The Olubadan-designate, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has assured the people of Ibadan of dedicated service as he prepares for his coronation.

He made this known in an interview, saying his focus will be on restoring Ibadan’s past glory and ensuring inclusive participation in the city’s development.

“They should expect a lot. I am coming to work. I have been working hard for years. Well, you know me, I started my life in an international company called Total Nigeria Limited at that time. They have gone Plc now. I made my mark there. That’s how I became an entrepreneur.

“Later on, I joined politics. And I’m now the Olubadan of Ibadanland. The performance that I’m noted for. When you are in a place, you have a dream of what you want it to be. I know what I want Ibadan to be. And it’s already a paradise to some people, but not to me. Let’s bring it back to its old glory, when it was the capital of the old western region,” he told City People Magazine.

The monarch-designate said Ibadan has capable individuals who have not been fully engaged in contributing to its progress.

He explained that he plans to mobilise both indigenes and non-indigenes to work for the city’s development.

“I said I’ve seen people who are born in Ibadan, but they are not of Ibadan origin, and yet they are very, very helpful. I talked about former Minister, Nweke Jnr who was responsible for making us have our chanelisation completed in Ibadan. And I said, why are you so interested in Ibadan? He said, look, I was born in Ekotedo, I grew up in Ibadan. He was so passionate about his contributions, and yet he claims that he is not an Ibadan man. I have seen Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, she said, I am an Ibadan girl. My name is Bose.”

Oba Ladoja stressed his vision of an Ibadan free of crime, guided by leaders of integrity. He recalled the peaceful environment of his childhood, where children could move freely without fear.

“I want Ibadan to be what I used to know. When I was eight, nine, we used to dance round Ibadan singing Were music. A ma nji sari. We go round all the localities like Oja Oba, Beere. We would be singing e dide e mu sari. I wasn’t even afraid of anything then. But now, crime is increasing.”

He said he had begun engaging Mogajis and Baales, encouraging them to live among their people to influence and support their communities.

“Essentially, we want to bring back an Ibadan that was acceptable to people at that time, that was welcoming to the strangers. When they say that Ibadan ngba onile, o ngba alejo, that is because they are accommodating. So I feel that we can still create that, particularly with the setup that we have in place now. You have the Mogajis who are in charge of the extended families. We have the Baales, who are in charge of the various areas,” he added. (Nigerian Tribune)