Soun stool, always cleanses itself of nettlesome gadflies
Ben GEORGE
Soun stool has lasted close to 400 years going by the account of N. D. Oyerinde, the author of the popular Iwe Itan Ogbomoso. It inevitably was confronted by thousands of torpedoing dissension but it always maneuvered with tactical efficiency and courage to stay afloat. The throne is imbued with efficacious mechanism to always cleanse itself of such. It is such a formidable institution, terrible in battle.
Advertisement
Many factors contribute to its aura of invincibility. One key factor is its foundation on the plank of daunting military exploration. The courage and prowess displayed by its illustrious founder, Soun Ogundiran Ogunlola, set the tone for riding over debilitating vagaries. His successors through the years have sustained that legacy of strength in faces of dire circumstances. Historian, Adewuyi Adegbite, in his book, Issues in Ogbomoso History, notes, “Soun’s successors inherited some of his attributes like being tactical and diplomatic in their dealings with enemies…In addition, the love of their town was uppermost in the minds of Soun’s successors and they did all in their abilities to sustain the town and the throne. With no exception, all the Soun’s successors were capable and able as leaders…”
The Souns always have attributes of level-headedness, perseverance, persistence, patience and swiftness, indomitable-ness, bravery and exceptionality in leadership and administration that adversaries always find Herculean to deal with or overcome.
Advertisement
Adversities no matter how terrible they are, always find them more terrible, and so, are insurmountable. The personality of the Souns always make them attractive to equally great personalities, who are willing without much prompting to join forces with them and ready to take on the gauntlet to prosecute their wars. Amiability and meekness are some of their other traits. All these combine to transform them into a rally point; their people without solicitation, protect and preserve them when squaring off to internal or external conflicts. Strong men of character are always drawn to the Soun stool either by design or by Providence; we saw how Souns like Aare Toyeje Akanni Alebiosu and Baale Oluwusi Aremu, strategically and humbly, incorporated various men of valour into the kingdom in the darkest hours of the town’s history, that is during Fulani imperialistic invasions, to bolster its defenses. It worked brilliantly as no war ever breached its defense to threaten the town. All the attacks were always warded off by the combined forces of the conscripted soldiers and those on ground in area that became Ogbomoso zone today. The Souns always, serve as a unifying force that engenders collaborative and collective efforts to defeat nuisances.
The stool always cleanses itself of gadflies. The lifelong ambition of the jihadists who had made Ilorin their base fell off at the gate of the Soun’s kingdom. And for it, the sanctity of the Yoruba nation was preserved. If the Ilorin-Fulani-controlled army which was triumphant in all directions following the defeat of Aare Afonja and seizure of Ilorin throne, and after provoking the collapse of the magnificent Oyo empire, had penetrated and captured Ogbomoso, the Yorubas would have had a different history from the 1820s. The Souns stood stoutly in collaboration with other formidable powers in the locality to thwart the impelled imperialistic drive of the Fulani jihadists, which had pledged allegiance to the Sokoto Caliphate of Uthman Dan Fodio. Close to 100 defiant onslaughts were launched against Ogbomoso by the jihadists between about 1820s and 1850s or thereabouts, but were fended off bravely. That no doubt was the most hazardous threat to the territorial integrity of the kingdom but which the Soun stool harnessing collective strengths (even of historically senior kingdoms) checkmated.
Advertisement
There were mutinous warlords and other bellicose subjects who rose against the Soun stool too but who were also cleansed off and dispatched without traces, either going into exile or clinically extirpated.
Likewise, there were nuisances such as organized robbery syndicates at different times which were cleansed off. There were also tranquility saboteurs such as Tombolo at different times that similarly got rubbed off too. Yet, there had been occupiers of the stool who (allegedly) violated the fabric of decency or attempted aberration too who were cleansed off (excluding the few who fell to conspiratorial plots). The inhabitants of Ogbomoso geo-political zone, often may harbour differences towards one another but looming danger to the Soun stool or zone, always ignite a bonding to put the sail out of such existential threats.
That brings to focus the irritating assaults on the throne of Soun by the Chief Imam in recent times. His audacious challenge against the stool was laughable, enraging, indeed inexplicable and beyond reasoning. It is a clear case of one who doesn’t know the dignity and terribleness of the stool playing prank with it! Attempting to drag an unwilling, cautious Soun into a war he didn’t orchestrate, just to whip up religious sentiments to aid parochial cause stands correctness in the head. It is unwarranted! However, such barefaced impudence makes no scratch on the Soun stool, the stool always tramples upon such to emerge stronger, helping to deepen its myth of inviolability and invincibility. Many principalities attempted it in the past but suffered irreparable misfortunes.
Going down memory lane again, Sheikh Alimi, a respected Fulani itinerant Muslim cleric, whose sons led the mutiny that brought down the Ilorin Yoruba monarchy and took over the throne, once gave a prophecy during a visit to Ogbomoso that the town would remain unconquerable. He particularly warned his followers not to attempt to subjugate her. They defied him initiating several aggressions but all were abortive. All who have tried it have always met to their chagrin with fiascos. It is a beloved city of God built on the foundation of strength and uncommon bravery. It is why in spite of the tumult and tribulations of the nineteenth century which saw many kingdoms and dynasties perished or waned in importance, it was able to preserve its hegemony and sovereignty.
Advertisement
The character makeup of Soun alone inflames and encourages all manners of forces, terrestrial and extraterrestrial, to rise to fight its wars. That is the history we have gleaned and become inadvertently familiar with. The Soun stool knows when to retreat and when to go full scale in attack when it determines to fight. It is such a discerning and militarily intelligent principality, fearsome, redoubtable. But it never has been overambitious, which explains why it never carved a bigger empire even though it had what it took and why many generals who made Ibadan and Ijaye militarily successful, left Ogbomoso zone to swell the rank of those armies. It is made for victory, even at the jaw of defeat the table will turn and will snatch victory. It often retains a buffer that shields it from defeat.
That is how it is, it is God, not man. That is why it will last 1000 years in the short term.
