‘No, you can’t pervert history, you’re Aresapa’s tenant,’ group replies Oloko
Khalid ABRAHAM
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An Iresapa socio-cultural organisation, Iresa-pupa Community Development Association (ICDA) has replied Oloko (Oranmiyan) of Oko Oba Solomon Olagoke Akinola over the contentious issue of the original owner of the land Oko is situated.
ogbomosoinsightonline.com reports that the Oloko responding to a claim by the Olugbon of Orile-Igbon Oba Francis Olusola Alao that Oko is sitting on a land given to it by the Aresapa had blown hot that the claim was far from the truth.
Oloko had submitted that the progenitor of the Oko people Alaafin Oranmiyan was awarded all the land explaining that in the light of that Aresapa could not have been the landlord of the Oloko. He had fired, “How can the owner of all lands be tenant to anyone?”
However this “outburst” by the Oloko has now attracted a harsh response from the Iresapa indigenes who had spoken through ICDA.
Condemning what it called “deliberate mischievousness and highly divisive outburst,” the group in a statement signed by its chairman and secretary, Rev’d Zachaeus Olusanjo Akanni and Mr Johnson Oyebamiji respectively, affirmed that ”Our response is germane in order to set the records straight for the sake of posterity.”
While it clarified Iresa was not in a superiority tussle with their Oko neighbours or any other town, it insisted perversion of history would not be allowed to slide.
The group further noted “that Iresapa and Oko had enjoyed ancestral and cordial relationship over the years, specifically regarding their residential and settlement arrangement, but it is a fact, based on available information that was never denied by anyone in the past, Oloko is a tenant to Aresa. Aresa provided the land this present Oko was settled, it’s incontrovertible. And we say without contradiction that the genuine elders in Oko have never disputed this fact.”
They remarked it’s regrettable that the people of Oko are choosing to destroy their own history, quoting George Orwell, “the most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.”
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This is as they added, “Rewriting and perverting history is an ignoble act perpetrated by revisionists, and it creates a brutal recipe for avoidable controversies and crises.”
Continuing, it’s stated, “The statement credited to Oloko of Okoland, Oba Solomon Olagoke Akinola, should only come from a novice with poor or no understanding of history. Until recent times, any anointed Oloko would always be crowned by the Aresa, which affirms the landlord-tenant relationship between the two ancient towns and Aresapa’s lordship. The records lucidly proved that Oloko was never a King by tradition but a King by statue.”
ICDA emphasized the relevance and importance of Iresapa asserting the town got copious mention in the History of the Yorubas by Samuel Johnson. It argued Oko inspite of the claim by Oba Akinola did not enjoy such attention in historical records informing this points to its insignificance.
“We’ve read the History of the Yoruba by Samuel Johnson page to page, even though we disagreed with some of the narration. Notwithstanding, Aresa was prominently featured as one of the key and major kingdoms that Alaafin relied on for defence against invaders and marauders from the North; the name Aresa was mentioned more than 15 times in the book, along with other ancient towns like Ikoyi, Iwo and Igbon. We challenge Oloko to mention just a page where Oko name could be found in the book he referenced of this present location. While describing Oyo Empire, page 76 of the History of the Yoruba by Samuel Johnson said and we quote, “Of all the vassal kings, the Olukoyi, Olugbon, the ARESA and Timi are the most ancient.” We also advise that Oloko should consult the history of Ogbomoso by a renowned Ogbomoso historian, Prof. N. D. Oyerinde for more tutelage.”
Further going down memory lane, the group pointed out that Asebiyi who founded Iresa left Ile-Ife like Oranmiyan and that Adelowo Kele who they noted was a grandson of Olofin, rather than Oranmiyan founded the Oko whose location is probably the present Oko-Ile in Oriire local government area. The association noted it was rather Prince Oyeyode who resettled a remnant of Oko people in the present location after securing permission and land tenureship from the Aresa. The association also said the Oko in question is less than 200 years old and that its Baales had been installed by the Aresapa until recently.
“Maybe Oloko should be reminded that just like Oranmiyan left Ile-Ife, Asebiyi, who was the founding father of Iresa, also left Ile-Ife; there was nothing like the Oyo Empire as of that time. Also, the enormous utterance should be corrected: Oko was not founded by Oranmiyan; Oko was founded by a grandson of Olofin named Adelowo Kele, who was exiled from Ife after he mistakenly murdered someone. The Oko where he settled was not the current Oko but the one closer to Oyo Ile in Oriire Local Government; the place is currently called Oko Ile. A royal crisis made Prince Oyeyode leave Oko Ile for the present Oko, where he sought refuge from Aresa Pupa and the first Baale of Oko died in 1907.
“Aresa Pupa hitherto shared boundaries with Ejigbo and Ola, while Aresa Dudu shared boundary with Ifon before the arrival of Oyeyode, and a portion of land was given to him and his people in between by Aresa out of benevolence.
“The claim that Oko shared an ancestral relationship with Oranmiyan is highly controversial and disputed, and even if Oranmiyan allegedly resided in Oko for a few years and died there, as claimed by Oba Solomon, it is definitely not the current Oko that was founded less than 200 years ago. And Iresa as a kingdom has been in existence even before the emergence of the Oyo Empire. There are several documents to support our claims, and we would be ready to tender them whenever they are required.”
“Oko Town only had Baales who were appointed by Aresa since its inception until the 6th Oloko, Oba Isamotu Adegbele who reigned between 1976 and 1992, sought permission from Aresa and Soun to be given a crown when Oko Town was also becoming populated; it was the approval of Soun in connection with Aresa that made Oloko to be given a crown as gazetted by Oloko Enquiry Obaship of Oyo State in 2001. The Gazette also recognised Oko as the first among numbers of villages and towns under Aresa Pupa, and that is the same Gazette the current Oloko relies on to relate with the government for promotion.”
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While disclosing Aresapa isn’t in superiority contest against anyone it warned Oba Akinola against “concocting lies.”
“On a final note, Aresa is not in a superiority battle with anyone; our Kabiyesi, HRM Oba Moses Olayiwola, is a very humble and accommodating leader, and that reflects the nature of our ancestors and the reason why Baale Oyeyode was warmly accepted and settled without any segregation and Oko ancestors have always respected the Aresa throne as their host. We urge Oba Solomon to be dissuaded from concocting fallacies in the name of history, he should seek guidance from the elders in Oko who are well informed before making controversial statements; let us respect our history and focus our efforts more on progress and development of our region.”
