It’s not easy to govern Ibadan people, says Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says experience has shown that it is not easy to govern the people of Ibadan and their Egba counterparts.

Speaking when Saliu Adetunji, the Olubadan of Ibadan, paid him a courtesy visit at his hilltop residence in Abeokuta, Ogun state, Obasanjo condemned what he described as “the rivalry for supremacy among Yoruba monarchs”.

He said good governance and welfare of citizens should be paramount to monarchs, advising them to demonstrate mutual respect for one another other.

“Although all mankind are difficult to govern, but I also know from experience that the people of Egba and Ibadan particularly, are not easy to govern,” he said.

“I think that what is more important is to give good governance to the citizens and also have mutual respect for ourselves.

“When I was president and even now, I usually accorded respect to all presidents, particularly to the ones with small populations.

“I do this because I realised that no matter how densely populated a country might be, it has the same one vote as the United Nations, just as a country with few people.

“For instance, Nigeria with a population of about 180 million has the same vote with Sao Tome with a population of 150, 000.

The former president recalled how Abiola Ajumobi, governor of Oyo, consulted him during the tussle for the obaship of Ibadan, commending the governor for taking a right step.

Obasanjo, who noted that it was God who enthroned the Ibadan monarch, prayed that God would strengthen him to succeed.

He advised the Ibadan monarch to be trustworthy and to ensure that he dispensed justice.

“I pray that God who put you there will help you to succeed,” he said.

“What is most important to any leader, be it traditional, political or religious is for him to be trustworthy.

“Nobody is perfect, but once you are queried over some issues and you are able to defend yourself well, you can then leave the rest to God.

In his response, Adetunji commended Obasanjo for his role in his emergence as the 41st Olubadan.

He called for unity among monarchs in Yorubaland to move the people forward.