21/06/2022
PRACTICAL DEMONSTRATION OF SILENCE IS GOLDEN.
THE LANDMARKS SURROUNDED BY THE SPIRITUAL MOUNTAINS OF TRUTH , RIGHTEOUSNESS AND CLOUDS OF ANCIENT LANDMARK WITH SPINES. RESERVED FOR FEASIBLE SPIRITUALITY, EQUANIMITY OF GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT, GREATNESS AND EXCELLENCE....AT THE APPOINTED TIME.
THE RETURN OF TRUE SAINTS AND REBANISHING OF FALSEHOODS IS AN INEVITABLE DEFENCE, DEFENSE, AGAINST THE ABSOLUTE SYSTEMATIC PREDATORY WARS.
The Ogiyan of Ejigbo, Osun State, Oba Omowonuola Oyesosin, in this interview with FEMI MAKINDE speaks on the Ogiyan Festival and how he ascended the throne 43 years ago
How did Ejigbo come to be?
Ejigbo happens to be one of the very old towns in Yorubaland. It was founded nearly at the same time with Oyo. It was Oranmiyan, who founded Oyo all the way from Ife that we followed. After he succeeded in founding Oyo, the rest of his followers dispersed to start their own towns. The one who founded Ejigbo was Akinjole, who was from Iwinrin in Ile Ife. He also founded Edunabon, while his brother founded Ikire Ile.
At a time, Ejigbo came under the control of Ibadan. What led to this?
The Alaafin of Oyo then was a young and powerful king. He nearly controlled everything but when Ibadan’s independence was re-pronounced in 1930, we came under Ibadan and after that, we became independent.
Did Ibadan conquer Ejigbo then?
No, it wasn’t war. There was a demarcation between Oyo and Ibadan. So by that demarcation, we fell under Ibadan.
What is the significance of tiger to Ejigbo because it is always linked with the town?
Whenever my praise is being sung, you will hear them saying: ‘Omo ekun abi ara giri’ even in my mother’s side, they recognise it. I took to painting and I painted the image of the tiger you must have noticed over there. I am very proud that I am an artist. I am a born artist and my children are artists but I don’t draw again. My first drawing was in 1950, that was when I was in Standard 2 and I drew a cup. Many people asked me if it was presented to me by a professional but I told them I drew it right inside the class.
Did you take your drawings to any art exhibition?
No. Although I was just a casual artist, my son is a lecturer at the Department of Fine Arts and Graphics at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.
Your subjects are scattered all over West African states especially in Ivory Coast. What is the reason for this?
They went out in search of greener pastures. They are traders and they have gone to Ivory Coast and other countries to make money. When they first got there as artisans, they were engaged in activities like barbing, tailoring and laundry. It was my people who introduced all of these services over there.
How has the migration of your people from Ejigbo to other places affected the population and the economy of this community?
Initially, it depopulated the town. Then, it was common to see houses with nobody living inside but now, they are coming back home because majority of them are now retracing their steps back to their root.
Why are they coming back?
Ejigbo was for a long time operating remittance economy. You know, all what we spent emanated from Ivory Coast, which was what I wrote my BSc thesis on; ‘Migration as it affects Ejigbo.’
What course did you study?
I was admitted to University of Ibadan to read Economics, but due to mathematics, I ran away to Geography and I met Statistics. I majored in Geography but I also chose Political Science and Economics as my subsidiary courses.
Ejigbo is synonymous with Ogiyan festival, how did the festival come to be?
Ogiyan festival is once every year and it is usually held in September. The Ogiyan festival came to be celebrated every year because Sawoleje was an Ifa priest, when he came to Ejigbo on consultation for the first kabiyesi. He was so close to the town that he stayed in the palace and was well fed but the Yoruba do say that: ‘baye ba nyeni, iwa ibaje laawu’ meaning indiscipline takes over when one is too comfortable. Sawoleje seduced one of the king’s wives and he had to be beaten until the point of death as a punishment but before he died, he pronounced a curse on the town that except we beat ourselves every year, there would not be rain. The festival usually comes up during the rainy season and that is around September and we still do it till today but civilisation is taking a lot more of these things away.
On the first day, which is usually a Friday, we do ‘aisun ifa,’ Ifa’s vigil. The ifa priests would sing. King’s dance crew have their own, the women also have their own way of praising the Ifa on that night.
On the second day, we do what we call ‘ewo’ fighting. We would fight from morning till night and the town is divided into two. We would fight till six o’clock in the evening. You are permitted to flog your in-laws on that day. If you see your in law, you slam them and it is not an offence or wrong, you hit them and that is why Ejigbo is relatively a peaceful town because we fight just once in a year with sticks and stones.
Do the fighters use weapons, like cutlass?
No, you don’t use cutlass but canes, sticks and stones are allowed to be used freely. Nowadays, we don’t usually do that aspect much due to civilisation and other religions coming in.
There is Ejigbo in Lagos. What is the relationship between this town and that one?
Those who settled at Ejigbo in Lagos are from this town. We have Oke Ejigbo in Ado Ekiti too, we have in Abeokuta, we have in Ila Orangun and some of them usually come home during the festivals. We have many in Modakeke, Ibadan and the rest.
Ejigbo happens to be one of the five towns, which contributed soldiers who fought the Ijeshas in Ife. Ejigbo, Oko, Isundunrin, Ola and Awo, contributed soldiers that led to the ousting of the Ijeshas who settled in Modakeke but we later dispersed during the reign of Baba Abewela.
Was there any prediction before you were born that you would later become a king?
My mother told me so but I was very young then. I took it for granted, even before I was conceived, my mother was told she would give birth to an Oba. Then being the last born of seven in my family, I grew up to know my father who happened to be a prince. In 1942, I was in a Quranic school but I ran away from the school in 1944 when one of my seniors refused to give back a coin which I found. I decided to start elementary school in 1946. I attended Baptist School in Ejigbo here for my grammar school and from there, I went to LA Modern School from 1955 – 1957, also in Ejigbo. I was a pupil teacher in Owu, a district town in Ejigbo in 1958. In 1959 and 1960, I was in a Divisional Teachers’ College and I taught again in a district school in Iwo road. In 1964 and 1965, I was in Osogbo for my Grade 2 course and from there, I started to teach in my old school till 1966 and in 1969, I went to the University of Ibadan. I was admitted into two universities at the same time. I was to read Mass Communication in the University of Lagos but I preferred Ibadan because it was nearer home, with my children at home, I wanted to see them at least, every Friday.
What was your ambition when you were young?
I cannot remember what my ambition was but I am so sure that I only wanted to be a well read somebody, which I achieved after attending a university. I passed through the university and the university passed through me.
How did you feel when you realised you would become an Oba someday?
I was still at the University of Ibadan when my predecessor passed on in 1971. It was some months to my degree examination when that happened, precisely seven months to my final exams. Apparently, I was struggling to have my ‘international meal ticket’ which we fondly called a university degree then when the clarion call beckoned.
How was the selection process?
I was like an average prince, who wants to become an Oba alongside some people who were already literally kings before the selection. We were eight contestants then, one of us was not a prince but was in politics and was very wealthy and so he wanted to be a king by all means. But he lost out eventually.
Was Ifa consulted for the selection?
Initially, the township wanted to know who their next king would be, so they went to Iwo and invited a priest, who told them that the person who was going to be their king was not in town. He told them that the person was not a tall man and I’m a short man. He also told them that his reign would be very long and I think the words of Ifa are coming to pass.
Were you there when Ifa was consulted?
It was an open thing. Everyone was present. I was there but I was not known and was not so important then. They could not mention names even if they knew, so they just gave descriptions and then I knew all the descriptions fit me.
You were close to the late Ooni Sijuwade, do you have same relationship with the current Ooni, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi?
Oba Sijuwade was fond of me and I was fond of him. The reigning Ooni visited my farm during my 42nd anniversary on the throne, which was celebrated on the farm. He came visiting last year. The present Ooni has been going around building bridges and he has not been available so I have not been able to visit him because he gave me a gift of a very rare one.
Do you think it is necessary for new kings to learn the rope from the older monarchs?
It is very good to do it. Throughout the entire state, I happen to be the second oldest king on the throne. When I am in the midst of many people, I am always reluctant to speak because to speak when you are in the midst of your colleagues is to be too forward and so I don’t want to be too forward. If they ask me to speak, I will, otherwise, I will maintain my stand.
How many wives do you have Kabiyesi?
I have many wives. I had only one wife before I became a king but I have added some after just because of the care of the palace. Just a single wife may not be able to handle the palace properly. I realised that one wife would not be able to take proper care of the palace and I devised a division of labour. I can tell one to go and tend to Ifa, another to go and take care of Osun and so on. So a wife will not be able to take care of the palace properly.
Do you support Oluwo’s statement that traditional rulers should throw away all deities in their palaces?
He has every right to his opinion but as for me, I will continue to keep them because I was installed with the mandate that I would manage the deities. So getting to the throne and abolishing them will amount to insincerity. I will not throw away the deities in my palace.
Is there any taboo in this land?
There used to be but they have been eradicated.
What was the taboo then?
The one I know is that you cannot sweep with broom but I learnt that it was a particular king who started it and one other thing is that a twin could not enter into our place of worship. This was made a taboo by a king who was a twin, he was the one that started it but now twins are free to enter. These taboos are manmade and circumstantial.
What would you point to as your achievement after 43 years on the throne?
I will not be the one to say that and even if I do, I would not want to say it because I want to see it as a reflection from my people.
What are you doing to woo industries to Ejigbo?
Our people in Ivory Coast are bringing in industries little by little and I am sure some industries will attract other industries.
You still go to the farm now, when did you start farming?
I was ready to go to the farm when you came in. I started farming in 1974. You know I have to spend money every day in the palace. At a time, I wanted to trade but my people refused to patronise me. They said that I should not be seen competing with my subjects who are struggling to eke out a living in any trade. I was travelling to Bacita every day to get a distributorship for sugar but I didn’t succeed because they would not collect kick-back from me. I also tried to distribute flour but to no avail, so I sat down and started thinking about what I should do. So, I started planting yam but I always ended up giving most of them to my people. I planted maize, which I sold to (former President Olusegun) Obasanjo before he stopped buying from me. I stopped because what I spent on it was more than what I got from it, so I decided to go into poultry. Then I started selling eggs daily. I bought cars and I bought for my children too and I’m living comfortably.
How would you want the Federal Government to assist farmers in the country?
I discovered that politicians give loans meant for farmers to their direct supporters and this would not encourage agriculture in this country. If you don’t belong to their party, you don’t benefit from their programme and you don’t get loan. This should not be so if we want to assist the farmers. Agric loans should get to real farmers.
