Popular professor of Yoruba Language and Literature and ex-Majority Leader of the Senate in the Third Republic, Wande Abimbola, tells ADEMOLA ADEGBITE about his life’s journey at 92, and his thoughts on what Nigeria can do to be great again You clocked 92 a few days ago, could you give us an insight into your background? I was born on December 24, 1932 and I lived in the village for 12 years before I started going to school in Oyo town. The house I have lived in since I was born has been my family house since around 1835 when my family moved from Akeetan Ile to Oyo. Let me tell you a brief history; Akeetan Ile, which is about 15 miles from Oyo, was where the first Alaafin of the ancient Oyo was born and nurtured.
His mother used to go to Oyo Ile to trade and that was where she met the king. When he was born, he was named Atiba. At that time, children of the Oyo royal family were not raised in the palace; the mother would take the children to her own place, whether in the Oyo metropolis or outside.
So, Atiba was raised in Akeetan Ile. When it was the turn of Atiba to be crowned as Alaafin, he decided to settle down in the present Oyo and he invited his people from Akeetan Ile to come with him. At the time, this area was known as Akeetan Baale, because there were two Akeetan; Akeetan Baale and Akeetan Tuntun.
Akeetan Baale was where he brought his people from and he then allotted where I live today to my grandfather. My family has lived here since then. You have always lived .
