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By Emmanuel Adeleke
A United States-based Psychiatrist and Neurologist, Dr. Ajibade Adeladan, has promised to transform Oyo town and be a modern Alaafin, if selected to ascend the throne of his forefathers.
Adeladan, who is also an addiction medicine specialist and one of the candidates from Agunloye royal family aiming to be the next Alaafin, disclosed this in an interview with Newspeakonline.
He said with the way things are changing in the world today, the culture may not change but the outlook of Oyo empire, Oyo city and Oyo people should be different in terms of development.
“If you look at the palace in Oyo, I think it is very important to have a museum– a palace museum to showcase the history of Oyo empire. The Oyo empire has been great; it is well known, not only in Africa but in the world. You go to USA, you go to other states and you mention Oyo empire, they will tell you that they have heard of it before.
“There are Yorubas in Cuba, Europe, Caribbean Islands and Brazil. They want to come and visit. So, once they come, they should be able to see the palace museum. The museum can be in the palace and another one can be in the city as well. They come to the palace, they see all the different monarchs that have ruled in Oyo for 700 years.
“If you look at the palace, there is a lot of things that need to be done there. I will be looking at a modern palace. That palace needs to be modernised and of course, with cultural things and the Alaafin has to be taking care of them. There are people who have been living there, even before the last Alaafin, and there are people that need to be sustained. Women that have been there for ages and there’s no place they can go and yet you want to make their lives different. Structures will be built and it will still be in the palace and their lives will be better, for them to see the fruits of modernity.
“There are many things that can attract people to Oyo and I will encourage many festivals. We have the Sango, Obatala, Oranmiyan festivals that a lot of people will like to come and see. We want influx of tourists to see our art and culture. Hopefully, all these will bring economic prosperity. The late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III was very big on that and I intend to continue, just to encourage people to come around,” he said.
Adeladan said he has been talking to different people about his vision for Oyo town.
“Prof. Wande Abimbola’s daughter is in Texas. She talks to me all the time and she is very much interested in that. She is actually a babalawo too. She actually brings foreigners to Oyo almost every year, takes them to her compound, shows them the idols, Ifa and all that,” he said.
The neurologist added that he will take Oyo to an enviable height, stressing that the town will attract both local and foreign investments if he ascends the throne.
“I want to look at things that will bring about development. People don’t want to come into a city and its dark, there is no electricity. Things have to be made different and we need to bring down some buildings. We need to put up new structures, we need to invite investors ,” Adeladan said.