Oba Adedokun - The Osun monarch who run a free school for the less-privileged. No School fees, Free hostel, Free food.

It is a rare privilege to present respectfully, to the world, the story of His Royal Majesty, Oba Adedokun Omoniyi Abolarin; the Orangun of Oke-Ila in Ifedayo Local Government Area of Osun State.

No doubt, Kabiyesi (The one that can not be questioned) is a born teacher, a political scientist of note, a reputable legal practitioner and a great manager of man and material resources.

Oba Adedokun Omoniyi Abolarin, the Orangun of Oke-Ila Orangun in Osun State hails from the Aniyunlogba ruling house in Ile-Obasolo, Oke-Ila Orangun; though he was born and raised at Gbenla in Ibadan. His beautiful mother is from Ipoti-Ekiti, Ekiti State. His father was a Primary School Headmaster and his mother was a trader. She was a teacher before she went into trading in order to assist her husband. So, it wasn’t bed of roses for him growing up, it was really rough and tough.

Destiny goes before man; it is greater than man and would always come as planned by our creator. Kabiyesi never for once thought of ever becoming a King. His ambition was to be in Abuja or New York or Toronto to serve humanity with all that God has endowed him with. He is a man with insatiable appetite for service but unknowingly, with all his moves and works, God was preparing him for the ascension to the highly prestigious throne of the Orangun of Oke-Ila. Thus, in December 8, 2006, Oba Adedokun Omoniyi Abolarin was crowned as the Orangun of Oke-Ila Orangun, a breakaway town and the capital of Ifadayo Local Government in Osun State to actualize his visionary and missionary works. His life became a staff upon which the weak in Oke-Ila Orangun could rest on. His worldview as a scholar, as a diplomat, as a historian, as a student of Political Science, as a lover of Sociology, as a student of International Relations and as a scholar of Law is to use his exposure, versatility and erudition to promote peace and total development of his people in Oke-Ila Orangun and her environs.

His love for his people is immeasurable. He is a monarch with a big difference. His developmental drive is not limited to Oke-Ila Orangun alone but the neighboring villages, towns and even non-natives of Oke-Ila Orangun.

He is a devoted Christian but to him, religion is seen as a means of worship and not to create an artificial barrier. The king is the father of everyone in the community, Christians, Muslims and Traditionalists.

Oba Adedokun Omoniyi Abolarin of Oke-Ila has built a school he named Abolarin College where students attend for free.

At Abolarin College in Oke-Ila, Osun State, the students there pay NO school fees; enjoy free hostel, free food, free internet, free uniform, free laptop for every child, and 24 hours power supply; and all these expenses are paid by the town’s king. What is the most shocking is that the king teaches too in the school.

What makes this school remarkable is that one major criteria for getting admitted in is being poor. If your parents are rich, you cannot get admission. Unlike other schools, Abolarin College wants poor kids who are very brilliant. If you are poor but brilliant, the king will admit you!

The king believes poor brilliant kids should also be given an equal opportunity to become something in life- so that the future does not belong only to those born with silver spoons in their mouth. The king himself has a law degree and masters in law- and he also teaches in the school.

From what we gathered, the king has only one wife. Obviously, he is not using the money of the kingdom to accumulate wives or properties; instead he is investing it in the education of future leaders while he aims to reduce the burden of illiteracy in the society. For him, it doesn’t matter the religion, it is not about nepotism, neither is it restricted to Yoruba children nor only children from Oke Ila; it is about any less privileged child anywhere who is willing to be educated. That is why the only criteria for admission is poverty and brilliance.

Many of those kids previously hawked pepper, sachet water, fruits etc. Some came from farms where all they did was work under the hot sun weeding and planting. Many are orphans, hawkers, child labourers, delinquents, children of petty traders, but now they have hope, and not just hope, a future.

In one of his narrations, he joyfully expressed his love for the school, the kids and his subjects thus… “We play soccer. I laugh with them. Even, in the palace too, I relax with everybody. Being a king should not alienate you from the people. That’s why you don’t see me all the time mounting umbrella. I relax, enjoy myself and of course, I love to read. There is hardly any bookshop in Lagos, Ife and other places that I dont visit. Presently, I dont joke with my social media handle. I’m a social media person. I dont joke with information. I do a lot with my children here. If you see them poke fun at me, youll be shocked. They are my children. They are my future”.

God bless Kabiyesi, amen!

This man is planting seeds that will blossom in the future. In the nearest years, that town will be filled with successful and accomplished people. I love this. God bless the King. This is one man that fully has my respect. We should celebrate such a Nigerian! This king is a legend and posterity will never forget him.

Source:

Occasion Magazine
Eyewitness

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