Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
At 132 years, Alhaji Junaid Oladiran, alias “Imam Agbalagba,” is unarguably one of the oldest men in Ogun State and probably in Nigeria. Born in 1886 in Oke Ibese, Ilaro, Pa Oladiran is an epitome of long life.
When the Daily Sun visited the centenarian at his Upper Mission Road home in Ilaro, built in 1953, he was met discussing with his children, who had come around to pay him a visit. Though he was said to have lost his sight when he clocked 100 years, Pa Oladiran’s memory is still sharp. This was evident in the manner he recollected events right from his childhood years.
His childhood
His father, though of Ibese descent, they migrated to Ilaro and settled at Oke Ibese Quarters. The father, Adeosun Oladiran was a farmer and hunter while his mother, Madam Adebomi, from Adekambi Tella family in Ilaro, was also into farming to help her husband.
Like most of his mates in those days, Alhaji Oladiran had no formal education, and later joined his father on the farm. According to him, there was no school in the area, hence, the reason he followed in his father’s footsteps. He recollected that as a young child, he and his mates always gathered after a day work on the farm, to engage in acrobatic exercises or local wrestling. This, to Baba, was to test how strong and fit they were as boys. They also dug holes on the ground to play Ayo game.
Adult life
“Since I had no formal education, I was totally into farming and hunting as I had learnt from my dad. When I came of age, I was assigned my own farm where I planted coffee, cocoa, kolanuts and palm trees. And in few years, I had become successful, I later I became a supplier of cash crops to the Europeans, who in turn exported them abroad then.
“Few years later, I employed farm labourers from the Republic of Benin, while I became a merchant. I was highly successful and I was renowned in Egbado land as a cocoa merchant”.
Beaming with smiles, Baba recalled how he and his fellow hunters used to go on hunting expeditions. He said they killed several games including antelopes, grass cutters, warthogs (wild pigs) and buffaloes. Apart from using local guns, they also specialized in setting traps cum snares, particularly the wire type, to kill wild animals. He disclosed that Sawonjo in the present Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State was formerly known and called “Sawonpa” which literarily means “gather them for killing.” The town then had a thick forest with herd of elephants.
He explained that several powerful hunters with metaphysical powers would use a charm called “afeeri” in Yoruba language, to make them invincible to the elephants. With this, the elephants would not see the hunters in their midst and they would select only the male elephants to be killed. He added that as years went by and the elephants had even moved on, the natives of the town decided to change the name from “Sawonpa” to “Sawonjo”.
Marital life
Unlike what was obtainable back then when men and women married early, Pa Oladiran disclosed: “I was well above 50 before I got married because I seriously believed in working hard in order to make life easy for my children. Yes, I can still recollect that all the money expended on my marriage ceremony, including the bride price and all other traditional settlements, was equivalent to present day N16.”
Unlike his father who married two wives, he had four and blessed with 23 children. Out of the 23 children, however, 10 are no more. Equally, all the four wives are no longer alive as the last one died on January 1, 2014, at the age of 96.
Royal blood
Though Pa Oladiran was not born with a silver spoon, but he has royal blood coursing through his veins, both on paternal and maternal sides. He was approached to fill the vacant stool of Aboro of Ibese land in 1956, but he declined. He said he had to reject the offer because he had embraced Islam therefore, he could not compromise his Islamic beliefs. His refusal to ascend the throne, however, paved the way for Oba Bamgbose who joined his ancestors last year.
On his mother side in Ilaro, he is maternally related to the Adekambi Tella family, which produced the immediate past Olu of Ilaro. To further prove that his memory is still sharp as a razor, Baba revealed that it was just 13 of them in the then Egbado axis that performed Hajj in 1976. Apart from that, he recollected vividly that he and his brother N800 to travel to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj.
The cognomen, “Imam Agbalgba”
Baba said among his colleagues who embraced Islam and were religious leaders, he remains the only surviving one, after the last one died in 1971. He disclosed further that the grandfather of the present Imam of Ilaro, Imam Adewunmi, was his contemporary.
Prior to his embrace of Islam, he was an Ogun devotee, who never tolerated any other religion. He, however, played a pivotal role in erecting a mosque at the Library area of Ilaro, the location, which used to serve as Ifa Shrine. He was also the pioneer Imam of the mosque, the position he held till he relinquished it to his eldest child, Alhaji Sikirulahi Oladiran.
Reason for longevity
Baba: “It is just the grace and mercy of God.” According to him, he was hardly sick despite the tedious nature of farming. He said he grew up on herb, which was usually uncooked and left to ferment before consumption. He revealed that maggots would have covered the herb before it could be considered potent enough: “That was our own antibiotics that kept us hale and hearty.”
Favourite food
As a farmer and hunter, Baba’s favourite meal remains pounded yam and bush meat. While he still relishes pounded yam, he could not devour bush meat with much gusto as he used to, due to old age.
His views then and now
“Several amenities which make life exciting now were absent during our time, but transparency, trust, honesty and communal living reigned. Man’s worth was not calculated based on money or wealth, but upright character, which exemplified the concept of ‘Omoluabi’.
But nowadays, hard work and honesty have been relegated to the background, while avarice and pull-him-down syndrome have become the order of the day.
“Even politicians and people at the corridors of power are all liars now, unlike the early days of Action Group and NCNC. Unless we go back to upholding our value system and jettison “over civilization”, our society will continue to be in social crises.”
In the eyes of his children
In the view of the first son of Baba, 80-year-old Alhaji Sikirulahi Oladiran, Pa Oladiran is a good father who laboured to ensure his children surpassed his achievement in life. He is religious, even as he is old, he still remembers and worships his Creator.
To Alhaji Nurain Oladiran: “Baba is an epitome of hard work, who also imbibes the spirit of hard work in his children. He is also a loving father who ensures all of us live in harmony and unity.”
One of the daughters, Mrs. Jumlat Olugbenle nee Oladiran: “Baba is always a fun to be with. He always hammers that we all invest in our children for better tomorrow.” She disclosed that some of the children and grand children live with Baba, while others come around fortnightly to check on him.
Another son, Alhaji Sulaiman Oladiran: “Though Baba received no formal education early in life, his passion for education made him to enroll for adult education at the UMC Primary School, Eleja, Ilaro in 1986, where he learnt how to read and write. And he ensured that anyone of us who was willing and ready, were educated to any level.”