Erinmope history
Erinmope-Ekiti falls within the derived savannah belt and has about six months of effective rainfall from mid-April to mid-October. The common crops grown are arable crops such as Yam, Cassava, Maize, Beans and Guinea Corn. Few cash crops such as Cocoa, Kolanut and Cashew are also grown in isolated areas. The Indigenes are very dynamic, industrious and enterprising. However because of land limitations and limited opportunities, many of the people settled outside the town and can be found in virtually all parts of Nigeria where they are engaged in commercial and industrial activities and in particular the establishment of plantation in agricultural products such as Cocoa, Kolanut and Oil palm.
ORIGIN AND EARLY SETTLEMENT
Record has it that Erinmope-Ekiti had its genealogical history traced to Oraufe dynasty in Ile-Ife before they migrated therefrom. Oraufe begat Ayetise and Ayetise begat Lajamisan. Obaleo belonged to the Lajamisan dynasty of the lijo area in the compound of Chief Obajio, the traditional Lord Exchequer. The first Obaleo Elejio (a.k.a) Ajigbeji (a prince, a warrior, a hunter and a herbalist) with Oore Abajadiewon also a prince left Ile-Ife at the same time and went together to all places until they both settled at a place called Ipole. When Obaleo Elejio was leaving Ile-Ife with his people he took along his own inheritance from his father which included Bearded Crown, Beads, White Horsetail etc. Later the Obaleo left Oore behind in Ipole and settled first at Ekiti Epere near Ipole before moving to the present day location sometime in the 15
th century, also Oore left Ipole and then settled at the present location - Otun. Since then, Obaleo has remained undisputed and unchallenged second-in-command to the Oore. The name Erinmope was derived from a head count of those who left Ekite-Opere to the present settlement. A census was conducted and the Oba asked the people if all the
people were present, thus “NJE ORI PE” and was answered “ORI MOPE O”. Thus, the settlement was referred to as “ORIMOPE”
. In another development, Obaleo Elejio having settled down ordered his hunters to scout round to see if there were other settlers. One of the hunters who faced the area called Ibamogun saw a big rock afar off believing it to be an elephant aimed at it but moving closer discovered it was not an elephant but a big rock. On return to others and the Oba he narrated his
ordeal and ended it with the statement “ERIN NI MOPE” meaning that I thought it was an elephant.
So Obaleo Elejio de
cided to name the settlement ERINMOPE. Thus the names “ORINMOPE” and “ERINMOPE” were used interchangeably to identify the Town up to the beginning of the 19
th century when only ERINMOPE was finally adopted.
ADMINISTRATIVE SET-UP
For administrative convenience, Oore Abajadiewon divided Moba into four constituencies in 1579 as follows: (i)
Arin Moba
(Central) Otun (ii)
Ona Moba
(Front/Route) Erinmope, Aaye-Oja and Irare (iii)
Osi Moba (Left) Osun, Epe, Osan, Ira and Iro (iv) Otun Moba
(Right) Igogo, Ikun, Ikosu, and Isaoye The 1579 resolution made about 433 years ago by the Oore recognised Obaleo as second-in-command to him the position Obaleo still holds today.

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