A Night with My Sovereign, the Oonirisa, the representative of Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba Race and next in hierarchy only to the Deities: the spiritual head of the Yorubas, at home and in the Diaspora.
The Africa’s Premier traditional Ruler, Ooni Adeyeye Babatunde Enitan Ogunwusi, threw his royal weight behind the Otunba Biodun Ajiboye-organised Nigerian Telecom Awards 2016 Edition with his majestic presence at the Event last Saturday Evening.
The Royal Court of Ile-Ife gave the event the spiritual, glamorous and colorful stamp that no other human institution could have given it.
As a Yoruba son, my emotional attachment to the Oodua throne goes deeper than the general historical submission that all Yorubas originated from Ile-Ife.
My ancestry is traced directly to the Royal Court of Ile-Ife; specifically, the Ogboru Ruling family of Ilare Compound, Ile-Ife, where the immediate past Ooni, Oba Okunade Sijuade descended.
Historical account has it that some centuries ago, two brothers, Osayaara and Adejorin Ododoifa of the Ogboru Ruling family lost out in the Ooniship tussle. The two brothers felt so remarkably shortchanged that they left Ile-Ife in the company of their supporters in protest.
They headed towards the Igbomina Country and, the younger of the two brothers, Adejorin settled down in Okeya-Ipo while the older brother, Osayaara pushed forward with his own supporters and settled down at Ofa-Irese. That was during the reign of Oludopo Arojojoye.
Itialayo Aderounmu the progenitor of our branch of the family tree known as Ada(gba) from where yours truly descend is one of the sons of Adejoorin Ododo-Ifa.
Itialayo Aderounmu was to, later in life, distinguish himself as a valiant warrior, recognized by the new Fulani rulers of Ilorin and the Olupo of Ajase-Ipo (the Paramount ruler of Ipo land where the Ife Immigrants had now settled down) for his war front exploits. His heroic performance earned him the title of Balogun, hence he became known in Igbomina Country and Ilorin as Balogun Itialayo Aderounmu. The Olupo courted him and made him to stay with him for a while in Ajase-Ipo.
Abubakare was one of his grandsons. Abubakare was the father of Yesufu Edunjope Adedoyin, Amodu, Ali Titilayo Ajide, Kasumu and Sunmonu.
Amodu was the father of the legendary business mogul and Chairman of Oredola Okeya Trading Company, Adeshanu Adio Amodu while Ali was the father of Iliasu Pupayemi the father of Imam Adedayo Ibrahim Ali, the Current Olori-Ebi of itialayo Aderounmu family.
Yesufu Edunjope Adedoyin, was the father of Sanni Aremu Adeoti (Better known as Sani Giwa Adedoyin, the Ada of Okeya-Ipo until November 2nd 2004 when he passed on at the ripe age of about 104. Yours sincerely was his last born.
So my family tree can be summed up thus: Ademola Omo Adeoti, omo Adedoyin, omo Abubakare, omo Itialayo Aderounmu, omo Adejorin, omo Ogboru Ile-Ife, omo Oodua.
Sometime in 1991, (about 25years ago) following the creation of Osun State and as a correspondent with The Sunday Magazine, TSM, Yours truly went to the New Government House at Oshogbo, where the late Oonirisa, Oba Okunade Sijuade in company with other royal fathers was in one of the waiting rooms, waiting to have audience with the just appointed Administrator, Col. Leo Ajiborisa, who had given the TSM team an Interview appointment. Yours truly paid royal obeisance to the respected Monarch and proceeded to tell him the history of his family and how he descends from the Ogboru Ruling family just as the royal father. Kabiyesi was so impressed and excited that he invited the young Journalist to Ile-Ife to enable us dig history further. He there and then introduced the Journalist to other Royal fathers as his son.
At the Royal Court, Oonirisa Sijuade summoned the renowned archeologist and the then Apena of Ife, late Professor Omotoso Eluyemi. The Kabiyesi recalled the story I told him with astounding exactitude and then told this reporter to shed further light on the subject.
The Professor listened carefully, took copious note and fixed another meeting date with the reporter. Kabiyesi told the reporter to see the Royal Court as his home and should feel free to visit regularly.
The Professor did his research and discovered that indeed, some members of the Ile-Ife Royal family at certain point in history actually left Ile-Ife for Okeya and Ofa-Irese.
Professor Eluyemi was to later visit the members of the two families- Okeya and Ofa-Irese- at Bristol Hotel, Broad Street, Lagos, where he conveyed the Ooni’s message that our history is real and that our home remains the Ife Royal Court. A Century old particular song that features annually during Olojo festival in which all members of the Ile-Ife Royal Dynasty who had gone to different towns and settlements in Yorubaland are summoned to return home was sung by the Professor. Oke-Ila, Oke-Iya and Ofa-Irese featured in the song.
I have decided to take this tracing my root as a major project later in life. With an Ooni with a keen sense of history and strong support for productive enterprises, I don’t have any doubt that the project will be made even easier. The Kabiyesi looks forward to further talks on this project. We plan to give it our best shot.
