Ogbomoso: An agglomeration of communities and creating new history of progress and unity

Ogbomoso: An agglomeration of communities and creating new history of progress and unity

Fatai ADEWUYI

I am writing this article to support the chief editor of this noble newspaper, Femi Ogunlana, on the need for progressive histories that can bring unity and not archaic histories that will set us apart and make growth and development elusive.

Admittedly, the major early settlers in what today became Ogbomoso had external historical origins as each migrated from different areas. These are histories that we are all familiar with. If I don’t know of many others’, I know of my ancestors’, the Olu Oje, the Ijeru people. We are of Ife origin as our cognomen indicates, “Awa lomo Olu oje to tile fe wa je Onpetu…” We migrated to a place called Obandi, derived from “Oba to dinu,” for he commanded his wife that betrayed him to become a rock and a chain emerged in that area as evidence. We later migrated to Igbo Oje which became our traditional home. Recent history and progressive one led us to Ogbomoso under our able Oba, a descendant of Oba Asamu, Atoyebi, where he found Ijeru area in present Ogbomoso with Ohunsile’s descendants that migrated from Ota. Evidently, many Baales of ijeru had been installed by Onpetu! Many other settlers” are like that, but earlier settlers were united and they gave their daughters in marriage to one another.

The incident of Soun Ogunlola gave rise to change of name of the agglomerated communities to Ogbomoso coined from Ogbori Elemoso, we all know the story. And unity and oneness have always reigned supreme until recently.

The recent progressive history now being advocated is unity in diversity as this is the only thing that can bring progress and development to Ogbomosoland now under His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye. The early communities still exist within the confederacy – Ogbomosoland, let us switch to harnessing our potentials for the common good. Excessive focus on past histories debar