₦airaland Forum

Guilty conscience from cheating to achieve first class

And some people have not learnt their lessons

They keep chest beating like it's going out of fashion.

An hausa man fighting a Yeibo efulefu; the person recording is their Yoruba boss

ntyce:
Just say that you failed in gaining knowledge....

Chougary has Nigerian citizenship, all his investments are here in Nigeria

.

You have been brainwashed.

http://saharareporters.com/2017/04/19/how-lebanese-town-built-nigerian-money

You are dumber than a wall. Just the way they enslaved you in 1850, they are doing it again. And you are none the wiser

We can't build our civilization with Lebanese brain.

Wake up!!!

Africa is not like Europe or the United States, it’s a place where you work, but the life is not good so we always end up coming back to Lebanon," he said.

http://saharareporters.com/2017/04/19/how-lebanese-town-built-nigerian-money

Mee too I am a sex addict

tolue42:
Don't say what you don't know.. the company's owners are Lebanese brothers, they are also Nigerian by birth. their company own Eko hotel.. They build Aso Rock, Intercontinental hotel, they own Hi tech and a lot of sisters companies in Nigeria. They see themselves as Nigerians.

They see themselves as Nigerian indeed. Go and look at what they are building in their country. The went to school in their country. All the money they make in Nigeria, they send it to Lebanon

You are being fooled. This is how our forefathers were colonized. You have not learnt shytt. This time, it is not white people colonizing you, it is Arabs. Ordinary Arabs SMH

We cannot use other people's children to build our civilization.

We need to wake up

Neoviper147:
The money they have been raking fr
om Visa applicants without giving them visa, they are putting it to use in our own land. Nigerian money actually paid for that place.

Nigerians are dumb

Two foreigners signing agreements about Nigeria, and no Nigerian involved.

We have all FAILED

flowx:
I hate infidelity... My partner can't cheat on me vise versa... I keep on saying it over and over again that since I got married in year 2010, I never see another woman and it will remain like that till eternity.

You are impotent and your woman, I am sure, is servicing strong men behind your back

Ignorance is bliss, I agree.

Stop sobe

side by side is why I am hooked to an Italian escort

EdiAbali:
But you will still be here shouting One Nigeria and attacking Igbo people who don't believe in the so called one Nigeria.

You and who is shouting one Nigeria. I want you guys gone, preferably to the land of no return.

She is Yeibo. She is talking about Yeibo side. Yeobo side is bad

Yoruba side is good

This ooni is stupid!

He probably plagiarized all of them. I don't trust Yeibo

Only have in Nigeria; bush people.

Only one person talks in court, no need for 17.

Waste of money

bentwood85:
The overall best was an Igbo boy he scored 357 ... He was denied admission and no scholarship was awarded.... AFONJA Una sabi play politics...

It is simply clear... in education the Igbos are above this skull miners and organ harvesting region..

What's the point of being best if you still want to go an Afonja school?

We will not accept you.

A Yoruba man with 120 will get into Unilag before a bush man would be accepted.

Go and be best in Abia or Anambra or Okija

And go and rant on a Yibeo board.

ghuzy01:
HATE SPEECH!

I was answering the idiot's question.

teddyalba:
Of course, he is on the list. Every Yoruba king is known as oba of their particular town but at point of ascendancy to the throne to first person to be crown always take a title which every subsequent kings after him will bear.

In our case, the real title of king of Lagos is Eleko of Eko, which actually presents the domain under him. He is not the king of the entire Lagos but Eko ie Lagos Island and all the environs (all lands belonging to the Eko Lagosians or under their suzerainty).

So the name Oba of Lagos is a modern day invention. Every Islander knows that the title of our king is Eleko derived from Olu Eko. Alaafin, Awujale, Elepe, Owa etc are titles of the respective kings but their are all Obas. Even oba of Benin is known as Onibini of Bini or Ibiniland in the yoruba list of its first class grade 1 obas which is about 7, most of the other obas are offshoot of these 7 or were once under their dominions. And thats why their offspring kings are always the head of the council of obas in their domains.

So when you hear about the superiority of one king over another it is referring to this lineage thing. Just as the Alaafin has always been in total control in the past and the Oonis have always been under his control. The Alaafin appointed Aare ona kakanfo for the entire yoruba race and declare wars not the ooni.

Let it be said that Ooni was never under Alaafin

Ife was never under anyone

Stop rewriting history

Ife is the cradle; the HEAD

OgboAto:
'Ignant' much like your Alaafin/Oyo peoples?

Mention just 1 Orisa that Ooni is in charge of, just one or better still, mention one Orisa & I'll tell you the clan of that Orisa as well as the facebook page of the head or a son of that clan for verification. Heck, you could even come to Ife to verify.

You & your ilks have bandied this nonsensical story for years without recourse to how Ife is structured.

If anyone is a slave then it should be Alaafin. Eru, slave, lon ko ila. In Yorubaland, slaves are the ones with the type of marks found in the Alaafin family. Read C.O Adepegba's work. Also, if any King should be regarded as inferior in the entire Yorubaland then it is the Alaafin's throne: 1. The empire it controlled crumbled & was chased like a bitch to his friend's town which he usurped & sidelined his friend's family. It is like saying the Queen of Britain is superior to Arab Kings because Britain once ran the whole world or say the Roman King is superior to British Queen because Roman was colonized Britain. 2. Alaafin has no fecking crown! There are 16/32 Kings with original crown, Alaafin has 'zero' crown. In fact, the throne has a 'crown' made of sese efun [white beads] which is sacred to Obatala; who knows if Alaafin was the son of the slave woman who became a votive of Obatala?

Feck outta here. Ife is still the head of all Yoruba towns & the Ooni is still the head of all Oba Alade in Yorubaland in Nigeria & in the diaspora.

You are welcome.

Is that sooo? No wonder Ife folks dont have tribal marks

No wonder Wowcatty is behaving like a slave; Once a slave, always a slave

wowcatty:
Am I mincing words?

Nonsense!

What has any of these got to do with Ooni is Abore? Why are their names not as famous as the Oyomesi and the rest who had total control of Yoruba political structure? It's because Yoruba had monarch before the arrival of Oduduwa. So it doesn't matter how many times you try to twist it, he's still an Abore.

Truth changes not!

Oduduwa didn't found Ile Ife but organized it to be the holy land, Oduduwa
Alaafin is the head of all oba alade, Ooni doesn't even have a real crown and will never be a real oba, Alaafin is the only one who can crown general Yoruba title like Aareonakakanfo among others, the rest are just playing.

If Yoruba had maintained the original tradition of Alaafin as the head monarch and Ooni as the Abore and not try to upstage Alaafin for Ooni just because they feel Abore is archaic, you won't see Oba Olugbo calling himself the paramount ruler. If it's good for Alaafin, then it must he good for Ooni, even the Aareonakakanfo will soon be oba.

The current Alaafin is old and quiet but a new Alaafin won't allow any of this, same reason the former Ooni didn't get along with Alaafin because he knew any Ooni that converted a shrine to a palace is a fraud, and this is the problem Yoruba are going to deal with and understand that, it's never going to pan out well with the idea of gbi gbe omo oba f'osun.

Wowcatty didrin to n dato

In the hierarchy of things, Alaafin is not even #2, he is #3.


https://aremuforlife./2018/02/18/supremacy-of-the-ooni-of-ife/

For the moment, let me turn over to you, extracts from the Government Gazette of 28 February, 1903, revealed that there was a dispute between the Akarigbo of Sagamu and the Elepe of Epe as to the latter’s right to wear a crown. The then governor, Sir William Macgregor, sent his special hammock to Ooni Olubuse I (father of the present Ooni), to carry him from Ife to Ibadan from where he took a train to Lagos. At the council meeting, Sir Macgregor told the Ooni that “he had received a telegram from the Alake of Abeokuta who requested to be advised of the time the Ooni was leaving Lagos for Ife. The Alake expressed a desire to arrange to meet the Ooni outside the walls of Abeokuta in order to pay him respect.”

Ooni’s Power
The governor then informed the council of the purpose of the meeting – “the crown case of Elepe of Epe.”

The Gazette continues: “But before introducing this question, His Excellency informed the council that he had heard with great sorrow that the town of Ogbomoso was burnt and that 60 persons, including the Lemomu, perished in the conflagration. The governor had sent to the Baale to express his sorrow and also 100 pounds for distribution among the people in their distress.”

Having heard the main question, the Ooni was reported in the Gazette as saying: “A man should speak only what he knows to be true. Only the Akarigbo and the Awujale have the right to wear crowns; even if the Akarigbo is a chicken, he is the head of his government and is entitled to wear a crown”. But the Akarigbo and the Awujale had their crowns originally from Ife. I had only been a few days as Ooni before the present Akarigbo was installed. To knock out the claim of Elepe, the Ooni went on. Besides Akarigbo and the Awujale, I do not know of the rights of anyone else in Ijebu to wear a crown. No one on the face of the earth has power to give the Elepe of Epe a crown, unless the Ooni of Ife. Even the Alake of Abeokuta has not this power.
“THE ALAKE OF ABEOKUTA AND THE ALAAFIN OF OYO HAD THEIR CROWNS ORIGINALLY FROM THE OONI OF IFE”.

The following are the rulers to whom crowns have been given by the Ooni of Ife:
“The Alake of Abeokuta, the Olowu of Owu (Abeokuta), the Alaafin of Oyo, the Oba Ado, the Osemawe of Ondo, the Awujale of Ode (Ijebu), the Alara of Ara, the Ajero of Ijero, the Orangun of IIa, the Owa of Ilesa, the Alaye of Efon, the Ore of Olure, the Akarigbo of Remo (Ijebu), the Alaketu of Ketu, the Elekole of Ikole, the Olowo of Owo, the Ewi of Ado, the Oloko of Oko (Abeokuta) the Alagura of Agura (Abeokuta)”.


This piece settles a number of issues which the sons of Odu’a must now reconcile in present day events in Odu’a land. Well, the Gazette goes on: “The Ooni further explained that on the occasion of original assignment of a crown, a fee of 50 pounds (then one hundred naira) at least was paid to the Ooni of Ife. This fee was demanded only from the first ruler of the territory for which the crown was assigned. His successors are not again called upon to pay the fee. “But each new ruler on succeeding his father is required to announce his assumption of the crown to Ife, and at the same time to send presents and offerings for an auspicious reign.”

Some great rulers, for example, the Alaafin of Oyo on succeeding to the crown, paid over again and the fee due to the Ooni of Ife. The Ooni also stated that some rulers sent him annual presents, and he showed the council the horse-tailed staff which was sent to him by the Alaafin of Oyo”. The last ruler that paid for his crown to the Ooni of Ife, was the Akarigbo of Sagamu.”

The governor asked the Ooni whether the Elepe could be permitted to wear a crown if he now paid the 50 pounds. The Ooni replied that all crowns are hereditary and that a man could not wear a crown. The power vested in the Ooni of Ife was to confirm the title to the right. All crowns are hereditary. There was in 1931 another dispute, this time it was over the seniority of the Ooni over the other obas and chiefs and there was also the issue of seniority as between the Alaafin (then called the Oloyo) and Oba of Benin (then called Oba Ado). The senior district officer, Captain HLM Butcher, sent minutes to the then commissioner, Western Province, in which he said, among other things:


REPORT THIS AD

“I have discussed this with several chiefs and old men in various places and the evidence seems to me to show clearly that the Ooni of Ife is the leading Yoruba chief.
CAPTAIN BUTCHER ALSO TOLD US: “THE OBA OF BENIN CALLED OBA ADO IS THE SECOND, WITH THE ALAAFIN CALLED OLOYO THE THIRD.”
He added for good measure, there is no definite order of precedence for the other obas… I have never heard that the Oba of Benin recognized the suzerainty of the Alaafin 300 or 400 years ago. I can see no reason why he should, as he was nearly always, be the more powerful of the two.” You can interpret or misinterpret these extracts, but the truth is contained in them.

2. Extracts from Ooni of Ife in Yoruba History by Dele Awoyinfa 1992 (Pages 67-71)
On the 23 February, 1903, the Ooni of Ife travelled to Lagos at the invitation of Governor William Macgregor and was lodged in a mansion at Tinubu Square, Lagos. On the following day, the governor met the Ooni of Ife and informed him that the purpose of the invitation was to have direct evidence from the Ooni of Ife as to who among the Obas of Yorubaland were entitled to wear a crown. The Ooni was scheduled to address the newly constituted Native Council which was divided on the issue as to whether a particular Chief at Ijebu was entitled to wear a crown. The Ooni’s statement of tradition was preceded by the customary greetings which included this passage from the Government Gazette of 28 February 1903.

The Ooni of Ife also said that it was only out of respect for his friend the Governor that he had broken through the tradition of the country and had come all the distance. Kabiyesi, the Ooni added that the other chiefs, when they heard of his departure from Ile-Ife, left their palaces and were living outside the walls and there they would remain until the returned, even the Alaafin of Oyo was now living outside the palace. The above was good example of rigid observation of traditional protocol by the Obas of Yorubaland who regarded themselves as the sons of Oduduwa (the Ooni of Ife). What it amounted to in tradition was the silent message of the governor in Lagos, that none of them would cooperate with him until their father returned safely to Ile-Ife. Living outside the palace, meant that life in the whole community was paralyzed. If an Oba for reason of tradition, had to stay outside his palace, all his chiefs and his Baales in the villages would do the same thing and all the Arabas (Chief Priests) would be busy making sacrifices to the 201 gods of Yoruba tradition. All markets in the towns and villages would cease to function normally.



The return of the Ooni would be greeted by gun salutes and jollification throughout the empire, all markets will resume normal commercial activities and each monarch will travel to Ife to pay homage and act as communication link between the subjects of each Kingdom and the Ooni, as to what transpired in Lagos. Governor Macgregor acceded to the request of the Ooni that no member of the native council could behold him face to face during the meeting and so, it was the voice of the Ooni that the meeting heard, as no inferior monarch or subject could behold the countenance of the Ooni without unpleasant consequences. [/b]After giving the names of those entitled to wear beaded crown, the following testimonies by members of the council were recorded at page 167 of the Government Gazette of 28 February 1903.

[b]1. Kasumu Giwa: Our fathers have told us that the Ooni of Ife has the power to issue crowns to the rulers of Yoruba.
2. Sufianu: If a crown does not come from Ife it is a worthless thing.
3. Sunmonu Bashorun: [b]It is the Ooni who gives crowns to all the rulers.
4. Oshonisi: (Chief native doctor): We cannot go beyond the Ooni’s statement.
5. Bale of Ebute-Metta (Egba): I stand by what the Ooni says.
6. Seidu Olowu: It is a truth widely known in Yoruba that the Ooni gives crowns. I am on the side of Ooni.
7. Ogbogun: It is well known that only the Ooni can issue crowns. Ife is the cradle of our race. All power and authority come from Ife.
8. Brimah Edu: If the Ooni had not come, we would all have talked nonsense.
9. Chief Musa Bababiokun: I agree with the Ooni in all what he said.
10. Chief Ashogbon: I agree with the Ooni.
11. Chief Soenu: All the rulers in Yoruba have their crowns from the Ooni.
12. Chief Ojora: It is a wonderful thing to see the Ooni at Lagos, Ooni is right.
13. Chief Aromire: His Excellency has done a great thing in bringing the Ooni down to Lagos. This is a wonderful thing. We never expected it, the Ooni is our greatest authority on the subject.
14. Chief Obanikoro: The Ooni has told us many important things today, which we never knew before. The Ooni is the only authority on the subject and we abide by his decision.
15. Chief Eletu: We are much thankful to the Governor for inviting the Ooni of Ife to Lagos. [/b]

On 20th July 1903, government minute from Ibadan confirmed that “The power of the Ooni to confer crowns is universal and unique in Yorubaland”. In 1984, the late Akarigbo of Remo, Oba Moses Awolesi Erinwole II, received the present Ooni of Ife, the Arole of Oduduwa, Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II, in his palace at Sagamu. In his welcome address, the Akarigbo who was over 90 years old at the time, declared that Oba Sijuwade who was considerably younger, was his father. He told his people that his father had arrived “Baba ti de”. In 1932, by a letter dated August 11, the then Awujale of Ijebuland wrote to the Ooni of Ife referring to him as “Dear father” and a most cordial reply of 17 October 1932 from the Ooni referred to the Awujale as “My dear son”.

In 1937, the first conference of all Obas of Yorubaland held at Oyo, The Ooni of Ife presided. In 1938, the second conference was held at Ife, the Ooni of Ife presided. In 1939, the conference was held in Ibadan, the Ooni of Ife presided.
In 1940, the conference of Yoruba Obas was held at Abeokuta, the Ooni of Ife presided. In 1941, the conference was held at Ijebu-Ode the Ooni of Ife presided.


In 1942, the conference was held at Benin City the Ooni of Ife presided. It was the custom at the conference for the Ooni of Ife to sit in the east and the other Obas on his right and left. The governor sat in the west with members of his staff, the governor would depart with his entourage and the Ooni would take control. The Royal dynasty of Yorubaland extends to Benin Republic, Warri and other parts of the world such as the Akoos, of Sierra Leone and the Bahians of Brazil. In the United States of America, a strong “resorgimento” in African culture and tradition has identified itself with Ife.

3. Extracts from “Ooni of Ife Through Time” An Exhibition of Ife King list (A publication of the National Museum Ile-Ife Osun State Nigeria 20th November 2000, Pages 8-9 ORANMIYAN THE 6TH OONI OF IFE

Oranmiyan, the youngest son of Oduduwa was said to have lived between 1200 and 1300 A.D. He was a great warrior and the husband of Moremi, the great heroine of Ife. The present day Benin dynasty was said to have been founded by him when the people of Benin sent to Oduduwa for a king to rule over them. Oranmiyan was sent and when he got to Benin, he organized and established a system of government as obtained in Ife. He married one of their daughters who gave birth to Eweka who became the first Oba of the present day Benin dynasty. Oranmiyan having completed the task left Benin and settled at Oyo where he also left a son, Ajaka on the throne as the Alaafin of Oyo. Thus, Oranmiyan was the only Ooni of Ife who had the honour of crowning two of his sons as the Oba of Benin and the Alaafin of Oyo respectively.


4. Extracts from Guardian Newspaper Friday 30th January 2009 “Politics Page” HOW A NEW YORUBA LEADER WILL EMERGE, BY OBA OKUNADE SIJUWADE
The Ooni spoke extensively on the political history of the Yorubas with particular reference to the raging leadership tussle between some prominent Yoruba Obas, especially in Oyo State where the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana and the Soun of Ogbomosho, Oba Jimoh Oyewumi, Ajagungbade III who have locked horns over some issues of Obaship supremacy.

Recalling the bickering between him and the Alaafin over the headship of the Council of Obas in the old Oyo State, the Ooni said contrary to beliefs in many quarters, the creation of Osun State from old Oyo State by the Babangida military administration in 1991 has nothing to do with Alaafin’s attempt to make the chairmanship seat of the then council of Obas rotational between him and the Alaafin.

Going deeper into the 19th century history of the Yorubas, the Royal father said the Oyo Empire which Alaafin is still hanging on to is no longer in existence because it collapsed and disintegrated in September 1793 under the Alaafin Aole and that the Alaafin also lost his beaded crown with fringe benefits during the episode and the crown was never re-consecrated by Ile-Ife up till today

For Alaafin to be claiming to be number one Oba in Yorubaland is a taboo which his fore bearers never attempted to do because they knew it would be an abomination, he stated. On the current raging crisis that is rocking the Oyo State council of Obas, the Ooni said he had been approached by millions of Yoruba people in Nigeria and abroad on the need to intervene, stressing that his stand at this moment is to make sure that there is peace.



7. THIS IS ILE-IFE BY OMOTOSHO ELUYEMI – A SHORT HISTORY OF ILE-IFE
Ile-Ife, Ooye Lagbo, More mope aye, Ibiti ojumo tii mowa, Oodaiye, Olori aiye gbogbo, Ile owuro.

Translated:
Ile-Ife, the city of the survivors where the dawn of the day was first experienced, Head of the whole universe, the land of the most ancient days.

The history of Ile-Ife is wrapped in a thick fog of myths and mythologies. And the above quotation aptly shows the appellations of the city. To the European foreigners during the early colonial days it was a “holy city”. To the descendents of Yoruba in other parts of the world, Ife was the original home of all things and the peoples.


To the Yoruba in Nigeria it was “the home of divinities and mysterious spirits”. To the Ife people themselves it was “Ilurun” that is, “the gateway to heaven”.
Ile-Ife and the Yoruba Nation:
Ile-Ife was the capital of the Yoruba Kingdom before the emergence of Oyo Empire. After the death of Oduduwa many of his children and grand-children left Ile-Ife to found other Yoruba Kingdoms.
Before the series of wars of the last century in the Yoruba country, Ile-Ife was the capital of an extensive kingdom. To this effect, C.H.H. Moseley, the acting Governor of the colony of Lagos in 1904 confirmed that “the Province of Ife lies adjacent to the colony of Lagos”.

8. ALAROYE – YORUBA MAGAZINE BACK PAGE 25TH NOVEMBER, 2013 – WHERE DID ODUDUWA COME FROM.

A man called the father of historians who lived around 484 to 424 BC (Before Christ) HERODOTUS wrote in one of his books that between 3000 and 1000 years BC (Before Christ) there were five nations in Africa and Ile-Ife was (is) one of them. Also Reverend Johnson said all YORUBA NATIONS throughout the world traced their SOURCE TO ILE-IFE.

The conclusion from this scenario is that ILE-IFE is the only TOWN known to be HOME FOR ALL the YORUBA’S and this is not in dispute whatsoever.

BY PRINCE JOHNSON ADETUNMBI ADEMILUYI (DIPLOMA – YabaTech, FCMA-uk, FCA)

REFERENCES:
1. Extracts from Government Gazette of 28th February 1903 by the Late Governor of Ogun State Chief Victor Olabisi Onabanjo – “Ayekooto” (First published in his life time and post humously published again in Nigerian Tribune of Saturday 25th April 2009).

seunmsg:
Igbos actually migrated from Ile-Ife. Ooni of Ife’s historical account is very accurate. Even the Obi of Onitsha and the Eri king knows Igbos historical link to Ile-Ife. Scientific proof (through DNA), spiritual proof (through Ifa corpus), and linguistic proof abounds.

May you be related to Igbos

The Igbos that migrated from Ife are the Ugbos, not Igbo of SE

Ugbo, sometimes called Igbo, because they were inhabitants of the forest (Igbo).

Teeklef:
You were truly there, I saw you that time, especially when adedoyin was begging for crown.
You were also there, when Islamic was burn and your almighty sijuwade's estate was re-painted abi?
That is the overconfidence that killed u guys then, shebi modakeke is not more than a street, but a street taught u guys a lesson you will never forget..... Bros forget the issue, modakeke's are known warriors and we don't talk too much on naira marley(sorry nairaland.... Jez joking).

THE agelong hostilities between Modakeke and Ile-Ife are now over after the traditional ruler of Modakeke, the Ogunsua, Chief Francis Adedoyin, visited the Ooni Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, yesterday and prostrated to him, saying he (Ooni) was his (Ogunsua's) father. Time was 3.30p.m.

https://allafrica.com/stories/200802050151.html

Dont let me disgrace you oo. Just walk away jejely. I saw how we decimated your shanty town. I was there when we burned your best secondary school

Teeklef:
Where were you on the 6th of September 2009.

I was there when Ogunsua was begging for a crown, calling Olubuse his father

I was also there when we beat the shytt out of you guys in the 200s

I was there when we burned Islamic Comprehensive

I was there when the Ogunsua was reminded that he is a Baale. He will never be King

Remember, it is Modakeke, Ife. Modakeke is a quater in Ife. Ife owns the land

And God willing, I will be there when we finally send you back to Oyo.

Bunch of ingrates. May you never know anything good in your life. Awon oloshi

Teeklef:
Akoraye a gbe wa ooo

Ogunsua is a Baale.

If you gbemu, we will annihilate you guys again!!!!

seunmsg:
The Ooni of Ife is also a direct descendant of Oranmiyan.

Dont mind the idiota

Atigba:
Yes.. but Oranmiyan is the most powerful child of oduduwa, he was a warrior. Oduduwa gave him mettle of leadership, the reason his descendants are the most powerful Obas in Nigeria.

Oba of Benin a direct descendant
Alafin a direct descendant
Oba of Lagos a direct descendant

Don't forget prior before independent Alafin was the most powerful traditional ruler in Youruba land.

Alaafin was never powerful.

On the hierarchy of things

1. Ooni
2. Oba of Benin
3. Alaafin

After that, everyone is equal.

See below for yourself, learn the right things. The Alaafin became powerful after Samuel Johnson published his Oyo centric version of Yoruba history. Samuel Johnson's book has been discredited

https://aremuforlife./2018/02/18/supremacy-of-the-ooni-of-ife/

For the moment, let me turn over to you, extracts from the Government Gazette of 28 February, 1903, revealed that there was a dispute between the Akarigbo of Sagamu and the Elepe of Epe as to the latter’s right to wear a crown. The then governor, Sir William Macgregor, sent his special hammock to Ooni Olubuse I (father of the present Ooni), to carry him from Ife to Ibadan from where he took a train to Lagos. At the council meeting, Sir Macgregor told the Ooni that “he had received a telegram from the Alake of Abeokuta who requested to be advised of the time the Ooni was leaving Lagos for Ife. The Alake expressed a desire to arrange to meet the Ooni outside the walls of Abeokuta in order to pay him respect.”

Ooni’s Power
The governor then informed the council of the purpose of the meeting – “the crown case of Elepe of Epe.”

The Gazette continues: “But before introducing this question, His Excellency informed the council that he had heard with great sorrow that the town of Ogbomoso was burnt and that 60 persons, including the Lemomu, perished in the conflagration. The governor had sent to the Baale to express his sorrow and also 100 pounds for distribution among the people in their distress.”

Having heard the main question, the Ooni was reported in the Gazette as saying: “A man should speak only what he knows to be true. Only the Akarigbo and the Awujale have the right to wear crowns; even if the Akarigbo is a chicken, he is the head of his government and is entitled to wear a crown”. But the Akarigbo and the Awujale had their crowns originally from Ife. I had only been a few days as Ooni before the present Akarigbo was installed. To knock out the claim of Elepe, the Ooni went on. Besides Akarigbo and the Awujale, I do not know of the rights of anyone else in Ijebu to wear a crown. No one on the face of the earth has power to give the Elepe of Epe a crown, unless the Ooni of Ife. Even the Alake of Abeokuta has not this power.
“THE ALAKE OF ABEOKUTA AND THE ALAAFIN OF OYO HAD THEIR CROWNS ORIGINALLY FROM THE OONI OF IFE”.

The following are the rulers to whom crowns have been given by the Ooni of Ife:
“The Alake of Abeokuta, the Olowu of Owu (Abeokuta), the Alaafin of Oyo, the Oba Ado, the Osemawe of Ondo, the Awujale of Ode (Ijebu), the Alara of Ara, the Ajero of Ijero, the Orangun of IIa, the Owa of Ilesa, the Alaye of Efon, the Ore of Olure, the Akarigbo of Remo (Ijebu), the Alaketu of Ketu, the Elekole of Ikole, the Olowo of Owo, the Ewi of Ado, the Oloko of Oko (Abeokuta) the Alagura of Agura (Abeokuta)”.


This piece settles a number of issues which the sons of Odu’a must now reconcile in present day events in Odu’a land. Well, the Gazette goes on: “The Ooni further explained that on the occasion of original assignment of a crown, a fee of 50 pounds (then one hundred naira) at least was paid to the Ooni of Ife. This fee was demanded only from the first ruler of the territory for which the crown was assigned. His successors are not again called upon to pay the fee. “But each new ruler on succeeding his father is required to announce his assumption of the crown to Ife, and at the same time to send presents and offerings for an auspicious reign.”

Some great rulers, for example, the Alaafin of Oyo on succeeding to the crown, paid over again and the fee due to the Ooni of Ife. The Ooni also stated that some rulers sent him annual presents, and he showed the council the horse-tailed staff which was sent to him by the Alaafin of Oyo”. The last ruler that paid for his crown to the Ooni of Ife, was the Akarigbo of Sagamu.”

The governor asked the Ooni whether the Elepe could be permitted to wear a crown if he now paid the 50 pounds. The Ooni replied that all crowns are hereditary and that a man could not wear a crown. The power vested in the Ooni of Ife was to confirm the title to the right. All crowns are hereditary. There was in 1931 another dispute, this time it was over the seniority of the Ooni over the other obas and chiefs and there was also the issue of seniority as between the Alaafin (then called the Oloyo) and Oba of Benin (then called Oba Ado). The senior district officer, Captain HLM Butcher, sent minutes to the then commissioner, Western Province, in which he said, among other things:


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“I have discussed this with several chiefs and old men in various places and the evidence seems to me to show clearly that the Ooni of Ife is the leading Yoruba chief.
CAPTAIN BUTCHER ALSO TOLD US: “THE OBA OF BENIN CALLED OBA ADO IS THE SECOND, WITH THE ALAAFIN CALLED OLOYO THE THIRD.”
He added for good measure, there is no definite order of precedence for the other obas… I have never heard that the Oba of Benin recognized the suzerainty of the Alaafin 300 or 400 years ago. I can see no reason why he should, as he was nearly always, be the more powerful of the two.” You can interpret or misinterpret these extracts, but the truth is contained in them.

2. Extracts from Ooni of Ife in Yoruba History by Dele Awoyinfa 1992 (Pages 67-71)
On the 23 February, 1903, the Ooni of Ife travelled to Lagos at the invitation of Governor William Macgregor and was lodged in a mansion at Tinubu Square, Lagos. On the following day, the governor met the Ooni of Ife and informed him that the purpose of the invitation was to have direct evidence from the Ooni of Ife as to who among the Obas of Yorubaland were entitled to wear a crown. The Ooni was scheduled to address the newly constituted Native Council which was divided on the issue as to whether a particular Chief at Ijebu was entitled to wear a crown. The Ooni’s statement of tradition was preceded by the customary greetings which included this passage from the Government Gazette of 28 February 1903.

The Ooni of Ife also said that it was only out of respect for his friend the Governor that he had broken through the tradition of the country and had come all the distance. Kabiyesi, the Ooni added that the other chiefs, when they heard of his departure from Ile-Ife, left their palaces and were living outside the walls and there they would remain until the returned, even the Alaafin of Oyo was now living outside the palace. The above was good example of rigid observation of traditional protocol by the Obas of Yorubaland who regarded themselves as the sons of Oduduwa (the Ooni of Ife). What it amounted to in tradition was the silent message of the governor in Lagos, that none of them would cooperate with him until their father returned safely to Ile-Ife. Living outside the palace, meant that life in the whole community was paralyzed. If an Oba for reason of tradition, had to stay outside his palace, all his chiefs and his Baales in the villages would do the same thing and all the Arabas (Chief Priests) would be busy making sacrifices to the 201 gods of Yoruba tradition. All markets in the towns and villages would cease to function normally.



The return of the Ooni would be greeted by gun salutes and jollification throughout the empire, all markets will resume normal commercial activities and each monarch will travel to Ife to pay homage and act as communication link between the subjects of each Kingdom and the Ooni, as to what transpired in Lagos. [b]Governor Macgregor acceded to the request of the Ooni that no member of the native council could behold him face to face during the meeting and so, it was the voice of the Ooni that the meeting heard, as no inferior monarch or subject could behold the countenance of the Ooni without unpleasant consequences. [/b]After giving the names of those entitled to wear beaded crown, the following testimonies by members of the council were recorded at page 167 of the Government Gazette of 28 February 1903.

1. Kasumu Giwa: Our fathers have told us that the Ooni of Ife has the power to issue crowns to the rulers of Yoruba.
2. Sufianu: If a crown does not come from Ife it is a worthless thing.
3. Sunmonu Bashorun: It is the Ooni who gives crowns to all the rulers.
4. Oshonisi: (Chief native doctor): We cannot go beyond the Ooni’s statement.
5. Bale of Ebute-Metta (Egba): I stand by what the Ooni says.
6. Seidu Olowu: It is a truth widely known in Yoruba that the Ooni gives crowns. I am on the side of Ooni.
7. Ogbogun: It is well known that only the Ooni can issue crowns. Ife is the cradle of our race. [b]All power and authority come from Ife.
8. Brimah Edu: If the Ooni had not come, we would all have talked nonsense.
9. Chief Musa Bababiokun: I agree with the Ooni in all what he said.
10. Chief Ashogbon: I agree with the Ooni.
11. Chief Soenu: All the rulers in Yoruba have their crowns from the Ooni.
12. Chief Ojora: It is a wonderful thing to see the Ooni at Lagos, Ooni is right.
13. Chief Aromire: His Excellency has done a great thing in bringing the Ooni down to Lagos. This is a wonderful thing. We never expected it, the Ooni is our greatest authority on the subject.
14. Chief Obanikoro: The Ooni has told us many important things today, which we never knew before. The Ooni is the only authority on the subject and we abide by his decision.
15. Chief Eletu: We are much thankful to the Governor for inviting the Ooni of Ife to Lagos. [/b]

On 20th July 1903, government minute from Ibadan confirmed that “The power of the Ooni to confer crowns is universal and unique in Yorubaland”. In 1984, the late Akarigbo of Remo, Oba Moses Awolesi Erinwole II, received the present Ooni of Ife, the Arole of Oduduwa, Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II, in his palace at Sagamu. In his welcome address, the Akarigbo who was over 90 years old at the time, declared that Oba Sijuwade who was considerably younger, was his father. He told his people that his father had arrived “Baba ti de”. In 1932, by a letter dated August 11, the then Awujale of Ijebuland wrote to the Ooni of Ife referring to him as “Dear father” and a most cordial reply of 17 October 1932 from the Ooni referred to the Awujale as “My dear son”.

In 1937, the first conference of all Obas of Yorubaland held at Oyo, The Ooni of Ife presided. In 1938, the second conference was held at Ife, the Ooni of Ife presided. In 1939, the conference was held in Ibadan, the Ooni of Ife presided.
In 1940, the conference of Yoruba Obas was held at Abeokuta, the Ooni of Ife presided. In 1941, the conference was held at Ijebu-Ode the Ooni of Ife presided.


In 1942, the conference was held at Benin City the Ooni of Ife presided. It was the custom at the conference for the Ooni of Ife to sit in the east and the other Obas on his right and left. The governor sat in the west with members of his staff, the governor would depart with his entourage and the Ooni would take control. The Royal dynasty of Yorubaland extends to Benin Republic, Warri and other parts of the world such as the Akoos, of Sierra Leone and the Bahians of Brazil. In the United States of America, a strong “resorgimento” in African culture and tradition has identified itself with Ife.

3. Extracts from “Ooni of Ife Through Time” An Exhibition of Ife King list (A publication of the National Museum Ile-Ife Osun State Nigeria 20th November 2000, Pages 8-9 ORANMIYAN THE 6TH OONI OF IFE

Oranmiyan, the youngest son of Oduduwa was said to have lived between 1200 and 1300 A.D. He was a great warrior and the husband of Moremi, the great heroine of Ife. The present day Benin dynasty was said to have been founded by him when the people of Benin sent to Oduduwa for a king to rule over them. Oranmiyan was sent and when he got to Benin, he organized and established a system of government as obtained in Ife. He married one of their daughters who gave birth to Eweka who became the first Oba of the present day Benin dynasty. Oranmiyan having completed the task left Benin and settled at Oyo where he also left a son, Ajaka on the throne as the Alaafin of Oyo. Thus, Oranmiyan was the only Ooni of Ife who had the honour of crowning two of his sons as the Oba of Benin and the Alaafin of Oyo respectively.


4. Extracts from Guardian Newspaper Friday 30th January 2009 “Politics Page” HOW A NEW YORUBA LEADER WILL EMERGE, BY OBA OKUNADE SIJUWADE
The Ooni spoke extensively on the political history of the Yorubas with particular reference to the raging leadership tussle between some prominent Yoruba Obas, especially in Oyo State where the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana and the Soun of Ogbomosho, Oba Jimoh Oyewumi, Ajagungbade III who have locked horns over some issues of Obaship supremacy.

Recalling the bickering between him and the Alaafin over the headship of the Council of Obas in the old Oyo State, the Ooni said contrary to beliefs in many quarters, the creation of Osun State from old Oyo State by the Babangida military administration in 1991 has nothing to do with Alaafin’s attempt to make the chairmanship seat of the then council of Obas rotational between him and the Alaafin.

Going deeper into the 19th century history of the Yorubas, the Royal father said the Oyo Empire which Alaafin is still hanging on to is no longer in existence because it collapsed and disintegrated in September 1793 under the Alaafin Aole and that the Alaafin also lost his beaded crown with fringe benefits during the episode and the crown was never re-consecrated by Ile-Ife up till today

For Alaafin to be claiming to be number one Oba in Yorubaland is a taboo which his fore bearers never attempted to do because they knew it would be an abomination, he stated. On the current raging crisis that is rocking the Oyo State council of Obas, the Ooni said he had been approached by millions of Yoruba people in Nigeria and abroad on the need to intervene, stressing that his stand at this moment is to make sure that there is peace.



7. THIS IS ILE-IFE BY OMOTOSHO ELUYEMI – A SHORT HISTORY OF ILE-IFE
Ile-Ife, Ooye Lagbo, More mope aye, Ibiti ojumo tii mowa, Oodaiye, Olori aiye gbogbo, Ile owuro.

Translated:
Ile-Ife, the city of the survivors where the dawn of the day was first experienced, Head of the whole universe, the land of the most ancient days.

The history of Ile-Ife is wrapped in a thick fog of myths and mythologies. And the above quotation aptly shows the appellations of the city. To the European foreigners during the early colonial days it was a “holy city”. To the descendents of Yoruba in other parts of the world, Ife was the original home of all things and the peoples.


To the Yoruba in Nigeria it was “the home of divinities and mysterious spirits”. To the Ife people themselves it was “Ilurun” that is, “the gateway to heaven”.
Ile-Ife and the Yoruba Nation:
Ile-Ife was the capital of the Yoruba Kingdom before the emergence of Oyo Empire. After the death of Oduduwa many of his children and grand-children left Ile-Ife to found other Yoruba Kingdoms.
Before the series of wars of the last century in the Yoruba country, Ile-Ife was the capital of an extensive kingdom. To this effect, C.H.H. Moseley, the acting Governor of the colony of Lagos in 1904 confirmed that “the Province of Ife lies adjacent to the colony of Lagos”.

8. ALAROYE – YORUBA MAGAZINE BACK PAGE 25TH NOVEMBER, 2013 – WHERE DID ODUDUWA COME FROM.

A man called the father of historians who lived around 484 to 424 BC (Before Christ) HERODOTUS wrote in one of his books that between 3000 and 1000 years BC (Before Christ) there were five nations in Africa and Ile-Ife was (is) one of them. Also Reverend Johnson said all YORUBA NATIONS throughout the world traced their SOURCE TO ILE-IFE.

The conclusion from this scenario is that ILE-IFE is the only TOWN known to be HOME FOR ALL the YORUBA’S and this is not in dispute whatsoever.

BY PRINCE JOHNSON ADETUNMBI ADEMILUYI (DIPLOMA – YabaTech, FCMA-uk, FCA)

REFERENCES:
1. Extracts from Government Gazette of 28th February 1903 by the Late Governor of Ogun State Chief Victor Olabisi Onabanjo – “Ayekooto” (First published in his life time and post humously published again in Nigerian Tribune of Saturday 25th April 2009).

tundeontop:
Ogunsua of Modakeke

Ogunsua is a Baale, not Oba

Also,

Oba of Benin
Olu of Warri

Beautiful terminal but the surrounding area looks dirty

OgboAto:
My G,

I apologize for coming out you in such an uncouth way. It does not only make my heart heavy to have acted that way, it is also embarrassing. I honestly just didn't like the 'tone' of your response to me, it was quite patronizing but that was that. My sibling, abeg nor vex. This Yoruba thing na both of us heritage & we both want it to be good. What is pertinent is to learn from each other & find a common ground.

You'd have to pardon me for saying this but I have most of the papers you are citing. I have a library of HSN journals from 1970 till date. This is apart from books from that period till date. I'm a PhD candidate in History [all my degrees are in History] & as such, I have come in & still very much in contact with awon Baba nla in the field who have added to me in everyway.

Having said that, I'd like to say that, I guessed your Okun/Yagba angle was based on the multiple Ife hypothesis but I'll ask if you've read Robin Horton's 'Ancient Ife: An Assessment'? Prof Obayemi was a topnotch scholar but his thesis was geared towards projecting his town, Ife Ijumu as the actual 'Ife' rather than the present Ile-Ife where archeological evidences are still being excavated. Horton's work examined the various theses on Ife & trashed each with evidences ranging from archeological to lexicostatiscal data - I could share it with you if you'd like. As rich as the work was, he also supported the East theory [Obayemi supported North East] in which he said Ife was located somewhat near the Igala but with river Niger or whatever running as a dividing line & it was from here migration took place. It was a hypothesis because excavations from Ife says that the present Ile-Ife has been occupied for at least 350BC.

As for Ifa, I'm an initiate of several awo including Ifa & I can authoritatively say that Ifa only mentions three Ife not seven & these Ife are: Ife Oodaye, where Oduduwa robbed the drunk Obatala & took up his role with 5 toes chicken & sand from snail shell; the Ife Ooyelagbo, the deluge period where everyone lived on Oke Ora under Oranfe's rule; & lastly, Ile-Ife under Obatala who was usurped by Oduduwa/Obameri group.

In conclusion, Baba Obayemi's argumrnt has been dismantled by new evidences both material & non-material. Likewise the pro-Bini scholars. And in essence, Ikedu could not have been hosted in Okun/Yagba axis because: 1. The Ikedu data is acclaimed to have focused on Ile-Ife; 2. Excerpts from Ikedu language shows it is closely related to Itsekiri/Ilaje not Okun/Yagba & 3. Obayemi's attempt at transposing Ile-Ife to Ife Ijummu has been dismantled.

Cheers.

Wow!!! That is why I prefer to read White people's account of our history, unfortunately, because they have no conflict of interest.

I am jealous of you though; so well rounded and humble. I wish I knew more about Ifa.

Good luck boss. Your future is bright.

Robin Horton's paper is incredible; pretty damn long for an academic paper, 82 fucking pages, but I LOVE it. It is a critique really of important Yoruba oral history/tradition. Incredible analysis too. After Obayemi trashed Ife origin for the brass work, the part below made me happy, I won't lie. lol. Thanks for the reference.

In this paper, I shall not linger over Ife brass-work; for its style and
content have been lovingly described in a monograph and dozens of
papers.84 Rather, I shall just touch briefly on its origins and possible
commercial significance. Although we have yet to find direct evidence of
brass-casting operations at Ife, the perfect stylistic continuity between the
brass- work and the terra -cotta, the fact that no directly comparable works
of earlier date have been found elsewhere, and the fact that finds in the
city vastly outnumber comparable finds elsewhere, all make it virtually
certain that this corpus of work is the product of Ife craftsmen. As regards
the Ife-style works found outside the city, their small numbers suggest the
absence of large scale commerce in worked brass. Rather, it seems likely
that they were made to fulfil ritual and commercial purposes in the
outposts of the Ife empire

His congregations are funding the continued domination of their pastor.

Stupidestest people

I guess they are yeiebo