From the corporate world to traditional stool: Story of Ogunwusi, the new Ooni of Ife

When a couple of months ago the news filtered into the air that Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi was on the race for the next Ooni of Ife, after Oba Okunade Sijuade Olubuse 11 who joined his ancestors on July 28, 2015, not many people, including this reporter, believed that that piece of information would snowball into the traditional phenomenon the young and amiable Ogunwusi has become today.

A highly enterprising business mogul, who has very strong footprint in the burgeoning Nigerian real estate market, Ogunwusi, as it has turned out, is no accident on the highly revered Ooni stool being a prince born 40 years ago into the Giesi Ruling House, Ojaja Royal Compound of Agbedegbede in the ancient city of Ile-Ife.

The confidence and conviction the new Ooni exuded in the quest for this stool was infectious and was amply demonstrated when this reporter put out a call for him to confirm the great news of his involvement in the race for the stool:  “Yes, my friend,  what you heard is true”, he said, adding, “and it will come to pass”.

That affirmation, though from him as a mortal being, re-echoed what was already decided in the spirit realm as was recently confirmed by his father, Pa Ropo Ogunwusi, who in the mood of jubilation for the new king, recalled a prophecy by a pastor that his son would be great and famous in the world.

This prophecy could have been faint and distant even in the mind of his father given that the last descendant of the Giesi ruling house that occupied the position, before Oba Ogunwusi, was Ooni Derin Ologbenla and that was between 1880 and 1894.

Before the new Ooni was chosen by the 14-member kingmakers with the guidance and assistance of the Ifa Oracle, there had been tension and controversy in the race for the stool, a development which divided the four ruling houses until the kingmakers endorsed the Giesi Ruling House based on the 1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration.

One of the ruling houses, the Lafogido Ruling House, went to court to challenge the decision of the kingmakers, but the Osun State High Court presided over by the Chief Judge, Justice Oyebola Adepele Ojo, dismissed the suit for lack of merit.

From the Giesi ruling class alone emerged 41 other princes, who contested for the throne, but through the interplay of the physical and the spiritual, Ogunwusi was chosen and, according to a statement by the Osun State government, his choice followed the completion of the due process by the kingmakers and the communication of their decision to the state government.

 Despite all the controversies and alleged campaign of calumny that came against Ogunwusi, he still emerged what he is today because, as he himself testified that “it is God who makes the king.” Adetoye Olatunde Odewole, one of the kingmakers and secretary to Ife Traditional Council, clearly explained that “Prince Adeyeye Ogunwusi from the Giesi Ruling House was unanimously voted winner by the 14 kingmakers”, adding that they also consulted the Ifa Oracle before the choice was made.

“This choice was made after considering some qualities that stand him out among the other princes that vied for the vacant stool”, he revealed, adding, “the new Ooni’s impressive records in the field of business endeared him to all the people involved in the selection process; the need to quickly industrialise the ancient city of Ife and provide jobs for many youths was considered in his choice”.

According to the secretary, Ogunwusi’s understanding of the Yoruba culture, despite being widely travelled and his generosity, even when he had not shown interest in becoming Ooni also worked in his favour; the new monarch also displayed unmatched humility and calmness that was hard to come by among all the contestants and the fact that the business tycoon made his money without being linked to any party or government also counted in his favour.

Both the people and the gods have spoken and here sits on the throne a new breed king who, in the months and years ahead, will be displaying uncommon capacity for work and entrepreneurial spirit that will be exploiting the great potentials of the Ife land for the good of its people.

For the new monarch, it is a renaissance in Ife, one that will empower the old and the young, and indeed, a renaissance that will exploit resources in order to create wealth for the transformation, urbanisation and industrialisation of the ancient city of Ife.

“Coming to the throne is a clarion call to heed that which portends my selfless desire to serve the people of Ile-Ife, the Yoruba race and all of humanity. We will use the stool to provide a lot of opportunities to invest in the youth through mentorship and empowerment programmes that will further take thousand s off the streets on a gradual basis.

“We will use the stool to transpose Ile-Ife into the twenty-first century and with the use and influence of social media we are ‘set’; sons and daughters of Ife and Ife enthusiasts around the world will have an input in the building of the New Ife City (NIC) through constructive feedback on social media platforms. Socially, we are set to revive and promote Ile-Ife as a tourist destination. Economically, we are set to increase our industrial footprints to give Ife the much desired facelift and, traditionally, we are set to refine the kingship system by blending modernity into our values and practices.

Plans are well underway to revitalise Ife in the areas of sports, mining, agriculture, real estate, tourism and rapid industrialisation. To achieve this transformation, a brand new platform named ‘House Of Oduduwa Resources Limited’ has been established to stimulate the entire economy of Ile-Ife with a positive impact on the entire Yoruba race and our nation as a whole.  ‘House Of Oduduwa Resources Limited’ will be tasked with rebuilding Ife into the NIC”, the new monarch has assured his people.

Oba Ogunwusi has a great dream for Ife as a new kingdom of possibilities and says he will inject new strength and emphasis into the urbanisation of Ile-Ife which has not taken its rightful position as the ‘source’ of black civilisation given its wealth of history, culture and tradition that date back in years.

“Having found ourselves in such state of affairs where the potential of the land remains untapped and its people lacking economic and social emancipation, we should take it upon ourselves to redress this situation; I have no doubt that Ife will be great again due to its economic dexterity. Ife has one of the largest land mass in the southwest, beaming with natural resources including three out of the four factors of production, land, labour, and entrepreneurship, and with our great resolve, we shall work towards capital creation,” he has assured.

With a robust business background and rich accomplishments, the new Ooni leaves no one in doubt he will surely realise the Ile-Ife of his dream which will be strategically positioned to empower its people socially, economically and traditionally to bring about the desired developments. With his huge success in business and real estate development, Ife is, beyond doubt, on growth path with the new king.

As a philanthropist, the new Ooni has sponsored less-privileged children and youths in Ile-Ife and in Lagos where he lives. Many youths are beneficiaries of his scholarship scheme and he is presently an employer of over 300 youths at the Inagbe Cocowood Factory – EssentialHomes Furniture—which is the first of its kind in Nigeria using 100 percent indigenous raw materials for production. He has over 450 direct employees across his various companies, and over 3000 indirect employees.

Recently, he donated transformers worth N200million to communities in Ife, explaining that “the beneficiaries were not to determine who the next Ooni would be; I was just moved by the challenges which various communities of the town are experiencing as a result of electricity problem; the distribution of these transformers was not to induce anyone so that they would make me the Ooni”.

Four years ago, during his mother’s funeral, the new Oba discovered that the community was without electricity. He embarked on a “power project” and installed transformers and poles that generated electricity which, till date, is serving that community.

The Lafiaji community, off Orchid Hotel road, Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos, also benefited from his community development projects with the opening up and reconstruction of a 6.5km road, with a 1.1km green extension.

The new Ooni was involved in the trading and marketing of commodities as the main facilitator for Dangote Group’s break into the ‘up-country supply chain consortium’ between 1996 and 1999. He also traded for Dohagro Allied, Global Apex, Olam, Clemco, Stallion Group and Milan Group at about the same period. This was where he gained his expertise in marketing, which till date is one of his major strengths. He also facilitated the biggest Lead and Aluminum recycling plant set up in Nigeria by the National Steel Company of India in Ota, Ogun State.

Oba Ogunwusi began his strides in the real estate sector with various dredging and land reclamation projects in Lagos State. With his EssentialHomes, a real estate product launched in January 2014, he delivered affordable upscale homes to the middle and low-income earners.

The 1st phase of the product (The Southpointe Estate, Lafiaji Road, Lekki, Lagos State) started in February 2014 and has been successfully delivered within a year with about 60 percent occupancy recorded. He also led the team that developed the prestigious Northpointe Estate Phases I, II, III and Midland Court on Chevron Drive Lekki Lagos.

In addition, the new Ooni has successfully undertaken multi-billion naira projects across Lagos and its environs including Jacob Mews Estate Yaba, Lakeview Park I and II Estates Lekki, the ongoing Golden Leaf Estate Lafiaji Lekki and Grand Lake Estate Ajah, Lagos. Others are the Lord’s Estate, in partnership with Oba Adedapo Tejuosho, the piling of Lagos Homes, Ilubirin, Lagos and the upcoming Ife Grand Resort and Leisure.

Within a year, determined to actualise his dream of developing one of the best resorts in Nigeria, he led a team that opened up a remote jungle called Inagbe Island in Amuwo Odofin LGA, Lagos. His vision and creativity transformed Inagbe Island into a whole new community offering spectacular world-class relaxation and recreational facilities. The multi-billion naira resort, bounded by the Lagos Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean, is the first of its kind in the whole of West Africa and he concluded plans to replicate same in Ife. And his present disposition will only give further impetus to the realization of that dream.

Oba Ogunwusi, the 5th direct descendant of the Giesi family, was born into the humble family of Prince Ropo and the late Margaret Wuraola Ogunwusi in the Ile Opa family compound, Ile Ife. His father was a radio anchor between mid-1980s and early 21st century.

He attended Sobuola Memorial Nursery and Primary School, Ibadan, and completed his primary school education at Ibadan District Council (IDC), Akobo, Ibadan. He then proceeded to the prestigious Loyola College, Ibadan, in 1985. He later proceeded to Saint Peter’s Secondary School, Omi Okun, Ile Ife. The new Ooni holds a Higher National Diploma in Accountancy from The Polytechnic, Ibadan, where he started cutting his teeth in outstanding entrepreneurship, even as a student.

He is a member of dignified professional bodies, namely, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), an Associate Accounting Technician and a certified member of the Institute of Directors (IoD) of Nigeria. He is also an active member of the Global Real Estate Institute (GRI). He is married to Adebukunola, Adebisi Ogunwusi and blessed with a daughter, Adeola Aanuoluwapo Ogunwusi.

Oba Ogunwusi has been involved in engineering, procurement and construction locally and abroad for over 12 years. He is also actively involved in the development of over 2,500 housing units with various consortia of developers/promoters in the last eight years in Nigeria.