Ijebu State: May Failure Not Rear Its Ugly Head Again

By Wale Adedayo 

Politics is at play, again. And the last time this happened under Gen. Sani Abacha, we lost it to Ekiti. It is time we put on our thinking caps to ask why previous efforts failed. I doubt if the curse of 1892 is still active. That was when the British Army deployed maxim guns to mow down thousands of Ijebu soldiers armed with low level guns, Epe and Afose.

In 1892, Remo, Ijebu Igbo and Ijebu Ife distanced themselves from Ijebu Ode. The trio wanted autonomy. None of them contributed soldiers for the war efforts. They were angry with the kiko apa soke of Ijebu Ode indigenes, who always derisively refer to persons with ancestry outside the Ijebu capital as Egures. And it appears the old rift is still here in another form.

Sadly, they were all later colonized by the British and instead of the full independence they were demanding from Ijebu Ode, they became foot soldiers of a foreign power as they cut their noses to spite the face. They were not treated differently from the conquered people of Ijebu Ode.

Of course, the family of the moles who gave out Ijebu military movements, especially routes, and formations to the British still live in Epe. They too did not fare differently. Many villages were rendered extinct as the genocidal British Army moved from "Oku Leke (Today's Lekki)" through Ajah to Epe. From Epe itself, lives of infants, children and women were not spared. Ijebu-land, especially the outskirts, was the first Gaza in those days. Many places were erased till date.

Today, many only remember Imagbon as if that was the only point of the war. Prisoners were not taken in all the places bombarded until the final standoff at Imagbon, when they were almost in the capital. Quiet regrets were whispered throughout Remo, Ijebu Igbo and Ijebu Ife. But the damage has been done. A people who should have stood as one to repel the invaders allowed ego to cause division, thus sorrow many years later.

In the current quest to have an Ijebu State, some ambivalent Ijebus believe there is no big deal in having an Ijebu State. I do not agree with them. Even the Remo, who mischievously claim they are not Ijebu despite speaking the Ijebu dialect and having the same customs/traditions are not different from those on ground in 1892.

The most visible Remo son in the world today, Sir Kessington Adebutu, is known everywhere as Baba Ijebu. Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo till death identified as Ijebu. Recently, shortly after the regular Agemo Festival in Ijebu Ode, I happened on a Facebook video where the same Agemo Festival was being celebrated in Shagamu by the same people who deny being Ijebu. And you wonder what the heck is going on?

Currently, there is a deft move to destabilize efforts at creating a common front. Those who have never lifted a finger to help the actualisation of Ijebu State beyond keypads are doing everything possible to label the actual workers as saboteurs. And they have ready assistants among those being paid by internal opponents of Ijebu State to make their moves.

We must not lose this opportunity to myopic sentiments. The monarchical system of the old days has given way to participatory democracy today. No section can play superiority over the others. And in this particular case, it is better to be in the same space with people who share the same customs and tradition with you. We can feed the entire SouthWest of Nigeria from Ijebu-land. Ijebu ports moved more slaves than those of Lagos in those days. We should not only rival Lagos State but surpass it in terms of economic activities. We have the human and material resources to achieve that here in Ijebu-land.

I cannot end this short piece without some reprimand for the late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona. Yes, he did very well with his subtle and open campaign for Ijebu State. He played with his health in the process as well because at some point when he should have been resting, Baba was always on the move making efforts to get those who matter to support the birth of Ijebu State.

But, and it is a very big BUT. The late Awujale missed it big time. He denied his ancestors. He turned his back on what actually made us who we are in Ijebu-land. What is the whole idea of Ijebu about without Isese? An Oba who should have been in the vanguard of promoting Isese suddenly turned himself into a slave of foreign religion! I was more than shocked. 

The late Awujale was very close to the late Alafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi. And the Oyo monarch NEVER joked with tradition despite professing Islam. Ijebu-land was founded and built on Isese. And a monarch, who Isese served very well during his reign suddenly turned 360 degrees against the Alales, who maintained him on the throne? Sacrilege of the highest order!

How beautiful and pleasant it would have been for the Awujale to use the opportunity of the last Agemo Festival to ask all the 16 of them to pray in unison for Ijebu State. And, of course, to give the other side to ANY and EVERY Ijebu who dare to oppose its creation. Some naive ones still claim there is no Isese. If he had done that, maybe we'll not be having the issues we have currently.

I'll implore the Ogbonis across Ijebu to close ranks from Imosan through Ijebu Igbo, Ijebu Ife, Ijebu Ode, Ososa, Odogbolu, to Shagamu and other parts of Remo to Epe and Ikorodu. They should consult Ifa and do the needful about where we are headed. Once the needful is done, abuse buse niyen! Toooor! Abo mi reee o!!!