I’m Not Rich & I Don’t Keep Money In Bank -Oba Akamo

Please let us into your background sir?

My name is Oba Abdulfatai Akorede Akamo, the Olu-Itori Egba. The journey through life is not as easy as people see it, but when God is God, all things are possible. It started barely 15years ago, and each celebrates come along with a 3day, that is where we appraise god and goddess of the communities, the ancestral and all the normal. Ever since we have been giving thanks to God Almighhty, he has been wonderful because if God has not built the house, the builder build in vain. We have never one day regret been associated with God. This year is a bit exceptional, because my 15year about the electioneering period, and I don’t want what will distract my people about the coronation. My committee decided to single out the 3day. I believe whatever God have hand in; it must be successful because God has his way of doing things.

What contributed to great achievement of Itori

When God is a God, all things are possible, I believe in asking God whatever I want, I don’t request things from human being, because human being is ordinary mortal that could disappoint you, but ould never disappoing you, and God would fulfill his purpose at the right time, that is God for you, the way I am laying my bed is how I am lying on it. When God is working, it breaks all protocol; my prayer is God should continue his work on us, I as a person will continue to do my best in humanity. God has been so kind to us in all ways. I have a hall I am going to entertain all the Obas and dignitaries that are coming. The hall has about 101 exit rooms, I don’t know how God does it, because I allow God to dwell in me, I not perfect my God has a way of overlooking my shortcomings.

Facilitating people for development

I don’t facilitate anybody for development, mine is to make sure myself and my God are together and all the rest falls in. People believes I have money, but I don’t believe I have any money, because I believe in investing in human being, so I don’t keep money in bank, I have the believe any money kept in bank have no value, so it is better I invest my money in people, so whenever I am need of them, they will come back to me.

Satisfaction about the level of development

The only thing that is constant in life is changes, so we need to furge ahead changes in whatever we are doing, that sends a signal that you’re expecting a bigger vision in Itori, that tells that you’re expecting Itori like London where everything stabilize, where you can sleep with your two eyes close, where nobody disturbs anybody, where you see smiles in people’s faces. These little developments is not as easy as you’re seeing it. But nevertheless, with God, I believe all things are possible.

Supporting one party to another

Everybody has their own views in things, if you write figure six down, to be it will be like six, to you, it wil be nine. As a royal father, don’t let people see you, unless you want to be deceived, and if you allow yourself to be deceived, the way you lay your bed, so you lie on it. No man dare sees any Governor’s eyes, either you like it or not, you have nothing to do, because we are under government payroll, we are staff, Governors are the ones paying our salaries. I play politics of development, forget about partisan politics. If someone is doing good, tell him he is doing good, and if someone is doing bad, tell him he is doing bad. You, go and tell Govrnor Amosun he is doing bad, as see what will happen to you. Our problem is that, our people knows the right things to do, but the question is that do they always do it. Even in my own generation, I mean the older generation, since the creation of Ogun state, as anybody been so bold as Governor Amosun, let us face reality, and if we now say there has to be continuity in governance, don’t forget that some people will not like it, because you met some people in the party, they want business as usual, and he say no, it is vision to rebuild. I am for everybody. Dapo Abiodun and other candidates are welcome in my palace, some days ago, Hon Ladi Adebutu was here.

Believing in the spirit of continuity

That is the best thing that could take us to the promise land, if there is no continuity in Lagos state, it cannot experience what it is experiencing today in terms of development, we shouldn’t deceive ourselves, but my problem is, we are local, and we behave locally. It is when we rally round ourselves that we put things together and we can move mountain. The mountain itself wants everybody to move it. This continuity we are talking about is not for myself or yourself, it is for the incoming generation, we are doing our own the way we are doing it. You can even imagine what is happening in the traditional institution, everything has been basterdized, right from Oni Ile Ife that supposed to be the father of the Yorubas, he has basterdized everything, why all these. Recently, Otunba Gani Adams the so called Aare Ona Kakanfo started returning chiefs again, I don’t understand all the mentalities we have in Yorubaland. Am I the only Oba in Ogun state, is my salary different from all concerned Obas in the state, why all eyes on me, but all I know is the way multitudes of our hands gather a stone, you know what it means, let wake up and shine our eyes, the act of giving is done within us, that is why we cannot move, we remain the same place, and the act of odd is done within us, that is why we continue to lack. If you do anything wrong, why can’t you say sorry. If God that created everything can say sorry, then who are we, it is only God that can be alpha and omega. Thank you.

No more insecurity in Itori

Itori is a blessed community, but the problem there is there no …. That dominated the community, they don’t believe in the good things coming into the community, they believe they are super standard, they believe whatever they want is their final. I just went to God and pray that God should change everything, and God told me to relax. We have been having a lot of issues, people call it battle or whatever, but I count it as issues. If you take things as issues, you will not bother yourself. An average African has high blood pressure, because they think because of tomorrow which is unknown, unlike in a western world, they only focus on whatever they want to do and here in Africa most especially, nobody knows tomorrow, we only knew today that we’re talking, nobody can say that by tomorrow, he should be able to have this, and that makes our lives to be miserable. When I came in, I found out that my people were living in penury and went straight to God, and God sent someone to me, that person is my incumbent Bashorun, he is an Igbo person. I met him in 1996 when he came in to my office for assistance, he was about to go to San-Francisco which I assisted him through an airline called Garrick Airline. And when I came in, the man saw me on television and trace me here, he was even the one that motivated this place. He was the first person to …canvass… my people with two million naira, after the completion, he was expecting me to pay back, and I told him I don’t have money, so he let go of the money, I’m talking of 2004. He did similar thing in 2005 and 2006, and since then, that is what we have been doing up till today, and God has never let us down. God is a last minute God that knows how he do things for us here, and forever I shall be grateful and thankful to him. Wherever you allow God to dwell, there will be peace and miracles will begin to happen

Expectations on the grand finally day

We have shifted the fifteenth year anniversary to April March 30th to April 6th and Wasiu Ayinde is playing, there is one coming on the 25th, there is going to be a raffle draw, about five hundred thousand will be giving out to the lucky winner, and there no free ticket after the Ankara they are selling. Through this raffle draw, numbers will be mention, I will be hosting dignitaries in the hall, Saheed Osuba will be playing too and I believe God in his infinite mercy will continue to strengthen us in all ramifications.

Obas must be loyal to the sitting God

We need to go back to the monarchy system of governance, it is when we go back to the monarchy system of governance that Obas can have say, no matter role you give an Oba within this democracy, you’re deceiving yourself, because you will still dictate to the Oba. As at today, where we role in the constitution, it is advisory role, there was clause if you are called. When governor said, Alake, you will be following me to Abuja, why should Alake follow him, the governor didn’t call any other paramount ruler except him, even recently, Awujale said he endorsed Dapo Abiodun.