Otunba Opeyemi Agbaje is the brand new Bobagbimo of Ogijo Remo on Wednesday, February 10, 2021. He is also the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Ogun State Security Trust Fund.
Barrister
Opeyemi Agbaje is also a lawyer of great repute and a politician who is
passionate about the issues of Strategy and Public policy, as well as the
economic development of Nigeria. He seeks to contribute to the building of a
new Nigeria based upon core values of Development. He has lectured at the Lagos
Business School, Pan-Atlantic University and served as Head of Department of
Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Business Environment before leaving the faculty,
full-time. He continues as an adjunct faculty in strategy, economics and the business environment.
DAMILARE SALAMI 08155134152 recently interviewed him just before his
coronation. He spoke on a lot of topics. Below are excerpts.
You
just added a new feather to your cap. Congratulations. How do you feel?
Well,
as you said, it’s a new era in my journey. This is my first traditional title
as Otunba Bobagbimo of Ogijo Remo. I am a son of Remo and Ogijo is a part of
Remo. I am happy about it and it enforces responsibilities on me. As the title
says ‘Bobagbimo, I have become a key adviser of the king and I have the
responsibility to advise Kabiesi on the development and progress of Ogijo. So,
I’m happy about it.
I
know barrister Opeyemi Agbaje very well, you are a man of great honour and you
have this aura around you. You are also a lover of the youths. What are your
plans for the youths of Ogijo Remo and, Remo community and Ogun state at large?
Well,
just outside Ogijo, I have decided to turn the focus of my foundation, the
Opeyemi Agbaje Foundation towards youth empowerment, skills acquisition,
capacity building, and personal development. Before now, we have been very
active in women's development and trader-finance empowerment, concentrating
on women's empowerment. But now, we want to expand our scope, we are already
working on some ideas, mostly concentrated on skill acquisition, capacity
building, empowerment. So Ogijo will certainly benefit, not only Ogijo, the
whole of Remo, Ijebuland and the entire Ogun State at large will certainly
benefit.
Ogijo
is quite very populated. What is the relevance of the Bobagbimo title to this
community?
Kabiesi’s
primary aim is development and if you listen to him, you will realize that that
was the reason he created the title. So, my main job is to assist in developing
Ogijo town. For instance, we have already settled two assignments. One is
attracting more banks into Ogijo beyond the sterling bank that is here. So we
want to have more banks servicing the population we have here and other
financial institutions. We are also very interested in the completion of this
Ikorodu-Shagamu road not just for Ogijo but the whole of Shagamu and Ogun
State. So that we can have an alternative route from Lagos to Ogun State that
is functional and efficient and we can have facilitations of trade and
investments that come afterward. Those are my two immediate priorities in
terms of the development of Ogijo. And once we are through with those two, we
set new goals, we want the city to develop more in the areas of infrastructure,
commerce and trade. It is a big manufacturing center, so we want further
development to create employment for our young people and to stimulate growth
in the town and in the state at large.
Away
from the chieftaincy title. You have been actively involved in the development
of Ogun State which we all know about. What other new ideas are you bringing to
the table in that regard?
I
have my official activities on the Ogun State Security Trust Fund but beyond
that, I have my personal philanthropic activities at the Opeyemi Agbaje
Foundation that I will continue to on across outside Shagamu to other Remoland.
Just as I said earlier, in addition to the women traders-finance, we want to
start focusing on skill acquisition for the youths in our state. We are also
looking at the area of IT. So those are the kinds of ideas we have and are
working on presently.
You
look so stunning in these outfits. What informed your fashion style?
For
coronation in Yorubaland especially around Remo and Ijebuland, there are
prescriptions for fashion, you use Aso-Oke with damasks and at some point, you
add the beads after you must have been formally installed. So, it’s tradition.
Our tradition as Yoruba people, as Remo people and people in Ogun State, is rich
and this kind of chieftaincy ceremony is an opportunity to showcase that
richness and vibrance of our culture. So, that’s it. I’m just complying with
our culture.
Sir,
2023 is around the corner, I know you once ran as governor of this state. Is
there any plan to revisit that project?
Emmmm,
I do not say so at this time, I have not made any such decision, I am serving
in the government right now and I support the government with which I am
working. I know I have become active in the community, in politics, and
governance, and I will always be or not irrespective of whether I am contesting
in an election or not. So, for now, no such decision has been made but we will
always be active in our community. It is our politics and our governance.
Before
we go, there have been issues with farmers and herders across the country and
Ogun State is not left out. I would like to have your take on this current
issue…
It
is clear that it’s a national problem that has become pervasive in the
northwest, northeast, north-central, South-West, South-South, and South-East and
it is present in all the states in the southwest including Ogun State, to
varying degrees. My view of the solutions is not too different from what has
been articulated by many commentators. One, we need to end open grazing across
the federation. It is not a modern and sustainable way of rearing cattle. It is
a sustainable business; the people will earn more money. There will be more
peace and then they can develop more skills and competencies in that business
to the technical level and not just chasing cows all over the country. So, we have
to move away from open grazing and move into ranching at a more sophisticated
level. Beyond that, security has to be uncompromising, we have to lay down the
rules for what is acceptable and what is unacceptable and we must enforce those
rules. We must also not create an impression that some sections of the society
may be above the law. Nobody is above the law. Once you make the laws and make
them clear, we must enforce than and that enforcement must not just be formal
security agencies like police but also the informal and local ones like the
vigilantes, the popular Amotekun and all of those agencies must get involved.
We have to do the security work with more vigor and commitment and show no
reluctance to enforce the laws of this country and also transition the business
of cattle rearing into a more sophisticated and profitable ranching venture.
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