The Iyalode of Kuta, in Ayedire Local Government Area of Osun State, Chief Mrs. Tolulola Atilola, has outlined some of her programmes to uplift the socioeconomic conditions of women of the town. She also unveiled her plans of training the youths of the town to channel their energy into useful economic ventures to their own benefit and that of the society, rather than nursing unhealthy and unhelpful aspirations with their debilitating consequences. Besides, she spoke of ongoing plans to establish a College of Education or a University and a modern hotel in Kuta to complement the giant strides of the Olowu of Kuta, Oba Adekunle Makama Oyelude, Tegbosun the Third, whom she described as a rare blessing to the ancient community, in attracting development to the town. She spoke in Kuta on Friday December 4, of other interesting things in the following interview with Banji Ayoola of The Radiance. Read on…
Good evening Madam.
Good evening Sir.
Could we know the Iyalode of Kuta?
I am Tolulola Oyebola Busayo Atilola. I am the Iyalode Owu Kuta.
How has it been being the Iyalode of Kuta?
It’s so amazing being the Iyalode of Owu Kuta. Iyalode means the king of the women in a particular society or town. I really like it. It’s awesome.
Could you share your experience of your relationship with the people here, the royalty and the chiefs?
I first of all thank God; and I would thank my king, Oba Dr Hammed Adekunle Oyelude Makama, Tegbosun the Third, the Olowu of Owu Kuta, who brought me into the limelight, who brought me to mix with the royalty. I thank him. He is a good, understanding king. I like him. He is a good man. Mixing with the royalty is like me having more exposure, more power of tolerance and more spirit of endurance, nitoripe ile ola, eeyan maa nmo ile ola rin ni k’eeyan to o rin. But in everything, I do not regret it. I so much like it because I am part of the royalty now. Being an Iyalode of a town is you being the king of women. I like it.
And how have you been relating with your subjects, the women?
My subjects, the women are very cooperating and they are really nice. They like me, they really like me. To the Glory of God, I have been able to bring new things into the town. I have been able to give them more exposure in a positive way, not in a negative way. I have been able to let them know that being a woman does not mean that you should rely on a man, that being a woman, you should strive for yourself, live happy so that you would be able to take care of your children and help the home front.
What are some of these new things you have introduced?
I introduced the Ojude Iyalode. Ojude Iyalode is a cultural event and it only takes place once in a year. It allows women to showcase what they are capable of doing; and I gave them some empowerment on what they can do, how they can go about it and how they can live within their means. They should not do whatever they cannot do for a long time. They should do things within their means, not to do anything extravagant. Just keep within your means; so that when you keep within your means, you won’t go and be borrowing money from LAPO, or from whatsoever that would not give you rest of mind. Those are the things that I have brought to the town and those who embrace them like them; and I too like them.
How was the Odun Iyalode that you celebrated recently?
Ojude Iyalode! It comes up third week of November every year.The Odun Iyalode that we celebrated this year was the sixth edition and it was so nice. It was so fantastic because we allowed people to come and showcase what they are capable of doing. They really liked it because we invited so many people, so many dignitaries from the nooks and crannies of the country. And they were here and they celebrated well with us. We did the celebration in the palace and everywhere was very nice.
The woman is said to be powerful over the man. In fact the woman is said to be the leader, the real leader, quietly leading from behind, from the home front, and once the home is peaceful, that means the woman is successful. How could you lead your women to exercise this power aright in the community?
Yes, with the power that God gives to women; it’s only if we are telling lies that we would say that the man is far above the woman. Men could be far above the woman but a woman can bring the man down to her level within five seconds. A woman could bring a man down to her level because it’s just something that is inborn. It’s just an instinct and it is Divine power that God has given to the women. But as much as we know that, we should be submissive to our husbands. We should be submissive. We should be helpmates to our husbands; and the husbands too should take care of their wives. You don’t take your wives for granted. Don’t say “get out of my house, there is nothing you can do for me.” Ha! The woman would do metala for you. Ki i se mewa o, metala. So we should just learn how to respect each other, we should not take each other for granted. And women, we should be help mates to our husbands. In everything, we should be help mates, both at the home front, outside the home. We should be help mates for them.
What are the new things we should expect in the next Ojude Iyalode festival?
The next Ojude Iyalode would be so great because I normally bring the entertainment industry from outside to Kuta kingdom. But now I want to build our own youths. I want to build them. I have told the Kabiesi and he accepted. I want to build them. I want to put them in the entertainment industry and I want to talk to all our great actors, actresses to come to my aid so that they would come and put them through. All those troupes that I used to bring really cost a lot. The one that we just did now, I spent over N400, 000 bringing troupes in. But if that N400,000 should be in Kuta circulation, it’s going to do a lot; it’s going to really help us. So I have told the Kabiesi about that. I want to bring our youths up so that even from outside they would be coming to book them to come and play for them. Those are the things I want to bring in.
The youths of Kuta are said to be having unhealthy and unhelpful aspirations, wanting to be rich overnight without exerting themselves. What contributions are you making towards helping in reversing that trend?
Excuse me. This thing is all over. It’s not only in Kuta because I don’t live in Kuta. I live in Ile Ife, and it’s all over. I think this is the disadvantage of technology. So it’s not solely in Kuta. But to God be the glory; that the youths of Kuta still listen to us because we know their roots. We can call their baale. We can call the family heads so that we can control them. So they are still under control. They are not wayward. But you know that the situation of the country does not really permit everybody in the country to be sane. Yes. Look at corruption in the highest order. Those who went to the university and graduated do not have jobs. I am not supporting them. But that is the cause of youths wanting to go wayward. That is the cause. When they leave the university, they don’t have jobs. I have three graduates. Till now they have not secured any job. If you don’t know somebody in the highest order, your children cannot go anywhere in this country. So that is it. But we still have the youths of Kuta under control. We know the buttons to press to bring them back to order. So we don’t have any problem with our youths. We don’t.
We want to know more about the Iyalode of Kuta. Who are you?
I am Chief Mrs. Atilola Tolulola Busayo Oyebola. Even, mentioning my name, you can listen to “Ola.” I was born into a great family. Ogungbenro Ogunbiyi is my father; and he was a great man. Nobody can dispute that in Kuta. He lived his life in serving Kuta. It is true we came from Iragberi, Aagberi. We are Aagberi oga omo a yooro. And we are Olowu Oduru omo afepesere. Beeni. But more than one hundred years ago my family came to Kuta. So definitely we are from Kuta. I am the Iyalode Owu Kuta and I am a very strict woman; but I don’t take people for granted; and I love people around me. I don’t discriminate. I put myself to your level. Whichever level you are, I would fix myself. That is the Iyalode of Owu Kuta for you. I am a sociable person. I love people around me. I don’t hate people. I have respect for elders. But one thing I would never take is for you to take me for granted. If you take me for granted or you call me bullshit I would fight you; and when I fight you, it’s only God that can stop it. I am Iyalode Owu Kuta.
What of your background, education, profession and what you do for a living?
I went to Adeyemi College of Education. I had my NCE there. After 18 years, I went to LASU (Lagos State University). I bagged a degree in Yoruba major. I love my culture. So I read Yoruba and I don’t regret it. And I am an hotelier. I have a big hotel in Ile Ife. I am a business woman. I have series of businesses. And I am a mother. I have children. I have lawyers. I have medical doctor. So I am a lawyer, I am a mother of lawyers and doctors. I am very happy about that. I am a sweet mother. I gave my children the rightful training. I have peace of mind where all my children are now because I have trained them.
Your father’s house was then the first most beautiful house in Kuta. Now you are renovating it, bringing back the fond memories of Chief Gbenro Ogunbiyi. How do you feel about that?
I feel happy. My brothers are the ones doing it. Yes. My brother … Ogunbiyi is the one doing it and I am very happy about that because they are males. We have left that name for them. I am no longer Ogunbiyi. I am Atilola. But my brothers are the ones bearing that name. And I saw that house. They are renovating it. I am happy about it and it is fine. My father was rich; and he brought us up in a way that all of us have rest of mind. For that my brother to have been renovating the house now, he tries, he is a man.
What are you doing to encourage your brothers and sisters to patronise Kuta?
They are not far from Kuta. All my sisters and brothers are not far from Kuta because this is the only town that my father brought us to that this is our town. So they are not far from Kuta. They are not far from Kuta. They all love Kuta. Those of them abroad, in Lagos, Abuja all crave to be in Kuta. It’s only that I am the Iyalode of Kuta. There is no way I can do it. I must just be on ground. That is just it. All my sisters and brothers crave to be in Kuta; and they all love Kuta. But you know, in a town that your mother and father are no longer alive, you know how it is now. Even when you are coming, you say ‘who do I come to; who is going to welcome me.’ But for this Kabiesi, Oooh! Makama! He is ready to welcome anybody. You just walk to the palace. You feel at home. You feel free. He is a good king. I won’t say more than that.
How do you see the completion and commissioning of the Osun Bridge?
Oooh! That one? Ha! It’s a kind of a chain broken. It’s a broken chain. It’s a broken… How do I say it? It’s like a bondage being broken because our forefathers were on this bridge that links us with Ede. They have been on it for more than one hundred years. And this our king did it. He did it. God used him to do it. So he did it. I am very happy. I am so happy because you know, a town that has just one way into it, there is no other way outside, it would stop the development. It won’t make the town grow. Like we are just 10 minutes away from Ede. And we could not link there because of the river. But now God has really done that. I am so happy. And I give the kudos to God Almighty and to Kabiesi. I really thank him. I appreciate him for that. And he knows. All Kuta sons and daughters are so happy.
And this king will live long. He would not die young. He would grow old on this throne in the Name of Jesus. And b’o ti wu ki won pe l’aye to, won ko ni i sunkun omo. Won on ni i gbe omo gbin bi eebu isu. The Lord would crown his efforts with success; and God would continue to strengthen him every day; because ko si nnkan ti a le so fun Kabiesi mo ju pe ki Olorun ba wa da a si, Ki O fun un ni alaafia, k’O ma je ki o ku l’ewe. O tan; because he has done what nobody had done. There is nothing you can do for Kuta people except you doing that bridge for us. Ha! Kabiesi! He would live long. Everybody is just praying for him.
Have you any other words for your women?
My women of Owu! I use to tell them Obinrin Kuta, Kuta tuntun! They should be more tolerant. They should endure. Once they endure, they would live to the fullest in their homes. They should not allow their homes to be broken because outside is not easy. If you are not buoyant, you cannot control millions, you don’t go out of your husband’s house for anything. They should not say somebody is not living in her husband’s house and they are living well. They are not in the same category. They would suffer. They should just stay put in their husbands’ houses. But one thing I would say as a woman is that if there is domestic violence, and they know that their life is being threatened, they should leave. On that ground they should leave. Apart from that, they should just stay put in their husbands’ houses.
Do you have any further comment?
There is no further comment than I love my king. I love him like my life, Oba Dr Adekunle Hammed Makama Oyelude, Tegbosun Keta. I love him like my life. He is just a blessing to Kuta and I use to pray for him every day in the morning and in the night because he brought me to the limelight. Won mu mi wa s’aarin awon omo alade, even when it’s like there was no hope for me. He brought me out of that shame. Bi igba ti won mu eeyan kuro n’ibi ti won ti ja eeyan s’ihooho ti won wa a d’aso bo eeyan. So how would you tell me not to love him? I love him, I like him. Beeni. Nitoripe won ti duro ti mi. Ha! Kabiesi o je k’iya je mi. At times I would just call him “Kabiesi, I need this.” He would say “Okay, I have heard you.” Won maa send e si mi ni. Won o je k’iya je mi o. Iya o je mi o. So I would continue to pray for him. And I pray that Kuta would continue to grow from strength to strength in the Name of Jesus. And gbogbo awon omo Kuta in the Diaspora, won on ni ru oku won wa’le. Awa naa ti a de wa n’ile, won on ni i b’oku wa n’le. Kuta would grow from strength to strength. And one thing is that I want Kuta to have a big hotel, and we are working on that. And I still want Kuta to have a College of Education or University, and we are still working on that. Mo de mo pe Olorun maa se e. Nitoripe awa ti Olorun gbe Kuta le l’owo niisinyii, awa o na geere, a a sun. awa t’a a mo b’o se nlo n’igboro ni. Kabiesi goes to America, London, anywhere as if he goes to the market. So he is exposed. And he knows how to bring good things into town. So I am happy for him.
Thank you, Madam.
Thank you Sir.
