Reasons Aare(Evang.) Segun Okeowo, Wife get chieftaincy title in Prof Wole Soyinka's town.

 Reasons Aare(Evang.) Segun Okeowo, Wife get chieftaincy title in Prof. Wole Soyinka's town.

By Charles Segun Adegbite

Fate again connected Nigerian renowned gospel movie producer, Aare (Evang) Kolade Segun Okeowo, fondly called KSO, with Africa's first Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka recently, as he was honoured with a chieftaincy title of Babalaje of Iyankan, Isara-Remo, in Remo North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Connection With Prof Wole Soyinka.
Isara Remo is the ancestral home town of Prof Soyinka, where his father, Samuel Ayodele Soyinka, hailed from, before the old man moved to Abeokuta.

The traditional ruler of the town, the Odemo of Isara Remo, HRM Oba Albert Adebose Mayungbe, who bestowed the chieftaincy title on him, also honoured his wife, Yeye Aare Sumbo Segun-Okeowo, along with him as Iyalaje of Iyankan, Isara-Remo.

The Isara Connection
It might interest you to know that this globally known literary icon, Soyinka, is a holder of a chieftaincy title from this his ancestral home town since 2005.
Moreso, a major road linking Sapade town with the Isara town, Professor Wole Soyinka Road, is named after him in 1986, shortly after he received the Nobel Prize award in Literature that year.

Behold The Double Chief!
Evangelist KSO received the chieftaincy title barely three months after he was installed the Aare Asoludero of Simawa Town, on Saturday 17th February, by the Fadesewa of Simawa Kingdom, His Royal Highness, Oba Gbenga Gbadebo Sonuga, Ogbodo 1, in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State,

   His wife was also honoured with the chieftaincy title of Yeye Aare Asoludero of Simawa Kingdom, which got the endorsement and encouraging letter from former governor of Ogun State and senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

The installation which was done inside the palace of Odemo Isara, on May 4, 2024, consequently turned him and his wife to double chiefs, thereby spreading their influence to that ancestral home of the Nigeria's foremost playwright, Prof Soyinka, as chieftaincy title holders there.

Prof. Soyinka: Double Chief In Remoland
Suffice to add that apart from holding a chieftaincy title from the town; Soyinka, who would turn 90 on July 13, this year, was honoured with chieftaincy title of Giwa of Remo Kingdom by late Akarigbo Oba(Dr)Adeniyi Sonariwo.

This, of course, is in addition to being a holder of chieftaincy title in Abeokuta; bestowed on him same day he was given one in Isara in 2005.

Reasons KSO, SSO Get Honoured In Isara

Why did Odemo Isara bestowed such a title of Babalaje and Iyalaje on the couple? Well, the answer is not far fetched.

  Aside being a veteran in gospel movie making, Aare KSO has streams of income through which he and his wives have proven their business acumen and how resourceful they are in business management.

This renowned drama evangelist and gospel movie maker, is a real estate merchant, school proprietor and agricultural entrepreneur.

All these streams of income, which he operates with the support of his wife are described by him as his "Other Children of Hannah"; while his drama evangelism and gospel movie making are seen as his "Samuel (ministerial gift)" from God and sacrifice back to God.

Why Is Evangelist Taking Chieftaincy Titles?
Why is he taking chieftaincy titles from traditional rulers as an evangelist? You may ask.

Well , it's part of his conviction as a Christian that to be relevant as the salt of the earth, one has to use all God has given him as gifts and talents to make impacts in this world.

The mission to do great exploits in life by using whatever talents, skills and gifts God has endowed him with to make money legitimately through business and combine them with whatever connections and influence he has to affect the lives of people positively are the reasons for his going into politics.

It's Dangerous To Leave Politics In The Hands Of The Wicked.
Part of this was what led to the setting up of  The Believers In Politics(an NGO) on the need to create more awareness for Christian believers to stop playing the roles of second fiddles.

He is encouraging them to desists from subjecting themselves to being victims of politics to those who are not better than them in any way. He is encouraging them to embrace their initial God ordained roles and commands of being fruitful, multiplying, subduing the earth and replenishing it; and occupying till Jesus Christ returns.

For those who believe that politics is a dirty game which Christians shouldn't be part of, he wants them to study about how God sent Joseph to Egypt and he served under Pharaoh, a pagan king. How he made impacts there and also rescued his family from the agony of global economic meltdown then.

He wants them also to read in the Holy Bible how Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were promoted by atheist King of Babylon and they served in the political realms, amidst idol worshippers, without compromising their faith or rejecting the leadership positions offered them by pagan leaders.

Learning From Christian Kings
To him, if in this our generation the likes of the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Ogun State, HRM Oba Kehinde Olugbenle and the Soun of Ogbonoso, Osun State, HRM Ọba Ghandi Afọlábí Ọláoyè, Orumógege III, who were both pastors in the Redeemed Christian Church of God(RCCG) could ascend the throne of their forebears and be playing their roles as monarchs in their various traditional communities, nothing is wrong for a Christian to take chieftaincy titles.

If late Alake of Egbaland, Oba Oyebade Lipede, and the current Osile of OkeOna Egba, HRM (Dr) Oba Adedapo Tejuoso who became devoted Christians after ascending the throne, could remain on the throne and uphold their Christian beliefs, nothing is wrong for Christians to occupy such positions.

The crucial thing is for the holder of that title who is a Christian to constantly put on the whole armour of God and ensure he doesn't return to the idols he has rejected when he confessed Jesus Christ as his Lord.

Not Walking In Religious Ignorance Of Politics
Aare(Evang) KSO who holds Bachelor's degree in History and Master's degree in International Relations and has been in active politics for over a decade now.

With what he knows about Christian religion now, having been in the evangelical ministry for over 30years, with his knowledge of history and political science, and his practical involvement in politics for over a decade now, he believes that if wise men refused to take leadership positions in any country or society, they would be governed by fools.

Likewise, he believes that if the righteous refuse to make laws, they would be governed with the laws made by the wicked people. And whether they like it or not, they will have to obey all those laws promulgated by the wicked and fools.

Lessons From Abejoye Film
This his conviction is properly projected and shed lights on in the last seasons of films with many episodes produced by the doyen of drama evangelism and gospel movie in Africa, Evangelist Mike Bamiloye, titled "Abejoye: The Kingmaker".

While proponents of this his school of thought on that believers should be involved in politics, have their good points, opponents of the school of thought believe that while Christians and ministers of God who have lesser responsibilities in the church like Prof Yemi Osinbajo could go for highly demanding public service through politics, those who are church founders/overseers like Pastor Tunde Bakare are not expected to go into such because God is not an author of confusion.

They believe that God can't give such a minister of the gospel a big congregation to lead, which requires 24hours attention, and then ask them to also abandon the flock into the hands of hirelings, to face highly demanding task of public service, which also requires 24hours attention for anyone to succeed in it.

 

What KSO Has In Common With Prof. Soyinka

Apart from his connection with the literary giant through the honourary chieftaincy title he bagged in Isara Remo recently, other things he has in common with Prof Soyinka include his affiliation with the University of Ife(Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU) where he studied International Relations and bagged his Master's degree.

The OAU Connection
While in OAU, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Soyinka held sway there as a senior lecturer of Comparative Literature.

Aare KSO's father, late Akogun Segun Okeowo had also been a student of the then University of Ife, and one of the top lieutenants of Soyinka in the civil rights activism in Nigeria in the 1970s, even when Akogun Okeowo was transferred from the University of Lagos to the UNIFE(OAU) where Soyinka was then a senior lecturer.

Akogun Okeowo's Connection With Soyinka
Of course, Late Okeowo, as last President of the defunct National Union of Nigeria Students, NUNS, and first President of the National Association of Nigeria Students, NANS, was politically rusticated from UNILAG in his final year, following his leadership role in the Ali-Must-Go students riot of 1978, which did not only shook the Federal Govt but the whole country.

Of course, Soyinka and late legal luminary, Gani Fawehinmi and other frontline political and human rights activists, quickly came to the rescue of the hero of the students riot(Okeowo) to secure him a place in the then UNIFE to enable him finish his course.

Literary & Performing Arts Connection
Another thing that connected Aare KSO with Soyinka is his journey into evangelical drama and film production, which started in that great institution (OAU) between 1992 and 1996 at the time he was a Master's degree student and Soyinka was holding sway as outstanding lecturer in the university.

There, the seed of his becoming a playwright, actor, film producer and author was sown. And the film, "The Story of My Life" produced by Mount Zion Faith Ministries International, of which he played a role, was shot in the OAU, using the Oduduwa Hall, Hostel, e.t.c as their location.

He as well shares in common with Soyinka literary skills like being a playwright, novelist, author, film producer, dramatist, publisher and historian(because Soyinka also studied Western History, as part of his combined honours in his first degree).

Early Brilliance Performance In School
Moreso, KSO displayed his brilliance early in life like Soyinka. While learning in late Dr Tai Solarin's Mayflower School, Ikenne, Ogun State. (Solarin: one of Soyinka's associates in civil rights activism).

Dual Stars Shinning In 1986
 KSO graduated in 1986 as the Best Student in the Arts Class with six distinctions, which fetched him the Dr. Tai Solarin Award For Excellence, when he was just over 15 years old.

Of course it was the same year (1986), while he was shining in Mayflower as a star, that Soyinka bagged his Nobel Prize in Literature award and became the first African Nobel Laurette, in his early 50s.

  KSO entered university nearly at age 16 and became a graduate with Bachelor of Arts(B.A. Hons) as a teenager(19 years).

Parental Character Similarities
  While Soyinka had educated parent(s) and his father was a headmaster, KSO's father, Akogun Segun Okeowo, was a school principal in secondary schools before his retirement. Although his father also rose up to become a commissioner in the Ogun State Teaching Service Commission.

Soyinka's parent (mother) was a political activist with women's movement in Abeokuta (like her cousin-in-law, late Mrs Funmilayo Ransom-Kuti), while KSO's parent(father) was a student activist in his early life, who was a renowned student's union leader in Nigeria.

Raising Other Actors Through Training
     He also shares in common in his own little (but impactful) way with the literary giant, teaching of students in drama and performing art, film production and being a lecturer in drama schools.

  He has been a lecturer in Mount Zion Institute of Christian Drama since 1990s and had also set up his own Christoline Film Academy, CFA, where he has been training a lot of drama ministers on Drama Evangelism, Film Production and everything on performing arts, as it relates to Christian ministry.

Royal Ancestry & Good Inheritance

Above all, they both have royal ancestry in Remo. While Prof. Soyinka's father, Samuel Ayodele Soyinka, had a royal heritage in Isara Remo, being a cousin to the late Odemo of Isara, and a descendant of one of the five ruling houses to the Odemo's throne, KSO's father was, until his death over a decade ago, the holder of the royal title of the Olotu Omooba of Simawa (Head of Princes and Princesses of Simawa Kingdom).

No Room For Confraternity Or Extreme Political Activism.
     However, this Aare Asoludero of Simawa and Babalaje of Iyankan didn't follow such path of civil activism and radicalism Soyinka is known for. Instead, as a minister of God, it was spiritual radicalism that saw him becoming the National President of the All Nigeria Conference of Drama Ministers (ANCEDRAM) in 2010, that he embraced.

Entrepreneurial Spirit & Skills
He later diverted part of his energy towards business, politics and education development, in addition to his commitment to drama evangelism and gospel movie making.

  Through these he believes he could achieve most of the things many rights activists couldn't achieve through activism, by impacting people's lives positively.
    These led to his using the entrepreneurial spirit in him to venture into business, with the skills he has acquired over the years on property development and consequently began to build a business empire for himself and his family gradually.

There's A Reward For Every Effort
      Part of the rewards for his adventures into business and various initiatives in impacting the society were the recognitions and honours being bestowed on him by royal fathers in different kingdoms. They could see his activities and accomplishments, and the impacts on people and the society.

   For instance, it was his bold moves and initiative that encouraged people like Aare Oba Adetola Emmanuel-King to venture into real estate business by founding the Adron Homes & Property Ltd. in 2012.

Today, the Adron Homes GMD/CEO is not only a great employer of labour in Nigeria but an outstanding real estate developer in the country, who is solving home needs.

Helping Farmers & Agricultural Investors
He and his wife are also helping many farmers to become farmland owners, thereby addressing the problem of food shortage, domestic and industrial needs for palm oil.

Consequently they are helping people and Nigeria economy via the establishment of Ilusanmi Oil Palm Farms Thrift-To-Farm (TTL) scheme.

Through the TTL scheme, those who are tired of renting land for farming and dreaming of buying their own piece of farmland can do so.

As an alternative, those who want to be part of the Land Banking Project are enjoined of simply join the ILUSANMI COOPERATIVES MULTI-PURPOSE SOCIETY LTD.

Enlarging Ilusanmi Oil Palm Farms Thrift-To-Farm (TTL) scheme
On Monday, June 3, he opened the Ibadan branch of his Ilusanmi Oil Palm Farms Thrift-To-Farm (TTL) scheme on Monday June 3, as part of his commitment to solving the needs of people and making impacts in the life of others.

The cumulative effects of these are many; both on people and the nation's economy. The rewards for these initiatives, beyond its financial gains for him, would be more honours, which may even come from the state and federal governments as time goes on.

Who knows maybe national award(s) such as: Officer of the Order of Niger(OON), Member of the Order of Niger (M.O.N.), Member of the Federal Republic(MFR), e.t.c., are already waiting for him patiently?. After all, the Holy Bible says, "in all labour, there's profit"(Proverbs 14:23 KJV). And it goes on to say (in Galatians 6:9KJV) "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap. if we faint not."

These are obviously the reasons behind everything this Aare Asoludero and his wife, Yeye Aare Asoludero are doing daily, bearing in mind that the iron Law of Course and Effects, Law of Sowing and Reaping, Law of Compensation are all constantly working, and will surely bring rewards in due season for everything á does.

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