REJOINDER: Concerned Olugbon princes berated Soun Mogajis on their outburst against Olugbon
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The attention of Concerned princes of Olugbon has been drawn to a release by the so- called Soun Mogajis where the.mogajis criticized Oba Francis Olusola Alao over his comment on the restructured council of Obas and Chiefs in Oyo state. The question to ask the Mogajis is that when does it become a sin for a citizen of Nigeria to air his views over a matter of concern to him or anyone else for that matter? We would have kept our peace over the unguarded outburst of these Mogajis if they focused on Oba Alao in their diatribe but resulted to history and in that way bitting the fingers that fed their forbears and disparaged Igbon, there is the need to put record straight for the sake of posterity and citizens who may have read their statement. To us, all the issues raised by Oba Alao as regards the politicization of Oyo council of Obas and Chiefs restructuring to favor Ibadan which has dominated all sectors of Oyo state is nothing but the truth.
We believe that the so-called Mogaji Soun would never see this because the ambition of their Oba to sit as a chairman where the Oba who helped their dynasty to be promoted to Obaship position and Oba whose forefathers had carried by head BERE grass to both Oyo Ile and Oyo Atiba to maintain his Palace has been realized though temporarily. Then as regards the comment of Oba Alao on the boundary between Igbon and Ijeru and the need for Olugbon and Onpetu to have precedence over Soun in the council of Obas and Chiefs. Is their any need for controversy over this? For the information of the Mogajis and others reading this, Olugbon and Onpetu have been Oba of antiquity while the first Soun to be installed an Oba is the incumbent, Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege 3. If not in a society where dogs lord it over lions , how can Oba of 1976 be a chairman in the comity of Oduduwa blooded monarchs? When Oba Olusola Alao said Soun settled on Olugbon’s land, is their anything farther than the truth. The fact is Soun did not only settle on Olugbon’s land but Olugbon directed him to settle on their land to oversee it for him, that is how Soun became a Baale. Or how did Soun become a Bale and whose Bale was he? It appears Mogajis of Soun have forgotten the history of their forebears and how they got to the present town from their Ibaruba country. For their information, their projenitor, Gborungule by name was an Ilari of Olugbon at Igbon. It was he who when on errand to Iresa raped Aresa princess called Omoinla. Soun , the founder of their dynasty was a product of this mishap. It is a common knowledge that Aresa of the time was angry over the relationship but had to be persuaded and remonstrated by Olugbon who adopted the son.
For the Mogajis information, it was Olugbon who named their father as Ogunlola Ogundiran. His oriki – praise name is Aisa. His Orile – lineage code was Agbe. Soun becoming anything in life is premixed on his relationship with Olugbon and Aresa. Is it therefore not an act of ingratitude for the children of Soun to disparage the throne which harbor their forebears in their hours of uncertainty?
We can not blame Mogajis for questioning the site of Orile Igbon because they are foreigners in this land. Oyerinde in his book ” Iwe itan Ogbomoso” affirmed the fact of Soun dynasty being foreigners in Ogbomoso. On page 256 of English version ” The Bale’s favorite adage runs thus ‘ some people in this town are inhabitants but not natives of Ogbomoso, ‘ to it, those who disagreed replied that Bale must have been standing before a mirror” . Then would you blame Mogajis for not knowing the history of their purported land? For their information, Igbon has been on the spot where Orile Igbon is hundred of years before their forefathers sojourned in this area. The source of Oba river is at Orile Igbon and a totem of Igbon lineage where their oriki- lineage poetry is taken, ” Omo Olugbon Agbe, Omo Obayamu. Other landowning Obas like Onpetu and Aresa have rivers which have become their own family totem and which their families venerate their goddess. Oje river for Onpetu, Asa river for Aresa . Can we say this of foreigners telling anyhow history. There was never Igbon saakin anywhere under the globe. Saakin was one the 16 leading Esos of the old Oyo empire in his time. It was he whose children are praised Omo Olugbon Saakin. It is true that Igbon are found throughout Yorubaland. Rather being dispersed by war, like Oduduwa children, whose Mogajis father’s were not, these Igbon descendants left their town in search of glory in other land . It was in the course of their adventure that they established all those towns including Igbeti that was not mentioned in the diatribe. Beside , having the descendants of a kingdom in various parts of Yorubaland and beyond is a feature of classical kingdoms of the Yoruba. So having Igbon descendants in various parts rather than being a curse is a blessing for Igbon people as being one of the classical kingdoms in Yorubaland. But for the ingratitude on the part of the Mogajis, we could have counted them among Igbon descendants. But having adopted Alapa and Aresa Oriles, we can not do that but the fact still remains that the first Soun was bred in Igbon. Other issue raised by Mogaji Soun is that Ogbomoso.
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Provided refuge for Igbon during the turbulent days after the fall of Oyo Ile. The question is what was the power of Bale Ogbomoso at that time that can make about one hundred and forty three towns and villages to seek refuge under him? Toyeje who was Bale and Areonakakanfo respectfully could not defend the empire because he lost all wars fought during his time as Areonakakanfo. These wars included Ogele, Mugbamugba, Kainla and Gbodo wars. Even Pamo which was fought between him and Adegun Onikoyi ended in disaster for him. Bale Oluwusi who succeeded him was not a warrior. He had for his defence Ijeru forces led by Lasinmiran. The fact of the case for the benefits of Mogajis and their likes who lack knowledge of history of our area is that it was Olugbon Olugbode Atanda Agbe mentioned in their diatribe as the next in rank to Alaafin in the hierarchy of Oyo empire Obas that invited all towns and villages in the three contagious provinces of old Oyo empire – Otun, Osi , Ibolo and Epo after the fall of Oyo Ile to converge in his land in Ogbomoso to combine their forces to defend the remnants of Oyo empire from falling prey to the enemy. The gathering of Oyo forces at Okeelerin for preparation for the Eleduwe war was at the instance of the Olugbon who has his palace there. If these towns and villages moved to Ogbomoso as refugees as these quack historians wanted us to believe, why did their fathers not stop them from moving back to their homesteads after the cessation of hostilities? We will like to conclude that rather than being the lord of Olugbon, Olugbon is the lord of the Soun and his father. As a matter of fact, father / child or landlord/ tenant relationship existed between Olugbon and the Soun until 1934 as reported by Oyerinde in his book mentioned earlier. On page 76 of the Yoruba version. The author while reporting on the era of Olugbon Kolawole Ajai the second Olugbon in Ogbomoso after the congregation said ” Tanmoni Adio ti o Koko je Olu Igbon si Ogbomoso ko ni okiki bi Kolawole Ajai ti o je tele, Ajai pe pupo, o si gbe oye re ga pupo, Bale Ogbomoso ko je fi Oro re sire, lodoodun ni Bale ni lati mu Owo, obi ati agbo lo si Ile Olugbon fun ebo Odun “. Do we need any other evidence of lord/ tenant relationship between Olugbon and Soun when we have the above writing by one of the first set educated elite in Ogbomoso and someone appointed as Otun Bale by Bale Afolabi Oyewumi after writing book? The Imperial Majesty conferred on Soun for the information of the Mogajis is a misnomer because even the Queen or King of Britain that once ruled over the largest empire in world history are never addressed as Imperial Majesties but merely Your Highness the Queen or King. Making Soun one of the Obas to act as chairmen of Oyo state council of Obas is for administrative convinience and never erase his history of once a Bale that was upgraded to Soun in 1952 and Oba in 1976. In addition, it is on record that Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege 3 is the first monarch in the Soun dynasty to be installed as Oba. We would not have gone this far if the Mogaji Soun’s diatribe had been directed to Oba Alao but rubbishing Orile Igbon and its chequreered history forced us to go this length for the benefits of those who take appearance for reality as regards the Soun throne as well as other thrones in Ogbomoso zone and Yorubaland at large. History is of Ogbomoso, pre Soun and post Soun are sancrosant and well kept. Any attempt to mutilate it or destroy it will be resisted.
Signed:
1. Prince Olawale Olaniyi
2. Prince Afolabi Orisafayo
