Oba Isiaka Oyero-Balogun

Oba of Ketu is a descendant of an ancient farmer who migrated from Ile-Ife to settle in a small village called Ketu. He shared the reason behind the name ‘Kosofe’ and why people always take the Baloguns to be ‘Awori’, the battle with the Aworis of the Ikosi kingdom among other issues…
Can you tell us more about yourself?
I am His Royal Majesty, Alayeluwa Oba Isiaka Adio Owolabi Adetunde Adetutu Balogun Oyero, the Oba of Ketu, Kosofe Local Government area of Lagos State.

Can you tell us about your educational background? 
I studied at the University of Ibadan, Oyo state and Tafawa Balewa University in Bauchi for my first degree. I have worked in so many places and the last place was Africa International bank in Victoria Island.

You are the symbol of Ketu Land, can you take us through history?

Ketu as everybody knows or better still the Alaketu is one of the direct descendants of Oduduwa, the progenitor of all Yorubas. Our forefather left Ile-Ife, the cradle of the yoruba race, very many years ago  down to the south here. He travelled until he reached a place he named Ketu-Ile, in the western region of Nigeria. He sired many children. One of them left Ketu-Ile towards Lagos, he reached a place where he settled down a bit. He called it Ijaka-Ile. He moved on till he reached this place (Ketu) over 200 years ago. He settled here and farmed because he was a Farmer. He specialised in growing crops like Okra, Pepper, Tomatoes etc. He was a generous man, he gave people that lived around him his harvested crops free of charge, but when he realised that if he continued that way, he would not be able to sow the next season, he told them he could no longer give them crops free of charge anymore. That is when he said ‘Kotun se ofe mo’, and that is where the name “Kosofe” originated from.

How about the amalgamation of the ruling houses that make up Kosofe, we were told Ketu is not one of them?
Some people want to get cheap popularity that’s why this is panning out this way. Our forefather’s nickname was ‘Baba Kosofe’ and he named Kosofe, not any other person. He gave his crops free of charge to people, then when he could no longer give out his crops again, he said ‘Kotun se ofe mo’, that was how the name Kosofe was found. Whoever says anything outside this or contrary to this, let that person come and challenge me anywhere.

Are the Baloguns awori? 
Baloguns can never be Awori. Balogun came right from Ile – Ife before travelling and finally settling down here. Some of us married Awori as wives. Our Balogun -Oyero who was the founder and the first settler in this place was never an Awori, neither was his mother, but some of his children married Aworis as wives.

You’ve been king for five years now, can you tell us about your leadership style sir?
It’s not been easy but it’s by the grace of God and the help of Almighty Allah, that I have been able to overcome the challenges that I have being faced with, but by the grace of God today, Ketu is a peaceful area, a fact for which I can beat my chest anywhere, anyday.

What is your relationship with the people, family members and all?
Our relationship is very cordial because we share the same blood lineage. Ketu is a unique town in this whole area and here only the Balogun-Oyero’s descendants have access to the Obaship of this community and no other person. Whoever will be selected for the Obaship must be a descendant of Oyero blood line, that is why it is unique compared with any other community.

What is your stand on the protests that Awori descendants are meant to hold the chairmanship of the local government and the LCDA?
Sincerely, I told you earlier that many of Balogun’s children married Awori, so we are already together, we don’t have anything against them neither do they have anything against us because we have been living together and doing things together.

What I mean is, since you say the whole Kosofe is your father’s land why then are the Awori saying they are meant to be the chairmen of all the councils?
Like I told you, if a Balogun man marries an Awori woman, the children will be part of the fathers place and the mothers place, we cannot say because their father is not an Awori that they have to drop the Awori blood. That’s not possible, we are one!

What key things can you tell us about Ketu? 
The areas covered by ketu are Ogudu road, down to Ojota. the Kosofe local government secretariat head quarters is in Ketu, across Ikorodu road after Ojota down to Olusosun then to Oregun, from Oregun across to 7up again, across to Lagos-Ibadan express way down to Shangisha, Magodo and Agiliti, Ogun river to Ogudu that’s the area covered by Ketu.

Now that you have the land in mass, how do you cope with strangers?
They met us here, we gave them land to build houses, they must follow our policy. They have to do whatever we want in as much as they won’t want to be in trouble, whatever we want they’ll have to want along with us.

There used to be a rift between Ketu and Ikosi, what can you say about it? 
Ikosi is a part of Ketu land, so I wouldn’t say anything beyond that because of the Supreme Court judgement that I base my discussion and statements upon.

Is there any relationship between Ketu and Ikosi kingdoms?
There is no relationship, we are not related in any way.

Local councils election are coming, what are your expectations from the government?
My expectations can be summarized into one and that is the local government and the government must carry the Monarch of the area along with whatever they are doing. The indigenes shouldn’t be left out, they should consider them because it is their land and they should enjoy the benefits of whatever the government does in the community.

What advice would you give the government?
They should not leave the Monarch behind, because they are closer to the people. They are the grass root, there’s no way they can do away with them, without being consulted at any point in time.

Final words to Ketu people.
Ketu people have been peaceful and they should maintain this attitude because wherever there is war, that place can never know peace.