THEN we came across a book entitled: He Touches Nothing He Does Not Adorn, authored by Chief Lekan Ogundimu. We wonder what could have motivated an author to go that hog to find meaning to all the letters of the names and titles of a king. Is it the same palace court flattering or ingratiation?
Can he defend all what he mentioned in the acronyms? We decided to put him to test. We sent him a text message on a Sunday and he replied by calling us. He wanted to know the areas we intended to cover in the press chat. We replied via text message. We received no reply again. We thought the interaction we intended was dead on arrival. Then his call came in the following Monday morning asking us to come. “Can we come today and when?” We eagerly responded. He again dampened our spirit. He would give us a call during the week. On Tuesday we saw his missed call. We quickly returned the call. Behold! He was already waiting for us at the palace of Osile Oke-Ona Egba at Ago-Oko.
When we got to the palace we apologised for keeping him waiting – saying “E ma binu” (please, don't be angry). He promptly replied “Maa binu (I'll be angry). Inu mi ni (It's my belly)”.
“The Bible says get angry but don't let the sun set on it. Simply say sorry,” he wittily corrected us. We did.
Then we asked him whether he could stand by all what he wrote with the letters of the names and titles of Oba Dr Adedapo Adewale Teujoso, CON, Karunwi III, Oranmiyan, Osile Oke-Ona Egba. “I can stand by every single word I put down”, he promptly replied. To prove that he's not frivolous and not a man cut out for flattering anyone he said: His principal, who later became the Bishop of Egba-Egbado Dioceses, late Bishop D. S. Adeniji, once said publicly that: “Ogundimu is full of initiatives”.
Chief Olalekan Ogundimu, 79, has been a childhood friend of His Royal Majesty Oba Dr. Adedapo Adewale Teujoso, CON, Karunwi III, Oranmiyan, Osile Oke-Ona Egba since 1952 about 64 years ago. Definitely, they have broken a Yoruba adage that says “Omode ki f'ogun odun bar a won s'ere” (children don't play together for twenty years.). They have surpassed a score, attained three scores and on the move towards a century.
Chief Ogundimu, the Mayegun Igbein, Osi Balogun Igbein Christains , Osi Mojiren and Akingbotun Oke-Ona Egba, is in the position to know Oba Dr Tejuoso intimately. No one can dispute his view on the royal father. They went to the same Abeokuta Grammar School. They were together in Free Masonry for years. They were both in Rotary International for many years. Both became the Governor of District 9110 of Rotary International, covering Lagos and Ogun States. When Oba Dr Tejouso CON was the Governor Chief Ogundimu was the Secretary. They both played Poker game together. And he has been the Vice-Chairman, Oke-Ona Dynasty Trust Foundation since it's founded. But they never crossed each other's path on women even both of them are women's idols. We asked tentatively. “No. Kabiyesi is also handsome. We never cross on this path”. Don't you have a time of disagreement? I remember we had only one. I didn't ask him. He never talked about it. I think it was Mama (Late Chief Mrs. Bisoye Tejuoso, Iyalode Egba III, the King's mother), who called us and resolved it.
Chief Lekan Ogundimu is not alone in this circle of friendship. According to him, Kabiyesi's circle of friends include Messrs. Siji Soetan who became Solicitor-General and Attorney-General of Western State, Dotun Oyebodurin, Dr Ogunsan, Dr Isola Abudu and a host of others. Late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, (Afrobeat exponent) and Beko Ransome-Kuti (the civil rights activist and former President of Nigeria Medical Association) were Kabiyesi's close friends till their death.
Evangelist Chief Lekan Ogundimu recalls Kabiyesi's childhood with avuncular fondness.
“Kabiyesi was living with his parents in Zaria before he and his only sister were sent down to Abeokuta to school. When they got to Abeokuta they lived with the Onatolu family. Whilst living with the family Oba Dr Tejuoso hawked dodo (fried plantain) around Ago-Oko. His parents had a clear vision of what they wanted him to be.
At heart Oba Dr. Adedapo Adewale Teujoso, CON, Karunwi III, Oranmiyan, Osile Oke-Ona Egba is humble, disciplined and courageous. He inherited humility from his parents. Mamawould not call anyone by his/her name. She called Kabiyesi “Dick” and called me “Joe” till his death.
Judge him by his courage, honesty and consistency, however, Oba Dr Tejuoso is a giant. His life style and writings are those of a man who commits class suicide and resists fearlessly injustices meted to his forbearers.
He led the Food Strike at Abeokuta Grammar School in 1956, his sidekick, Chief Ogundimu recalls with nostalgia. “The food strike was caused by poorly cooked beans porridge. It was always badly cooked for us in the hostel. The beans would be on one side of the plate while the water would be at another corner of the same plate – they would not blend. That day all of us went on food strike. We refused to eat the beans that day. When I got home I told my father about the strike. My father told me I should not be at frontline neither should I be backbencher. I should stay in the middle. But I told my father that Dapo was the Senior Prefect so he must lead. My father prayed for God's protection over him.
“To break the strike, the principal called Kabiyesi to go and eat the food. Kabiyesi affrontly told the principal that the food was inedible (it did not worth a bucket of warm spit) and he could not eat it and so no one would eat it. Then we gathered at the Church. I was seated at the left of Kabiyesi who was at the centre and Mr. E. E. Bassey was at the right of Kabiyesi. Mr. Bassey was a tough teacher and in charge of Sports. He seated by us so as to ensure that Kabiyesi, the Senior Prefect read the only Bible passage – Romans 12 - to the congregation. Before Kabiyesi was invited to come to the pulpit I had eased his disappearance without Mr Bassey knowing. Dr Ejiwunmi (Baba Bully) was the first Nigerian to start shoe-making industry in Nigeria. Unlike most of us, Kabiyesi would sit at a corner of the Assembly Hall doing his homework. He would not leave even when everybody had gone until he completed his homework. I use him as a role model for my children, particularly my son, Adeoye.”
Speaking about “his indulgence period”, Evangelist Ogundimu spoke about their days in Free Masonry and Rotary International to explain the totality of His Majesty Oba Dr Tejuoso CON, summing up his totality as a blue collar man who has been lucky in life – who made the most of his chances, made his mistakes, corrected them, became serious, began to love God, came to trust him. The trust spreads within him and becomes a habit; in time it gives shape to his worldviews.
“In Masonry it is about the truth and brotherhood. Free Masonry is the foundation of Britain, in which every conceivable powerful individual there is a member. But I left Masonry in 1985 when I had a ghastly near fatal accident. My neck was dislocated and was bed ridden for six months. Before then it had been foretold that I should not go where black was the uniform. So I became born again on sick bed on May 31, 1985. Whilst on sick bed I read Higgins I believed everything I read. One day, I went into trance I saw some hands massaging my neck and when I came by I received my healing. I asked the nurses who were in the ward whether they took me to a place near a window. And they said my bed was never moved away from the position it had ever been. I saw hands through the walls massaging my neck. When I was examined the doctors were surprised about the miraculous healing. They only advised that I should go for surgery to make permanent the spiritual healing which I did”, Chief Ogundimu veered to explain that he left Kabiyesi, Oba Dr Tejuoso in Free Masonry.
“Kabiyesi attained the highest position in Free Masonry before he took his leave when he became “born-again” Christian. He had received training in telling the Truth all the time and being one's brother's keeper. Similarly, in Rotary International there is what we called 4 Ways Truth. For a man that has gone to the level of District Governor he has been used to telling the truth and being good to people.” Chief Lekan Ogundimu sailed into exquisitely detailed, many referenced and well-over-my-head explanations to stand by his description in “What's in a name?”(See the box)
Osile Oke-Ona has stepped onto the world stage with grace, warmth and an understated clout, qualities that have made Chief Ogundimu to describe him as methodical and highly contemplative – even downright witty – which has created a charisma, elegance, and urbaneness all his own, one that seems to defy our turn-up-the-volume, look-at-me times. No one is misled by what the Vice-Chairman of Oke-Ona Dynasty Trust Foundation did with the names and titles of Oba Dr Adedapo Adewale Tejuoso, CON, Karunwi III, Oranmiyan, Osile Oke-Ona Egba.
Osile Oke-Ona. At 78, Kabiyesi actually seems to be healthier, younger, more radiant, more regale, and more at peace.
“It was his mother, Late Chief Mrs Bisoye Tejuoso, Iyalode Egba III, who taught him to be obedient to the words of God. Kabiyesi would welcome every manner of men and women of God, some with real good messages from God. Some would come with messages “God says” without iota of truth. “His mother had told him 'Listen to messages from men of God. Don't discard such a statement.' “He deliberately tries to surrender to God even before he became an Oba.” Chief Ogundimu reminds us about the story of King Sunny Ade's brother who brought a message of God to Kabiyesi while he was the Rotary International District Governor 9110.
When Chief Ogundimu was asked about Kabiyesi's view of traditional religious worshippers in his domain the sidekick reiterated that Kabiyesi does not want to have “association by default”.
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