OGBOMOSO: Reconnecting Alongo League
Femi OGUNLANA
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Egbe Alongo was the first ever society formed in Ogbomoso, in about 1650. it existed even before the town got its name. It was a defence league formed by the earliest recognized settlers in the community – Aale Okelerin, Ohunsile Ijeru, Orisatolu Isapa, Ebu Akandie (IsaleAfon) and Soun Ogunlola (Idi Ajagbon). Fate brought them together and each founded a community that expanded to become a conglomerate now collectively known as Ogbomoso, whose paramount ruler is Soun. The relationship started with the inevitable need to create a defensive fortification in line with the spirit of the time. It was a tempestuous period when might was power and used indiscriminately for coercion and subjugation. It was thus aroused by mutual need for protection – in accordance with the essence of divided-we-stand-divided-we-fall, and so, united-we-stand seemed to be the basis of their bonding.
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They formed the league after discovering their individual’s existence and settlements in the area, they successfully built a comradeship that persisted centuries. They were mighty men of valour, who migrated to the clime in search of adventures and independence. Inadvertently, their valour, exploits and fame attracted more settlers, thus the expansion became unavoidable. Their combined strength repelled several imperialistic attempts to bring the community under, further guaranteeing her expansion and as an independent town.
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The recent moves of the reigning Soun, His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III, who is just a year on the throne, to reconnect the other founders of the Alongo League is indeed laudable. It is the foundation of the town, the pillars upon which she is built. In recent weeks, the Soun paid courtesy visits to the Aale of Okelerin His Royal Majesty Oba Samuel Babatunde Oyebamiji Amao, at his private residence and palace both at Okelerin. They held fruitful discussions, which rekindled old passion and renewed love and enthusiasm for the growth and development of the realm their ancestors helped to knit. Then, shortly after, the Soun stormed the palace of Onisapa of Isapa, His Royal Majesty Oba Ezekiel Abolarinwa Olajide for another rendezvous, It is another meeting of old comrades, inspired by the spirit that founded the society.
Such a gesture was long absent, in fact, the present generation never witnessed such display of affection or flash of collaboration among the legendary founders. The visits are strategic for the advancement of Ogbomoso. It is sparking the old flame, resetting the basis of the town’s development. Their ancestors, before the evolution of Ogbomoso as it is today, with their specters of authority laid the foundation and entrenched the roadmap of greatness. The bonding suffered breaches at some points but the new push is re-enacting hope and is reassuring.
When the Ijeru chieftaincy imbroglio is also put to rest it is hoped the league will become stronger, though the vacuum created by the extinction of Ebu Akandie lineage is never going to be filled.
But the many other contiguous Kingdoms of history incorporated into her or that swelled her to make up the larger Ogbomoso zone in contemporary times, and which pooled resources, military and whatnots together, to survive many turbulent times in the past, if they think as one, move as one, act as one, see as one, de-emphasize their differences, will be imbued with the wherewithal to create a greater realm. That will be in everybody’s interest.
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None of us is perfect, we can only manage ourselves to get along in harmony, we should not capitalize on perceived flaws of another, we should learn to ignore those human imperfections and move on collaboratively, shunning the tendency to pull others down, quelling the raging fire of animosity. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, our good and bad sides, it will work in our collective interest if focus is redirected on each other’s good sides as our basis of association and a downplay of the flaws is enacted. It is a crucial task – let the Alongo League and the bigger Defence Commonwealth of the nineteenth century that saved Ogbomoso in its darkest hour and helped to maintain her sovereignty and territorial integrity, be re-energized and re-focused for the upending of our collective fortune.
Oba Orumogege III, let the beat continue and the ante upped. The old flame must be re-ignited. Changing the narrative of Ogbomoso is a task that must be achieved.
