Ibadan’s governance model was not structured in a dynastic manner as found in Ife, Oyo and other ancient Yoruba towns. As a conglomerate of warriors, Ibadan’s model was structured in a way that every individual in the hierarchy of leadership was involved, from the city itself, to local authorities which included mogaji, baálé and baálẹ. This explains why Ibadan, in its governance model, has as many mogajis, baálés, baálẹs as the numbers of villages and compounds in the egalitarian city.
In every compound in Ibadan, there are three layers of leadership. There’s a baálé (compound head) who is the oldest male in the family. There’s a baálẹ who oversees the family village (every compound in Ibadan must have a village in the outskirts of the city). There’s also a mogaji who is the overall head of the family. Mogaji is the representative of the family in the traditional governance of the city whom time and fate may permit to become Olubadan. A mogaji who is fortunate by fate to be elevated to either of Balogun or Otun Olubadan line has a good chance of becoming Olubadan in future. Elevations from one step to another up the chieftaincy ladder are courses in traditional leadership training in terms of administration and management, carriage, composure, dignity, perseverance, patience, and wisdom.
The Ibadan governance model ensures that security, social order and social welfare are adequately taken care of. This is why the recent riot act read to Ibadan mogajis by Imperial Majesty, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, Arusa 1, is instructive. At a meeting the new Olubadan held with the mogajis before his coronation, he warned the mogajis to ensure that they take care of the security of their compounds as they would be held responsible for any breach of security under their watch.
Oba Rashidi Ladoja, by the warning to the mogajis, is not making innovative statements on security in the city. He’s only renewing the core of Ibadan governance model which are security and social order. Here’s an admonition to the installed mogajis and the mogajis-elect in Ibadan to come alive to their traditional responsibilities. Being a mogaji or a baalẹ in Ibadan is not about the glamour and prestige. The positions confer statutory duties on them though these responsibilities have long been abandoned. Many of these compounds which have mogajis and baalẹs have become shadows of themselves. Dilapidated buildings are obvious features of these compounds and they have become dens for louts and miscreants to perpetrate vices that pose threats to Ibadan city and its innocent people.
Mogajis especially must register their presence in their family compounds. Having an office, manned by an assistant, and regularly visited by the mogaji is necessary. Mogajis within a cluster of compounds must come together to attend to security concerns in the vicinity. They need to engage restless youths in their areas and make them productive. Focus should be on education in the ramifications of artisanal trades and formal classrooms for the youths.
As I close this treatise, there is an important task mogajis will have to undertake. One of the issues militating against development in Ibadan indigenous areas is lack of access streets. From research, it has been established that these areas have streets run across them in the masterplan drawn by the colonialists. Unfortunately, none of these streets has been constructed by people in modern government. For example, in my Ward 3, Constituency 1 of Ibadan South West local government, from Idi-Arere to Oja-Oba, six roads are said to run across the area in the masterplan of the area. There was a time a chairman of Ibadan South West local government wanted to construct one of the roads that would run the length of the area. The project met opposition from some indigenes of the area who had built structures on the road paths. But because the chairman lacked the will to carry on with the construction because he was going to contest for second term, the project could not fly and it remains in the cooler till today.
The example above is just one of the areas among many others within Ibadan indigenous areas that do not have access roads. This makes it impossible to attract developmental projects like schools, health centres, libraries and boreholes to the areas. Also, if the access roads are constructed, dilapidated buildings populating these areas will be repaired and made useful while activities will spring up in the areas. This is a task before our mogajis who must do everything to lobby council chairmen to construct the roads. The urban renewal initiative that Olubadan Ladoja will champion is going to receive a boost when the mogajis push local government chairmen to construct the access roads.
The picture of Aare-Onibon of Ibadanland, Oloye Abiola Iyiola, the head of Anlamole Dynasty, used below is deliberate. He’s an exemplary example of how a mogaji should conduct himself and be alive to his traditional responsibilities. He’s not only concerned about the growth and development of Anlamole Compound which is his immediate constituency, he is also concerned about the growth and development of Isale-Ijebu in particular and Ibadan in general. His main preoccupation always is how to bring social order and welfare to the people in Anlamole Compound and Isale-Ijebu. A visit to Anlamole Compound will tell you that there’s a Mogaji competently overseeing the compound.
Now is the time for mogajis in Ibadan to roll up their sleeves and restore sanity of security and social order to the cosmopolitan city. Let’s join hands with Olubadan Ladoja to have a successful reign.
Kaabiyesi to the Imperial Majesty of Ibadan.
Maroof Asudemade,
Asudemade Compound,
Isale-Ijebu, Ibadan.
October 1st, 2025
