousers and shirt and move around.

Is there anything you miss being an Oba?
If I were not in the traditional field, this would have been the best of time for me to continue journalism practice – write sto­ries and features, put elements of reminiscence into them to make them more comprehensive, but unfortunately I can’t do so. Aside from this, I still found time to do most of those things that I like, for instance, playing golf that I cherish so much.
Was there any incident in your life that made you think you would not reach 70?
Sincerely speaking, I never thought I would reach this far in life – in journalism, public rela­tions and even getting to the roy­al throne. My parents had 10 chil­dren before me, and three others after me. They all died; I happen to be the only surviving child.
So my parents, family mem­bers and even myself had thought that I would go the way all my siblings had gone. But miracu­lously and to the glory of God, I survived my parents who died in 1981 and 1983 respectively and I am also very much alive.
By the grace of God, I am ful­filled because I never thought I would reach this far and accom­plish this much. I have passed through many odds in life, which almost shook my faith in God. Frankly, as I said before, I never thought I would reach this far and attain this level in life.
I am happy I am very much around and thank God for this, particularly when I reflect on my parental background. My parents could not pay my school fees when I secured admission to the famous Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta. In spite of this, God has crowned my efforts by making me a king in my fa­ther’s land.
Where and when were you born and who were your parents?
I was born on September 23, 1944 to Pa Johnson Akanni Ogun­toye Ogunleye of Delesolu Com­pound, Totoro, Abeokuta, Ogun State. My mother was late Mad­am Victoria Adebisi Efundiran Ogunleye, nee Orisadare Akin­lawon of Awaye Compound, Totoro, Abeokuta. Until their deaths in 1981 and 1983, my par­ents lived as the Baale and Olori of Akinale, which was founded by their progenitors
When did you start your educational pur­suits?
I had my primary and second­ary education in Ashore, Akinale and Abeokuta between 1949 and 1962. I did not complete my sec­ondary school education due to the financial constraints of my parents. But much later I went to the University of Lagos for a diploma course in Public Rela­tions.
What did you do there­after?
Having completed my modern school, I went to stay with an un­cle, Alhaji Ogunleye in Jos with the hope that I would further my education, but this was not so. Instead he left me in his shop to learn battery charging of which he was a specialist.
Since I was not interested in learning the trade, I was not se­rious with it, hence parts of my hands and body were eaten up by the acid used in charging batteries. Thereafter, I ended up learning shorthand and typewrit­ing. This enabled me to work in various private and government departments such as ATMN, Rayfield, Federal Ministry of Fi­nance, Posts and Telegraph, all in Jos, Plateau State between 1963 and 1969. As a stenographer, I also sat for the General Certif­icate in Education conducted by West African Examination Council. I failed about five times before I eventually passed six pa­pers. Without any initial formal training, I started journalism as a cub reporter with the Middle Belt Herald in Jos, but later moved to the New Nigeria Newspapers (NNN) as a lineage reporter. As a lineage reporter, I was being paid according to the lines of my pub­lished stories, which sometimes surpassed even regular staff on the NNN’s pay roll. It was a hard way to train, but I enjoined it until I was employed by the then Daily Times and was formally trained at the defunct Daily Times Insti­tute.
What informed your choice of journalism as a career?
As a growing child, I had al­ways liked to be a journalist. This childhood dream was fired when I became a typist and providence brought me before an old jour­nalist who was my boss’s friend in 1964. I was attracted to him by the staccato of my typewrit­er and without any initial formal training, I started following him about, gathering and reporting news. I will never forget the day my first story was published on Radio Jos.
Later, I joined the Middle Belt Herald, Jos, as a cub reporter, but later I moved to the New Nigeria Newspapers, (NNN) as a lineage reporter.
Through great strides in re­porting, I endeared myself to great editors such as Prince Hen­ry Odukomaiya, Areoye Oyebo­la, Gbolabo Ogunsanwo, among several others. I also received many awards after I was brought to Lagos to anchor the then most important beat at the Lagos Air­port, receiving many accolades and winning many awards on the beat.
I served the Nigerian Union of Journalists at the state and na­tional levels before I opted for public relations practice in later years, culminating in my appoint­ment in 1976 as the Head, Public Relations of the liquidated Nige­ria Airways from where I volun­tarily retired after 25 years of ser­vice as General Manager, in 2000.
Even before retirement, I went into publication of books and newspapers. My newspaper, The Village News, became the first rural newspaper in Ogun State. I also published Flight Africa and Flight Express.
How did you get to be­come an Oba?
Providence brought me to the throne, because I never imag­ined being a Baale or an Oba. To God be the glory, after much rejections and pranks, as a great grandson of Lapeleke, the founder of Akinale in Ewekoro Local Government, I was in­stalled the 15th Baale of Akinale in October 2004 by the Olowu and paramount ruler of Owu Kingdom, Oba Olusanya Adeg­boyega Dosunmu. Two years later, precisely on Friday March 31st, 2006, I was crowned the first Owu coronet with the royal title of Afogunlanafade Delesolu I, Towulade Of Akinale.
Through the instrumentality of the Ogun State Government and support of the President of the Egba Traditional Council and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, Okukenu IV, I sit in the hallowed chambers of Egba Traditional Council and the state council of Obas as a member.
Since the last eight years, I have been the chairman of the League of Obas and Baales in Ewekoro Local Government Area of the state. We hold regular meetings, every fortnight to resolve vari­ous village matters, particularly issues relating to land and baale­ship matters which otherwise could have resulted into commu­nal disturbances.
We heard that you went back to school at 67. What prompted your decision?
I must tell you that getting into the programme was more of an accident than a planned venture, but I am enjoying it. I am current­ly in Part 3. I did not go into it to later appear before a judge but to use it in my community. I felt that acquiring legal knowledge would better equip me to settle disputes among my subjects.
Already, government has made me a Justice of the Peace and I am a traditional judge. After com­pletion of my law programme I would become a learned person.
Which days would you describe as your happi­est and saddest days in life?
Every mortal has its bright and dark spots in life. For me as a person, the death of my dear first wife, Abike was a devastat­ing blow because of her immea­surable role in my desire to be­come someone in life. We started together when we had nothing. We grew and struggled together, standing by me as a faithful wife until death snatched her away from me. I will forever remem­ber her, particularly the role she played in my quest to study and pass the General Certificate of Education. If she was not there that day I wrote my last paper for the GCE, when she had to run to a nearby filling station to buy fuel for my motorcycle after we realized that I had exhausted the one inside the bike. Perhaps, I would not have passed the exam­ination, which I wrote and failed several times until the very day. She will forever be remembered as a nice and dependable wife.
As for my happiest day, every­day is my happiest day because I do things in moderation believ­ing that we are on this part of the world to do good to ourselves.
What’s your own po­sition on specific roles being canvassed for tra­ditional rulers in the country?
What role again? I think Nige­rian traditional rulers should be contented with the roles they are playing in their respective communities and stop seeking or begging for roles from govern­ment.
As a traditional ruler, would you marry more wives or accept one as a gift?
For what? I am okay with the one God gave me after the death of my first wife. My present wife, Olori Olanike Ogunleye, who re­cently gave me a set of twins, has been caring, tolerant and under­standing since she came into my life; so why should I need anoth­er wife?