It doesn’t matter how long it takes to issue a rejoinder on matters bothering on Chieftaincy, be it traditionally or honourary conferment! As a rejoinder, need fully, harps in righting the wrongs of false historical assertions, based on uninformed submissions from whatever avenue such misinformation might have emanated from.
I would respond to wrong positions, as well as submission of one Chief Bimbola Okenla, a minor Chieftaincy title holder from Ijębu-Ode, who was quoted to have made the above publication. This is a man who, over the years has been wrongly parading and presenting himself as Kakanfo Awujalę! A title that is NOT genuinely and historically linked with Awujalę Chieftaincy from time immemorial, as far as Ijębu country comes to questions!
Kakanfo agbada uko is a minor Chieftaincy title of one of the three major traditional wards namely Uwade, Ijasi and Porogun, that made up Ijębu-Ode from time immemorial. The other minor chieftaincy titles in that cadre are: Agbon fu ru ina njo ogiri ko sa, Lapo Ękun and Kakanfo agbada uko. The holders are known to be errand men of the elders of those wards mentioned earlier in the socio-political settings of Ijębu-Ode in those olden days who are mandated to report to the Ogu’ja Olu-Isa (OLISA) Ijębu-Ode, who is vested with the monarchical authority over the Ilamuręns and by extension Ijębu-Ode, NOT to Awujalę! These title holders serve as voices to the three major wards and can as well be regarded as pressure groups leaders of their respective wards in olden times. Hence, they were known and addressed as YOUNGER ELEMENTS. Just as their female counterparts are known as Iyalode and there WERE three of them, each for those wards mentioned earlier in this rejoinder.
It is therefore a greater degree of distortion for any of these title holders to arrogate the title beyond the roots that birthed its existence!
Suffice to say, he, Bimbo Okenla, is not and can NEVER be vested with the right to assert that the title of OTUNBA LABOYEDE OF IJĘBU-ODE has been inappropriate or to be so conferred on a true Prince of Ijębu-Ode, in the person of OTUNBA LADIPO OLUSANYA ADEOKUN who is a recipient of the title of Otunba LABOYEDE of Ijębu-Ode. It must not be lost on the historically equipped mindsets that the title of OTUNBASHIP available in Ijębu-Ode and by extension to Awujalę Chieftaincy are ONLY ELEVEN! Seven from the OLISA Chieftaincy and four from Awujalę Chieftaincy.
Perhaps, Bimbo Okenla needed to be schooled on how the title of OTUNBASHIP came to be in those days, unlike today that it has become all comers’ affairs! As it has become a veritable avenue for some Obas to make financial gains from conferring such titles among others, to highest bidders among the title mongering mindsets in our society today, albeit un-informingly!
For Bimbo Okenla to be seen or at worst considered a sound repository of our history, he should go back to the media and educate the members of our society on the true meaning of OTUNBASHIP, as far as Ijębu country is concerned. A task I beat my chest he couldn’t deliver convincingly, for he’s been lacking the historical wherewithal to define, and as well drive home such meaningfully! This has no doubt been registered in his “a ti ro b’ęlęşhin d’ogba” description of his own title!
It isn’t a bad thing for one to ask for genuine history surrounding an historical subject matter, rather going public to issue or submit un-informingly about such development that has been clearly beyond one’s scope of knowledge as it is obvious that even if an idiot, a king is presumed to be all knowing as a result of unwritten privilege of royalty.
Bimbo Okenla also went further his usual aspersions casting disposition to describe Ogu’ja Olu-Isa (OLISA) Royal Dynasty of Ijębu-Ode a so-called! He’s only playing to the gallery, just as read of one Alade Shotę, who also by the privilege of unwritten Chieftaincy privilege, issued un-informingly about the Ogu’ja Olu-Isa (OLISA) Royal of Ijębu-Ode, at the instance of their bootlicking disposition to the self-conceited power that be of our society! He Bimbo Okenla need to tell members of the public if that was the first time he was hearing the name: Ogu’ja Olu-Isa (OLISA)?
It keeps coming to me, not as a shock, but as a concern how some mindsets aren’t mindful of posterity in all that they do! For they allow themselves to be used as Guinea pigs. Ęnu al’akori l’aiye fi nto obę wo, the maxim of our ancestors posited!
As a matter of balancing and setting historical records straight, we have ONLY two types of OTUNBASHIP, as far as Ijębu-Ode is concerned and by extension Ijębu land, namely Otunba a g’Odo and Otunba n’inu Omo’ba. What has been prevalent lately have been proliferation of OTUNBASHIP, as they have been NOTHINGNESS other than Otunba guguru ati ępa.
It is on historical records that, it was the immediate past Ogu’ja Olu-Isa (OLISA) Ijębu-Ode, late HRM Al’Aiyeluwa (Oba) Henry Adeşubomi Oşhifowan, Wonomo II, that revived the title of OTUNBASHIP in Ijębu-Ode! It was he, in his royal capacity, that bestowed Otunba Tunwaşę title on Late Otunba Micheal (Monsuru) Olaubomi Oladimeji Balogun, who being a bonafide Prince of Ijębu-Ode. A development that unsettled the incumbent Awujalę – HRM (Oba) Sikiru Olukayode Adetona then! As he also used a newspaper advertorial to denounce him as a bonafide Otunba! He even asserted that such name – Tunwaşę has been unknown in the history of our land. But alas, Otunba Şubomi Balogun later became one of Awujalę Sikiru Adetona’s acolytes till when the end failed, immeasurably, to justify the means! Ę şa ma ję k’a gba gbe ojo ola……..
In conclusion, Otunba Laboyede as a title could only appear to be non-existing to the uninformed attacking dogs and their paymaster! For our revered ancestors further and intelligently posited that: one shouldn’t expect the truth from those that have sold their conscience for sweetness but filthy meals of plantain!
Posterity shall no doubt be cruel to whoever that have knowingly been courting distortions and aiding its spread.
Signed
Ęni-Oba Onanuga Ololade Ademola
Publicity Secretary
Pix above: Alaiyeluwa Oba Rasheed Adeoye Adesanya, FCA, ACMA, Ademoku ll, the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode