BRIEF HISTORY OF IJESALAND

inpele o gbogbo ijesa (bomo oba itan yio ba aroba, aroba si ni..

Ijesaland can be found on the Longitude 4º75 of the Greenwich and 7º30 North of the Equator, she dwells in the splendour of a very beautiful weather bestowed on her by Mother Nature. She lies on the rainforest of North East of Yorubaland, a very beautiful landscape with hills ranging from 900 feet in the forest of Oni Valley to around 300 feet above sea level in Imo Hills and 1800 feet in the hills around Okemesi towards the North and about 1900 feet in Olumirin Waterfalls and others around Erinmo forming a boundary with Efon-Alaaye and other allies in Ekiti and Igbomina land. Within the beautiful landscape, nature has given Ijesaland steep inselbergs, which is fertile for timber, grey igneous rocks which falls below the red laterite soil and annual rainfall which is always heavy from March to early November or sometimes into December. It’s always at its peak between June and August as characterised by the Forest Savannah zones of West Africa.
She is also surrounded by Rivers like Owena to the East bordering Ondo State, Osun and Oora. The major traditional deities unique to the Ijesa are Orisa Onifon, which is prevalent to the North West of Ijesaland, Ogun which is very significant and celebrated with grandeur annually by all Ijesas, culminating into the Iwude Festival. Ifa-Orunmila, Arampe and Osun are also very important deities in Ijesaland.
Ajibogun Orunaja Agoniyeye Ekun Adimula was the progenitor of the Ijesas. His memorial statue can be found at the Ilesa city centre. He was also the founder of the Owa Obokun Adimula Monarchical Dynasty and that of the ancient and modern Ijesa Kingdom and its imperial system inherent till date in the Ijesa traditional governmental system.
Owa Obokun Adimula Ajibogun, after fetching the ocean waters (Omi Okun) to heal the old-age blindness of his father Odua Olofin-Aye and who through conquest captured many territories including the vast territory known today as Ijesaland. It is worthy of mention that the capital of Ijesaland is dictated by which ever place the Owa Obokun Adimula chooses as his seat of government. Ajibogun ruled Ile-Ife a short while, leaving vestiges of rulership in monumental words like “Enuwa”, Mode Owa” and so on. After conquering many territories in the whole of North Eastern Yorubaland, he established his imperial government at Iddo Omupetu and after a while at Igbadae. His successor, Owa Obokun Adimula Owaka Okile moved to Ilowa – Owa’s city. Okile’s successor, Owa Obokun Adimula Obarabara Olokuneshin, who was the father of Prince Larooye Gbadewolu, the first Ataoja of Osogbo, moved the seat of government to Ilemure, now known as Ibokun. His successor Owa Obokun Adimula Owari moved it to Ilekete and later Ipole. Owa Obokun Adimula Owaluse established Ilesa, which is today the royal capital city of Ijesaland in the fifteenth century.
He brought the ingenuity of modern artistry in governance from Oyo where he sojourned earlier. He established a metropolitan-styled government in Ijesaland with an outlook of Oyo. One can draw an inference from the comment of Rev. Samuel Johnson, who was of the opinion that the layout of Ilesa was modeled after Oyo. Owa Obokun Adimula Owaluse transformed and reshaped the Ijesa traditional government which gave room to military supervision which took after the role of Ajaka, Ajibogun’s commander-in-chief of the Ijesa Armed forces. Owa Obokun Adimula Atakunmosa succeeded Owaluse in 1526. He consolidated the administrative and management structure put in place by Ijesa chieftaincy and Regional/provincial Lordships in the Ogbonis of Ibokun, Ipole, Ijebujesa and Ilesa.
He enriched the Ijesa chieftaincy, tradition and structure with the experience he gathered from Benin Kingdom where he lived during the reign of Oba Ehenguda. Atakumosa brought public prominence and glamour to the Ogun Festival celebrated at Ibokun, Ipole and Ijebu-jesa with its grand finale in Iwude at Ilesa.
The Ijesa history is such that one can properly put into three major perspectives: the monarchy/royalty, war-lordship and assertiveness all encompassed in effective leadership. One cannot but mention the bravery and gallantry of great Ijesa Heroes Seriki Ogedengbe Agbogungboro and his lieutenants like Fabunmi Oraralada of Okemesi, Obe, Okunade Arimoro, Ogunmodede, Fapohunda, Jowo-jori Onigbogi, Ogunlae Dagunduro and host of other Ijesas who fought the overzealous Ibadans led by Aare Latosa to a standstill at Kiriji in Imesi-Ipole during the Intra-Yoruba ethnic civil war. Ogedengbe led the Ijesa, Ekiti and Igbomina Allied Forces to save the whole of the Yoruba nation from the dominance of the Ibadans.
Today, in the absence of wars, inter and intra ethnic dominance, Ijesas, through self realisation decisiveness and assertiveness discovered the way to go in then emerging Nigeria Nation state
With the abolition of the Imo Hill North Eastern District and the merging of Ijesaland with the Oyo Province and Ekiti, our allies with the Ondo province in of January, 1914 – the year of Nigeria’s amalgamation marked a turning point in Ijesa history.
The “Osoomalo” sole entrepreneurialbusiness menwith high transactional fortune acumen spread their activities and interest like wild fire into the nooks and crannies of Nigeria and beyond. Osoomalo trade is one of the greatest contributions of Ijesas to the world of commerce, trade, industry and banking. The Osoomalo migrants became very influential in their abode of business and saw the prospect in education and sent their children and wards to school. It was their practice to visit home at least twice in a year, contribute to the development of their homestead in terms of cash. The emergence of the Cocoa trade which a lot of Ijesas took part in cannot be wished away. Ijesas took the lead and massively reaped the gains of western education. The crusade of Apostle Ayodele Babalola of the 1930’s and the Ilesa riots of 1941 remained a watershed in Ijesa history, while the flourishing business of Syrians and Lebanese known as “Koraa” in Adeti Quarters of Ilesa remained a glamorous time in our history.
With the fortune of a greater tomorrow been sealed at the dawn of independence of Nigeria in 1960, Ijesas’ early strategy paid off as they occupied various positions in public and private sectors of the Nigeria Nation.
Going back in history, it will be recalled that among freed slaves from Brazil and Sierra Leone who settled in Lagos were some Ijesas that contributed immensely to the commercial, professional and academic growth of Nigeria prominent among them were Darocha, one of the richest men of his time, Calisto, a great Roman Catholic who went back home to establish the first Roman Catholic Church at Oke Padi, Ilesa, and Mr. Christopher Sapara Williams – Nigeria’s first Lawyer. Other professionals who contributed their quota were Dr. T.M Aluko, the first Nigeria chartered Engineer and Town planner and former president of Nigerian Society of Engineer, Dr. (Mrs.) Olabisi Ugbebor, first female Doctorate Degree holder in Mathematics, Dr. (Mrs.) Grace Nzegwu, first female Medical Director in Nigeria. Dr. E.A. Ifaturoti, first Nigerian Geologist. On religious and moral development of Nigeria, the following Ijesas have contributed to evangelism in no small way: Pastors Enoch Adeboye, W.F. Kumuyi, S.K. Abiara, Prophet T.O Obadare and G.O. Fakeye, to mention a few.
On the legal front, Hon. Justice Kayode Eso, Hon. Justice Yinka Ayoola both former Judges of the Supreme court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice S. Olatunde Ilori, Olusola Thomas, Prof. Alfred B. Kasunmu, Mr. Babatunde ibironke and Prof. Michael Iyiola Jegede, played key roles in Lagos State.
An account of the infrastructure development of Lagos will be incomplete without mentioning the works of some Ijesas like, Chief (Engr.) Samuel Olatunde Fadahunsi as Chairman of Lagos Executive Development Board while Engr. Tunji Ogundiya was Lagos City engineer and Engr. S.B. Audifferen was director of Federal Works. Engr. Olateju Oyeleye the first General Manager of W.N.B.C. and Indigenous General Manager of Total Nigeria.

Academics like Profs. Hezekiah Oluwasanmi, Obasanmi Olakanpo, Olajuwon Olayide O.J. Fagbemi, Wale Omole, Oye Ibidapo-Obe all played noble roles.
We cannot forget to mention Sir Odeleye Fadahunsi, first Governor of Western Nigeria, Chief Bola Ige, the former Executive Governor of Old Oyo State and our own Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, the current Executive Governor of the State of Osun. We cannot forget the first mayor of Lagos, Ibiyinka Olurunnibe and one-time speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Dimeji Longe one of the earliest civil servant in Lagos State, Late Chief Adeyemi Bero and Oladipo Olaitan to mention just a few politicians.
Back to the Osomaloos, their habit of visiting at least twice a year to contribute in cash to the developments in Ijesaland metamorphosed into the IJESA IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY- EGBE ATUNLUSE in the 1920's. The society established the great Ilesa Grammar School that has produced great Nigerians and the Obokungbusi Town Hall in the 1930's during the reign of my father H.I.M Oba Oduyomade Aromolaran I. IJESAS have always been enterprising, highly industrious and very assertive and at various times, have been blessed with great motivation and visionary leaders. Today there is hardly any profession and academic pursuit you will not find Ijesas- males and females, even been pioneers of many of such in Nigeria. In the world of commerce, trade, industry and banking, Ijesas have made their mark. Today the names of Dr Lawrence Omole and Pa Isaac Ajanaku, IJESA'S FATHERS OF INDUSTRIALISATION will continue to be a referral point in the history of Ijesa dynamism, entrepreneurship and industry. The two of them led a group of visionary Ijesas with the full support and encouragement of my Father,H.I.M Oba P.A.O Agunlejika II to establish the IB PLC, Ilesa which today is a flagship in Osun State of Nigeria. I am happy that my father, His Imperial Majesty Oba (Dr.) Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran, CFR has given his full support to this initiative. I pray that Almighty God will give you the grace to witness the realisation of the lofty dreams of the conveners. It is another opportunity presented to our generation to come together in love, unity and dynamism of purpose to build on the existing structure set by our fathers to open a new chapter in our history into progress and prosperity, GOD willing. It is glaring and overtly clear that it is through industrialisation that the enormous potentials of Ijesaland can be realised and a virile future of prosperity built. GOD BLESS IJESALAND.

Baba ria a gbein, hin han alale ile ria a ti hin leyin gbogbo omo ijesa

note: ijeda ijesa is the major town that share boundary with efon alaaye but the road was not yet opened (i mean an ancient alternate that link ijesa-ekiti pple)

efon alaaye > Ijeda ijesa > Iloko ijesa > ilesa.

Late oba oladele olasore(secretary to finance under interim govt)
E. O FAKEYE of Ayo ni o C & S.
Oluseyi petirin fmr chief of army staff. De same time Olusola obada minister of state defence, oluwole oke chm. house committe on navy? Are all ijesa

Era se a ku o o ase ni pereke muya o

@op Good and nice write up. While reading this write up, My head was swollen up. May God bless u Omo Baba mi. Iyan Le'nu re, Abara le'nu iyan ota re. I rep Ijesha and am proud to be an ijesha and by mere looking at me u will know am truly a son of the soil with mode of my entrepreneur activities, No dulling .. Ijeshas no dey dull themselves o.
I hope this thread will serve as a center stage for Ijeshas on Nairaland and share Opinions on how we can help ourselves and discuss Issues.. Ijesha ni mere.....

God Bless Ijesha Land................

God Bless Osun state.......

God Bless Nigeria.......



Cc: Lalasticala Bros abeg this Thread worth it.

Live and let live.

Babare agbe ooo... I really appreciate dis write up but all of us ijeshas abroad let's try and be coming home and have impact, also lets patronize made in ijesha... I am an ijesha and the only recent stand up comedian in the city

Holla me: 08039678491
@mc_manganese

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