The Nation Newspaper

Category: Southwest

  • Town with three kings

    Town with three kings

    The ancient town of Igboho in Oke-Ogun, Oyo State for many years has been enmeshed in a tussle over who among the three kings – Onigboho, Alepata and Onibode – is the paramount ruler. SINA FADARE, who visited the historic town, reports that there seems to be no end in sight to the supremacy battle.

    With three prominent traditional rulers laying claim to being its paramount ruler, all seems not well for Igboho in Oke-Ogun, Oyo State.

    Igboho occupies a key place in the history of the old Oyo Empire.

    There are three prominent kings in the town, with each claiming to be the paramount ruler. More confusing is the fact that each of them gives different versions of history to back up his claims.

    And the rivalry is so intense that an unsuspecting first time visitor to any of the three kings could get a hostile reception and his motive suspect, if he was found out to have visited one (king) before coming to the other. So, all a visitor needed to tell the king to avoid trouble was that he had not visited either of the two other kings before coming to his host.

    And this was exactly what happened when The Nation visited the palace of the Alepata of Igboho, Dr. Johnson Olayide Oyeyiola Igbaroola 111. The first question thrown at the correspondent by one of the palace secretaries who looked at him straight in the eyes was whether he had been to any other place before coming to the palace of Alepata?

    When the response was negative, he managed a dry smile and asked for the mission of The Nation. He dashed into the inner chamber of the palace to inform the king that a reporter from Lagos was waiting for him.

    Oba Igbaroola did not waste any time as he went straight into history after he was well seated on his royal stool; how his forefathers came all the way from Ilesha to found Igboho in the 16th century.

    “The origin of Igboho started from our forefathers who migrated from Ilesha. There was a chieftaincy tussle then, they installed the younger brother as the king instead of the senior one, which was the custom after the death of the king.

    The (aggrieved elder) brother left the kingdom to give peace a chance. That senior brother that left the palace of Owa was called Gbage Olabinukuro; he founded his own village called Ebiti. All his supporters, including hunters, followed him to this new abode. That is why if they want to refer to our history till today, it has origin in Ilesha.

    According to him, there was Fulani invasion of old Oyo Empire. Alaafin and his people were forced to vacate their home. “When he got to Ebiti, he met our forefathers, Gbage, who came from Ilesha, today we can also contest the royal stool of Owa Obokun of Ijeshaland. Alaafin Ofinran saw that Gbage was a powerful man who had a lot of charms and was very formidable in the act of warfare and hunting. Alaafin Ofinran was so amazed that the settlement was so peaceful. So, he inquired who was the head, usually called Baale and Gbage was sent for.

    “Alaafin was very powerful in Yoruba kingdom. He was welcomed by Gbage. Alaafin Ofinran told Gbage that he was looking for where to settle down with all his people and entourage. Gbage, who knew the terrain because of his hunting expeditions during which he had killed various dangerous and carnivorous animals, promised that he was going to help him. They embarked on a search for a place to settle the Alaafin people.”

    Oba Igbaroola explained that when they got to a river (Sanya) after Kishi, one of the wives of Alaafin gave birth to a baby boy named Tella Abisipa, that is, a child that was born on the path.

    “When they got to the middle of Igbo-Oba which is still named so till today, the oracle told them that was the place they were going to stay. As the herbalist was making divination, two birds were fighting on a tree under which they all sat, the two birds fell in front of the herbalist, one was Igbo bird (Eye Igbo), the other one Oyo bird (Eye Oyo). The two birds were killed and their blood used as a sacrifice to Ifa.

    “From these two birds Igbo and Oyo, the name Igboyo was formed and it later became Igboho. If anybody is telling any other story that person is telling lies. It was at that place that Alaafin Ofinran was buried,” he said.

    He went further that after about four Alaafin died; Tella Abisipa that was born at the bank of River Sanya (who had become the Alaafin) said he wanted to return the seat of governance of Oyo Empire back to Oyo-Ile. But the Oyo-mesi did not want him to go back, therefore, they took some of the deformed/disabled persons in the palace to Oyo-Ile and when Alaafin’s emissary got there, they (the disabled) chased them away pretending to be spirits with a warning that ‘this place is not your home go back’, until Alaafin sent Alepata and his hunter-like, Akasa, Okere, Emo and Iloko to go and unravel the mystery of the spirits.

    He explained that the arrival of Alepata (back to Igboho) with all those so called spirits made the Alaafin to change his name from Gbage to Alepata and ever since then, they referred to Alaafin Abisipa as the king that arrest spirits ( Oba-Amoro)

    “Alaafin Abisipa eventually left for Oyo-Ile with all his entourage while Alepata and his hunters accompanied him. They were in Oyo-Ile for about three years when crisis erupted in Igboho, Alaafin now told Alepata to go back to Igboho to become their leader and ever since then our fore fathers have become the head of the village till today,” Oba Igbaroola said.

     

    Another history

     

    However, speaking to The Nation on the account of his own historical antecedent, the Onigboho of Igboho, Oba John Bolarinwa Oyetola, Olubiyi 11, who dismissed what Alepata said, argued that “It sounds most ridiculous, untenable and fallacious that on fleeing from his headquarter, Oyo-Ile, the Alaafin will have nowhere to go but into a wilderness to found and establish a new settlement at a sport chosen by two birds fighting on a tree and falling few minutes later at the feet of the herbalist in front of Alaafin. That was a cock and bull story better told to the marine.”

    Oba Oyetola insisted that his great grandfather who founded Igboho came from Eruwa. According to him, the truth about founding Igboho is that one Tondi, a prince from Eruwa was supposed to have been crowned as the king after the death of their father, but because he was a formidable hunter and spent most of his time hunting for carnivorous animals like lion, leopard and python, the people of Eruwa preferred his younger brother who was a successful farmer, who was more homely and friendly.

    “Against this backdrop, Tondi and his families, an Ifa priest and all his admirers who felt that the people were unfair to him left Eruwa and settled at a place in the wilderness which they later called Igboho. The wilderness was later called and referred to as ‘Iju Sanya’ because of Tondi’s wife who was childless and got pregnant on getting into the wilderness and delivered a male child, who was named Sanya, so also the wilderness was named after Sanya, meaning Iju-Sanya and the river from which they were fetching water to drink and cook.”

    He explained further that the wilderness contained big rock with large holes inside them in which animals and snakes used to habitate. “Therefore, all the passers-by used to refer to the wilderness as Igbo-Oniho, from which the name of the town as ‘Igboho’ was later coined out.”

    He emphasised that “when the Alaafin and his entourage were escorted out of Shaki by some powerful hunters and personal body guards who included Alepata, on arrival at Igboho the Alaafin was received and was accorded a royal welcome by the Onigboho, Oba Otugbede who was the 7th Onigboho to reign at Igboho before the arrival of Alaafin.”

    Oba Oyetola noted that the era of politics has relegated the stool of Onigboho, adding that history is very clear. In the first republic, my people did not belong to the party that was the rave of the moment in the Western Region; Action Group (AG). They joined Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe’s party (NCNC); that was the beginning of our predicament. It is the current Alaafin of Oyo, HRH Oba Olayiwola Lamidi Adeyemi who knows the authentic history and keeps quiet on the issue for political reason. The history is on my side,” he said.

     

    Yet another history

     

    The Onibode of Igboho, Oba Rasheed Jayeola Adetoyese, said that all the historical linkages of the founder of Igboho to Eruwa or Ilesha are mere beer parlour tales that cannot withstand the test of time.

    The Oba who referred The Nation to a book written by Prof. Atanda, ’the History of Eruwa’ noted that Igboho had been founded before Eruwa, therefore, the people of Igboho could not come from Eruwa.” Those people who claimed that they came from Ilesha, they are telling lies. There was an enquiry in 1982, they are from Ibaruba, all the lies they said are mere fabrications which cannot be backed up by any evidence.

    The traditional ruler who agreed that the theory of two bird fighting where Igboho derived its name was absolutely correct, but emphasised that “all the names of those that have passed in Igboho have no relation with Ijesha. Igboho came to being through the story of two birds fighting and fell in front of the herbalist. There was no trick and fake history when Rev. Samuel Johnson published his book on the Yoruba in 1921.

    “The problem with them is that l have a child in government and other ones that are rich who give me backings, that is why they are envious. I am recognised anywhere I go, that is why the envy continues,” he said.

     

    Historical facts

     

    However, Rev. Johnson in his book, “The History of Yoruba” published in 1921 affirmed on page 161, the theory of two birds that were fighting and eventually fell at the feet of the herbalist as the origin of Igboho. “The city was built there and named Oyo-Igboho after the two birds, Igbo and Oyo. There he (Alaafin Egungun-Oju) buried the remains of his father, Alaafin Ofinran.”

    Johnson emphasised that when Alaafin Abisipa who was otherwise known as Oba M’oro (Ghost catcher) wanted to return the capital of Oyo back to Oyo-Ile, he sent six formidable hunters to dislodge the mystery ghost that had prevented his emissary from entering his father’s home (Oyo-Ile). Among them are Boni, Igi-Isubu, Alepata, Loko, Gbaadan and Olomo.

    According to the book, after Alaafin Abisipa returned home, all those people who went with him stayed for three years.

    “When they were about to return home, the king in order to honour them, sent a special messenger with them as his representative and lest this servant of his should not be a burden on them, he was allowed the privilege of receiving tolls for his livelihood. He became really the new Governor of the town with the title of Onibode (receiver of custom). Hence, that title is bestowed of the chief ruler of Igboho to this day. The remaining act of this king was consolidation of his kingdom. He buried charms in several places in the city that it might never be destroyed by war,” Johnson submitted.

     

    The loopholes

     

    Despite all claims by the concerned kings and the account of Rev. Johnson, it was obvious that there are a lot of questions begging for answers. For example, when Alaafin Abisipa left Igboho, definitely somebody must have been left behind as the leader of the people, but this was not mentioned either by Johnson or any of the kings except Onigboho, who insisted that there was order to the throne before the coming of Alaafin and after his exit.

    Another area needing clarification is whether prior to the arrival of Alaafin Egungun-oju, the people of Igboho had no king or any leader as claimed by Alepata and Onibode? Whereas Onigboho claimed that the 7th Onigboho was on the throne when the Alaafin and his people arrived.

    From the account of Oba Igbaroola, the Alepata of Igboho, after the return of the seat of Oyo Empire to Oyo-Ile by Alaafin Abisipa, he sent Alepata back to Igboho to become their leader. Whereas Johnson claimed that it was Onibode that was sent. Definitely at this juncture someone is economical with the truth.

    A history teacher in one of the secondary schools in Igboho who spoke to The Nation on condition of anonymity said that in the 16th Century when the first white man entered Igboho with all his emissaries with guns, all the villagers fled because they had never seen any white man before. Later, Alepata who was a brave hunter was asked to go and face them war for war and action for action.

    According to him, when they saw Alepata, the interpreter told him that they came for peace and that the white man would like to end all the inter-tribal wars in the kingdom. “It was Alepata that later became the intermediary between the Igboho people and the white man, therefore when the chips were down, they considered him as the leader of the people and that was why it was gazetted that he was the paramount ruler till today.

    The Nation investigation revealed that with the number of cases pertaining to this issue that are scattered in various High Courts and even Supreme Court in the country, it is obvious that the last has not been heard concerning who actually is the authentic Oba of Igboho town in Oyo State.

  • Olowo celebrates 15th coronation anniversary with fanfare

    Olowo celebrates 15th coronation anniversary with fanfare

    The Olowo of Owo, Oba David Victor Olateru-Olagbegi III, is 15 years on the throne. He marked the anniversary with fanfare conferring chieftaincy titles on prominent personalities. DAMISI OJO and TAIWO ABIODUN report.

    The rich culture of the people of Owo in Ondo State was on display last week, when the Olowo of Owo, Oba David Victor Folagbade Olateru-Olagbegi III, rolled out the drums to celebrate the 15th anniversary of his coronation.

    The high point of the week-long event was the conferment of chieftaincy titles on some prominent indigenes of the town and some other non-indigenes who have contributed to the growth and development of Owo.

    At the installation of the new chiefs, Oba Olateru-Olagbegi, surrounded by a retinue of chiefs, dressed in his full royal Ewu Okun regalia decorated with coral beads, held the traditional sword and danced to the beating of the special drum only meant for the monarch.

    With his beaded crown decorated with a beautiful white feather called Irere-Okin firmly in place on his head, the monarch’s every dance steps attracted thunderous praise from his subjects who had gathered to rejoice with him and the new chiefs.

    Prominent among the new chiefs was Niyi Adewole, who was installed as High Chief Iminiken of Owo, which ranks him 12th in the chieftaincy hierarchy in the ancient town. Adewole, a presenter at one of the radio stations in the state said the his chieftaincy title was a family one; “it was the late Oba Adekola Ogunoye II, who brought it from  number 360 to number 12. The title is ranked 12th in the ranking of chiefs in Owo,” he said with smiles.

    Narrating how he was chosen for the title, Adewole said: “I was just called that I had been chosen to be installed the chief. Chief Aralepo (the Head of Omolowo) sent for me to inform me. The whole ceremony started when I was taken to the palace to observe the rites, while on my knees, High Chief Owadogbon sprinkled sand on my head, prayed for me and I was warned not join hands in destabilising the town or become the enemy of the monarch. I was told to contribute to the peace of the town. Later, I went with my people to thank the monarch for conferring the title on me.”

    Speaking on the taboos attached to the installation, Adewole said for the next nine days he must not eat any leftovers food and must not sit on a bare floor. According to him, “the moment one becomes a chief, he should not sit on bare floor for nine days and every morning one has to pay homage to the monarch, visit the palace to thank the Olowo for conferring the title on me. Now, I have to be sitting on a special leather fan called Ejuju made from animal skin. All these mean that one has to be vigilant and be careful in whatever one does.

    “Sitting in one place for nine days is not easy but that is what the tradition says. It means one is growing up to maturity in life, learning how to be painstaking and above all, having patience with humility. It is like going to school. Whoever is made a chief will learn how to be patient, painstaking and humble, so sitting in one place for nine days will strengthen and force you to have patience in dealing with people.”

    Adewole, also spoke on symbolic nature of the swords he was presented with. “We have two ceremo-nial swords, Ada and Agada, which are given to the newly installed chief are part of the paraphernalia of the title. That is part of our culture.“

    He explained that the white clothe he wore with white cap depict holiness and chastity which are always part of the tradition. ”As a high chief, I have to tie four strings of beads on my ankles and hands.”

    Another newly-installed, Chief Pa Oloruntola Mustapha Tola Owato-wose, a septuagenarian was delighted at the honour. As the Ogwamodu of Owo, Pa Owatowose said the title is unique as it was coined out from the traditional Yoruba Ayo game.

    He said, “Kabiyesi is blessed with Solomonic wisdom, he coined out the title from traditional Ayo game, that is rich in culture and popular. It shows how popular I am.”

    Owatowose, a relation of Kabiyesi told The Nation “I grew up in this palace and have also been living with  Kabiyesi since he became the Olowo of Owo 15 years ago. I have been staying in the palace for the past 50 years. I grew up to know my father living in the palace and my father died in 1958.”

    Asked what his becoming a chief implies, he responded that “Now that I am a chief, I am more recognised, anywhere Kabiyesi sends me will make me to be more recognised. I have added another feather to my cap.”

    On the rites and ceremonies he performed before he became a chief, Owatowose said there was no ritual or rite involved. I live in the palace here and the monarch is a Christian, who does not believe in all these funny, funny things.

    He does not believe in any juju, Kabiyesi is a Christian; we are all Christians in the palace. So, what they did was to tie special beads on my wrists and ankles as the title required, then prayer was showered on me. I also prepared food for my people in the palace as they rejoiced with me.”

    Owatowose’s roles has now increased. “Now as a palace chief, I will be traveling with Kabiyesi and also represent him where he sends me if he cannot be present, I have more jobs to do and I will continue to be serving Kabiyesi. The fact is that before one can become a palace chief, he had been tried and trusted and I thank Kabiyesi for the trust he has in me.”

    Narrating how he was installed, Chief Ogwamodu said, “You know Kabiyesi is a quiet man, he did not tell me before hand. He did it to surprise me. The Olowo of Owo just called me one morning and asked some of his chiefs to put beads on my neck, wrists and ankles.

    He then told me that I had become Ogwamodu of Owo. I am now the first Ogwamodu in Owo. I never expected it, it was a surprise to me and I thank God.”

    The youngest among the newly installed chiefs, Chief Abayomi Adedeji, the ‘Osendaye’ of Owo also spoke of his joy at his installation.

    According to him, his grandfather was to have been installed but unfortunately he died 27 years ago “and my father was the only son he had, out of the four children my grandfather had my father was the only one that had children. The journey to the throne started last year when the monarch called the family to pick a candidate and be installed so that the dynasty will not be forgotten.

    “That was how I was presented by the family to the monarch, later a high chief tied beads on my neck, legs and wrists, A special prayer was offered and I was warned not to disobey the monarch, while other things followed as I danced round the town and rejoiced.

    Mr. Rotimi Ibidapo, who was conferred Aare Atunluse of Owo was dressed in special Owo traditional clothes. His two wives were also given titles as Yeye Otun Atuluse and Yeye Osi Atuluse.

    According to an indigene of the town, Mr. Jide Tububo, the Aare Atunluse has been performing wonderfully well in Owo, Rotimi Ibidapo merited the title. He is a great philanthropist.

    He has assisted hundreds of Owo indigenes by providing jobs for them. He is very humble to the core.“

    Chief James Abegunde, the spokesman for the organisers of the event described the occasion as great. “Today’s event has been the event of the Olowo and traditional chiefs known as Ugha. The Olowo always honour special people every year he celebrates his coronation.”

    The Olunaun of Unaun, Abegu-nde Olanrewaju applauded Olowo of Owo at the occasion, he described the monarch as a God-fearing man, who carries out his activities with the fear of God.

    “He is honouring his people both the indigenes and non-indigenes to appreciate the roles they have played in developing the community. Olowo of Owo is very, very appreciative.

    He knows those who are working for the progress of Owo. Today, the town has changed. In his time, we have banks, university, good roads, and Owo is peaceful. We should pray for him for long life.“

    The one-week activities ended with a thanksgiving service at St. Andrew’s Cathedral Church, Owo.

  • Happy ending for rehabilitated Shakirat, who once lost her senses

    Happy ending for rehabilitated Shakirat, who once lost her senses

    Eleven years ago, Shakirat was allegedly under intense pressure from her in-laws and in a short while became mentally deranged.

    The 34-year tailor, who had just been delivered of her first son, three months earlier, started demonstrating traits of mental illness. She escaped into the realm of unconsciousness as the Special Adviser to Osun State Governor on Youths, Sport and Special Needs, Hon. Biyi Odunlade, would euphemistically describe her situation.

    Shakirat’s husband allegedly threw her and the three-month-old baby out because he could not handle the situation. Since that time, her mother, Ashiata Bello, who sells herbs and herbalist ingredients (Lekuleja), has been the one looking after Shakirat and her baby until she became overwhelmed and ran out of all resources at her disposal.

    According to her, she sold her plot of land in 2003 and was supported by Shakirat’s younger brother with N250,000 to treat her of the ailment but all to no avail. In 2006, Shakirat’s mother gave up and began to look onto God for intervention in her child’s predicament.

    “Before 2006, we were moving from one hospital to another for medical treatment, from church to church and one herbalist to the other for a spiritual solution until there was no fund to finance our search for solution.  Her father died because of this problem because his expectation on Shakirat as our firstborn was unimaginable. He wanted to be proud of her but it was the opposite for him,” she recalled.

    But today, Shakirat’s life story has changed and with her mother. she is singing a new song because the medical intervention of the Aregbesola administration for the destitute and mentally affected people tagged O’Rehab came to her rescue few months ago.

    Mr. Odunlade narrated how the governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on the way to his office one day noticed Shakirat at the entrance of the state House of Assembly along Gbongan road, where she had always been everyday under the scorching sun.

    He said: “The governor one day called me and said we should urgently do something about this woman (Shakirat). With the staff of the Department of Special Needs in the Youths, Sport and Special Needs ministry, we began chasing Shakirat about to take her away for treatment. It was difficult because she would run and at times she stoned us to avoid being captured. The day we eventually caught her she ran to the main gate of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), opposite the state House of Assembly to report us to the police men manning the complex.”

    The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Akinyinka Eso said after taking Shakirat off the street she was taken to the Psychriatic ward of the  Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, where she had received a comprehensive treatment at the  expense of the state government.

    Shakirat was brought to the ministry recently by her mother to express gratitude to Governor Rauf Aregbesola, through his Special Adviser on Youths, Sport and Special Needs, Hon. Biyi Odunlade. It was an opportunity for her to recall what she went through looking for solution to Shakirat’s problem.

    With emotion-laden voice she said: “We have lost so much over this problem that Aregbesola has helped us solve. Her father died over it, Shakirat’s younger brother, who contributed huge money towards her treatment, also suffered mental ailment and eventually died. Shakirat’s son named Aregbesola died when he was 11-months-old on November 5, 2007. Her second husband, who was a corps member of the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES), died of typhoid. One of the herbalists we approached for help during the crisis advised that we should allow Shakirat to give birth to more children to wash away her madness.”

    The mother, who is a supporter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, said she could sleep well now that her daughter has fully recovered from her sickness.

    The Director, Special Needs in the ministry, Mr. Ismail Iyanda, said that Shakirat was not the only person with mental illness rehabilitated lately. He said the policy of the Aregbesola administration on rehabilitation of the destitute and the mad persons is really paying off and has helped many.

    “No doubt, Shakirat, her mother and their entire family are happy. I remember the day we took her (Shakirat) to the hospital at Ife, she was the first to use the brand new ambulance given to the ministry. Strangely, the vehicle refused to work but eventually, God intervened and everything became okay,” he said.

    Mr. Iyanda counselled Shakirat’s mother to stay close to her and monitor her movement. He also advised that she should allow her to accompany her to the market and wherever she goes.

    As the government had assisted some rehabilitated persons to resume the trade which they were involved in before their problem, Shakirat stands the chance of being presented formally to the governor, where some money might be given to her to continue her tailoring business.

    Happy ending after all, you might say.

  • 5,000 jog with ex-council chief

    5,000 jog with ex-council chief

    Over 5,000 residents of Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State have jogged and walked with a former chairman of the council, Hon. Afeez Ipesa-Balogun.

    A two-term chairman, Ipesa-Balogun was renowned, among other things, for his health policies and programmes, among which was his half-marathon “Jogging with the Mayor.”  Jogging with the 5,000 was aimed at re-awakening the ex-council chief’s fitness plan and inculcating healthy living in the people. It was also to mark Ipesa-Balogun’s 50th birthday.

    The exercise, put together by friends of the former council chair, took place on March 1, 2014.

    A health talk flagged off the event followed by a free medical screening for diabetes and hypertension in addition to a table tennis competition.

    The occasion was not about merry-making, drinking and eating, the ex-council chief warned. “It is about staying healthy and fit which is most important in one’s life; that is why I chose to open the day with a jogging/walking exercise around the council area with the people.

    “The people responded very well, they were enthusiastic about it. The registration exercise for the event saw over 5,000 people indicating interest to participate within and outside the council area.

    “The exercise commenced at 6:30 a.m. at Owoseni Primary School, Adeyemi Street, behind Oshodi/Isolo Council Secretariat, Oshodi, Lagos and took us through Oyetayo Street into Bolade, then Agege Motor Road where we made a detour to Airport Road and moved until we got to Ajao Estate Junction along Airport Road before we turned into Garage-Oshodi Road, beside Zenith Bank and raced down to connect Church Street and then Adeyemi Street to return to our starting point to terminate the long exercise,” Ipesa-Balogun stated.

    The former Chairman further said ambulances were on hand at every point of the exercise just as security agencies, including the Lagos State Transport Management Agency (LASTMA) were contacted to ensure that it was hitch-free. The programme climaxed with prize presentations to the first 10 winners with the first three getting the main prizes and the next seven, consolation prizes.

    The event, according to him, was chaired by the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu while governors Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and Ogbeni Raufu Aregbesola of Osun State were Special Guests of Honour.

    An aircraft engineer, Ipesa-Balogun joined politics a little after higher education. Barely 27 in the early 1990s, he was elected into the Lagos State House of Assembly on the platform of the defunct Social Democratic Party. In the wake of the struggle to actualise the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, Afeez Ipesa-Balogun teamed up with others in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) to wage the battle. He later fled into exile with the likes of his party leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to form NADECO abroad to continue the battle against military rule. He remained in exile until the return of democratic rule in 1999.

    He was elected chairman of the council for two tenures of six years. His administration was popular for roads and drainage rehabilitation and re-construction. He also initiated and built the Legislative Council Building, the Beko Ransome-Kuti Public Library, equipment of public primary schools with benches and desks, and maintenance and supply of health centres with drugs and other necessities.

  • How to tackle unemployment, by graduate barber

    How to tackle unemployment, by graduate barber

    •Political Science graduate makes N360,000 monthly as barber/ beautician

    He went to the university to study Political Science and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Nigeria’s premier university in Ibadan, but Dahunsi Akinola Michael earns his living as a barber. OSEHEYE OKWUOFU writes on the success story of a young man who has defied the growing unemployment in the country to become an employer of labour.

    There is a popular saying that “an idle hand is the devil’s workshop”. Sadly, many young graduates in the country, due to lack of employment, have turned into a workshop where the devil thrives.

    But there are some out there who have taken their destiny in their hands by not waiting for the seemingly elusive white collar jobs, but instead creating jobs for themselves and also employing others. One of such is Mr. Dahunsi Akinola Michael, an Ilesa, Osun State born graduate of Political Science, who is a beautician and barber.

    As a young enterprising graduate, Mr. Dahunsi Akinola Michael preferred using his God-given talents to create job for himself and to help others gain employment.

    Unlike many of his peers, immediately after completing the mandatory one year National Youth Service for graduates, he went into barbing, which many may have considered demeaning for graduates.

    His dream was to be one of the top policy makers in the country, where his lofty desires in life could be met. But at the same time, young Dahunsi was not desperate in his quest, rather, he was determined not to wait for any government job.

    Long before he left the University of Ibadan, Dahunsi cleverly had opted for vocational training in Barbing where he learnt the basic rudiments of not just the trade but also the running of a beauty salon, whereas his peers were busy flaunting certificates yet to be obtained.

    Apparently not self-assuming, the young Dahunsi’s little knowledge of the country’s saturated job market prepared him ahead to shape his plans for the future.

    Not many young graduates want to accept the stark reality of Nigeria’s grim unemployment situation. Instead, before the completion of the compulsory one year service, thousands of applications have flooded government offices, oil companies and other corporate organisations seeking for white collar jobs that are not there.

    According to the Chief Executive Officer, A-One International Barbing Saloon, ”I cannot remember ever writing application for employment. I was set out to do what I am doing from the outset by using the little stipend I received as allowance from my NYSC to establish a small barbing saloon then at Ondo where I started from a very small place.”

    For the father of two and the first son of the family of six, it might be time wasting and sheer laziness for a graduate to begin writing job applications, spending years doing nothing at home, except roaming the streets and constituting oneself into a nuisance.

    He called on fresh graduates not to wait until government provides jobs, adding that nowadays government alone cannot do it, “but instead of turning themselves to social burden they should use their God-given talents to start something on their own by creating a viable employment for themselves. They can learn trades like tailoring, barbing and others and use their knowledge as graduates to make such more appealing and lucrative.”

    With little amount of money, he said anyone can start a barbing saloon from between N50,000 to N100,000.

    “To set up one barbing shop, you will need between N50,000 and N100,000 depending on how you want the shop to be. Of course, many graduates will want to practice what they studied in the university, but what do you do when there is no such job?

    “As a professional in the field of barbing, I have learnt to be self-sustaining and not being a burden to others in the family and the society. I have not only empowered myself financially, I have workers that I pay salary every month. I have my family to take care of, my children’s school fees as well as others relatives and dependants to cater for from my income.

    “And I hope this will teach young university graduates roaming the streets in search of white collar jobs to be creative and self-reliant. They need not wait for the government to provide jobs for them rather they should strive hard to look for a vocation, something they can use their hands to do.

    “Our youths should be industrious, creative and self-reliant by taking seriously vocational education that will equip them to be responsible and reliable persons. An idle hand is the devil’s workshop. No matter the position you find yourself, engage yourself in good vocation, because government cannot cater for everybody.

    “In advanced countries, people cherish this kind of vocational training. Ours should not be different. So, I call on young graduates to find useful trade to earn a good living and should desist from looking for jobs that are not there,” he said.

    The amiable and fair looking young man who graduated with Bachelor of Science, Political Science, second class lower in 2008, has through dint of hard work and good management grown his business over the years from one small shop at Akure to three barbing saloons in Ibadan and Osogbo.

    In the next few years, he hope to expand the business to Lagos and other four cities in the country.

    “Today, to the glory of God, I have three thriving barbing saloons in Akure, Osogbo and Ibadan where I have been privileged to train many apprentices, and in a day I realise an average of N4,000 profit each from the three shops. That is to say in a month I do realise an average of N360,000,” he recalled.

    Dahunsi attended Orisunm-ibare Community Primary School, Ipetu-Ijesa, Osun State, after which he proceeded to Apoti Grammar School also in Ipetu-Ijesa for his secondary education. From there, he gained admission to the University of Ibadan, to study Political Science.

  • Court wades into Ondo community land dispute

    An Akure High Court in Ondo State, has waded into the family land dispute on the ‘illegal’ sales of landed property belonging to the Elemo family of Igoba in Akure North Local Government.

    It ordered immediate stoppage of sales of the land by the former head of Elemo’s family, Chief Ojo Jayeoba.

    The Elemo Chieftaincy Family (Claimants) had earlier filed a suit at the High Court challenging the sale of some portions of land belonging to the family by Chief Jayeoba, who is the defendant.

    During the trial the claimants had argued that the land in dispute is the property of Elemo family of Igoba.

    They declared that they were the persons lawfully entitled to a grant of Certificate of Statutory rights of occupancy on the land.

    According to them, the defendant as a member of Elemo Igoba Chieftaincy family could not solely sell or convert Elemo family land for his personal use.

    They alleged that the defendant had breached the terms by selling family land without the consent of head of the family.

    Besides, they said he forged the signature of the first Claimant, Mr. A. W. Olokunboro and purport-edly printed receipts of the family where he signed as Elemo of Igoba when he had been elevated as the traditional ruler of Igoba (Obalogun).

    The defendant, however, admitted that he sold family land with the consent of the family.

    Jayeoba said, as the head of the Elemo family, even in his new capacity as the traditional ruler of Igoba, he was not liable to the claim of the claimants.

    He tendered exhibits as evidence of the ratification of his action by the claimants, saying the claimants were estoped from declining their initial agreement with him against reviewing his actions.

    In his judgment, the trial judge, Justice Bode Adegbehingbe said the former Elemo (defendant) did not seek approval from other members of the family.

    According to him, he just created his personal receipt under which, part of the landed property was sold to organisations and individuals.

    Justice Adegbehingbe, described the action as illegal and against the interest of the family as the former Elemo did not even have the layout of the said land.

    He ruled that the Claimants were lawfully entitled to a grant of Certificate of Statutory rights of occupancy over the disputed land.

    Justice Adegbehingbe also gave an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from further dealing in selling, trespassing or construction activities on any part of Elemo Igoba Chieftaincy family land without the consent and authority of the entire family.

    The new Elemo, Chief Johnson Aladegbaye, in his reaction noted that some of the buyers would be contacted on the new development.

    He said majority of them had acquired some portions of the land originally meant for schools, markets, roads and police station in the layout.

  • Why we are still in Nigeria, by Liberian refugees

    Why we are still in Nigeria, by Liberian refugees

    Trouble is brewing at the Oru Refugee Camp between the remnants of the Liberian refugees and the indigenes. While the refugees claim that the environment in their country is still not perfect for them to return home, the indigenes insist they must leave by the end of this month. Seun Akioye reports

    Whenever Alphonso Zlanwea wakes up at his one-room apartment in the Oru Refugee Camp, Oru-Ijebu, he mentally ticks off the number of days remaining for him and over 400 other desperate refugees at the camp. But as March 31, deadline given the refugees by the local authorities’ approaches, his agony and that of others increased.

    “As we are here, we expect people to invade here and chase us away. We are living on the edge with no idea what will befall us, we are living in fear every day, some of our children cannot go to school because they are not sure if they will still be here tomorrow, this is a big problem,” he told The Nation.

    Zlanwea’s fear may not be unfounded, one night in 2011, while the inhabitants of the camp were fast asleep, some members of the community allegedly came into the camp and forcefully ejected the occupants from their houses, forcing them to relocate to another portion of the camp.

    “They sent us packing from that side of the camp,” Zlanwea said, pointing to the empty buildings in the northern fringe of the camp. “It happened in one night; they said they don’t want us again in their town. We had to rush here and beg the people to allow us stay here until we are able to return home.”

    But the present problem facing the refugees is the ultimatum given to them by the Oloru of Oru-Ijebu kingdom, Oba Adefemi Adebanjo, to vacate the camp on or before March 31. In the letter dated January 13, 2014, the paramount ruler had considered the refugees plea for an extension of their stay in the camp but said: “I give you my verdict to allow you stay till the ending of March 2014. We hope that these few months will be enough for you to work out your integration and settle your resettlement with the UNHCR and NCFR…”

    Zlanwea said the indigenes have threatened them saying anyone still living at the camp on March 31 will have himself to blame. “We are grieved and afraid, they have done it before and they can do it again. We are begging them, we are not thieves, we need their help,” he said.

    When the Liberian and Sierra Leone civil war broke out, apart from sending military personnel to intervene and keep the peace, Nigeria also opened her doors to the thousands of refugees from the two countries. Between 1992 and 2006, close to 10,000 refugees flocked to the Oru refugee camp where the Nigerian government had provided amenities for their comfort.

    At that time, there was peaceful coexistence between the “foreigners” and the indigenes, but with the passage of time, the bond between the two groups broke down with report of frequent fracas. The indigenes are accusing the refugees of many atrocities including involvement in robberies and fueling social vices in the town.

     

    Why we can’t go home

     

    According to a cross section of indigenes interviewed by The Nation, the refugees should have gone home many years back since the war which brought them to Nigeria has ended. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) had officially closed down the camp in 2007. According to an indigene Adedapo Adekoya, the refusal of the refugees to return home is becoming a burden on Nigeria’s social security system.

    “When you have free food and accommodation with security, there is every temptation not to leave that for the unknown in their country. Because of the way we have accommodated them here, they have become used to free stuff and are so lazy they don’t even want to work even if we offer them that option,” Adekoya fumed.

    Zlanwea flew into a rage when confronted with this allegation. He said many of them could not go home because their documentations are yet to be completed. He insisted that for him and some others, going back to Liberia could still cost him his life.

    “I left because of tribal wars, my life is still not safe that was why when the United Nations came with their three-pronged solution, I chose the Exemption, I am waiting for my documentations to be taken into a third country. The truth is that many of us have compelling reasons to still be here and the Federal Government and the UN know about this.”

    Between 2007 and 2008, the UNHCR in collaboration with the NCR came up with a three way solution to the problems of the refugees in Oru. The first is Repatriation, which is relocating back to their countries of origins; about half of the refugees took this option. The second is Integration with the local communities in Nigeria. Those who chose this option were given a chance to become Nigerian citizens. The sizeable number who took this option were trained in skilled professions of their choices and given the sum of N70,000 to start a new life in Nigeria.

    The third option is an Exemption which is open to those who do not want to stay in Nigeria and their original country. Under this arrangement, they will be free to relocate to a third country under UNHCR supervision. After these deals were concluded, the NCR reportedly informed the UNHCR that all the refugees are settled in one way or the other.

    But the remaining refugees claim many of them are under the Exemption option and are still waiting for their documentations from the NCR. There was a call for screening in 2011, but according to them nothing has been done to their plight.

    “We do not have documents to travel; many of us cannot leave this camp because we are afraid of immigration and police. The exemption option has not been implemented, we hereby notify the UN and the Federal Government to come to our aid,” Zlanwea pleaded.

    But there are other allegations regarding those who chose integration. “They were given N70,000 to start their life when it is not even enough for them to rent a house. There are still many people who could not register as refugee before the UN deadline expired, what can they do. Some people learnt trades but they were not given equipment to start and the people will not employ them. So, how do you want them to live?” queried Edwin Taylor, who came to the camp in 2003 and currently works as an okada man.

     

    “Living here is like

    being on the war front”

     

    The honey moon seemed to have ended for those refugees who were lucky enough to escape certain death in Liberia and Sierra-Leone. However, since 2007, their presence seemed to have wearied their unwilling host and since then life has been brutish, nasty and hard. Many of the remaining refugees spoke of their anguish and often perilous living.

    Agatha Davies, a single mother, who said she no longer knows the whereabouts of her husband took the Exemption option. Back home, she was a hairdresser but her current occupation is frying garri for sale in the local market. She said all her relatives in Liberia were killed and she barely escaped death herself.

    “We are living in pain here. The people have made it clear they don’t want us here; even though I am a hairdresser, I can’t get any job. I have even gone to Lagos to look for work but as soon as they know you are a foreigner they will exploit you.

    Davis is not the only one with tales of woes. Taylor and Zlanwea once worked at the local sawmill and claimed they were not paid after about two weeks of labour. However, Abu Kamara sat in a corner, quietly moaning his loss. Until two weeks ago, he was a supervisor at the Chinese construction company, working on the Ijebu-Ode highway. A Nigerian supervisor reportedly beat him up and threatened to kill him if he ever set foot on the site again.

     

    Trade by barter

     

    “What do we sell here? Small things and yet there is nobody to buy,” Dorothy Wright said rolling her eyes in frustration. She came to Nigeria in 2002 with her husband who died in 2006 leaving her with eight children to fend for. Now, a petty trader, life could not have been more difficult.

    “Nobody buys from us. When we go to the market, the indigenes must have finished selling their own goods before anyone would buy from us, it seems to be the agreed custom. Now, what we do is trade by barter. My children were crying today for food, a man came and gave me three cups of rice and collected kerosene worth N300 in exchange,” Wright said.

    Davis and Zlanwea both trade in the garri business but claimed that they cannot sell their products in the open market. “We cannot sell; nobody will buy from us as long as the indigenes also sell. What we do is to give some of it to a sympathetic indigene but that’s not common. We usually batter what we have to get what we need,” they said.

    But if the refugees cannot get a reprieve from their present predicament, many feared their lives may be in danger. The refugees are therefore calling on the UNHCR for international protection.

    “The Federal Government should tell the UN that we are still here, with that they can give us international protection and recognition. If the forced evacuation happens, then the war we ran away from at home has met us here again,” Zlanwea said.

    Davis pleaded: “We have children, widows and single parents, where will they go? Please help us tell the UN to give us international protection. That is what we need now.”

  • Council chief leads campaign for a cleaner capital

    Council chief leads campaign for a cleaner capital

    There is a sustained drive to keep Ikeja, Lagos State capital, clean.

    An environmental services and waste management unit headed by Mr. Kolawole Ajanaku, has been established for this purpose by the Chairman, Ikeja Local Government, Hon. Wale Odun-lami.

    But the council chief himself does indeed spearhead cleanup exercises, seeking not just to lead by example but also practically instill healthy living in the people. For instance, he leads a campaign team that orientates the residents on environmental issues including pre-rains and de-flooding programmes.

    On designated sanitation days, he wears his knee-length boots, picks up his shovel and steps into the gutter to excavate silt and all manner of disused items. Where traders clog up the environment, he appeals to them to desist from such acts and keep the capital clean.

    The Odunlami administration believes that the host of Lagos seats of power needs all it can get to maintain an impeccable profile. For instance, the administration has initiated several infrastructural programmes to lift the standards of the council.

    It has built new roads, rehabilitated others, and ensured that health facilities are in place were the residents need them. Also, school infrastructures have been upgraded, among others.

    The council leadership has rehabilitated Oba Akran Road as well as Otigba Street, Computer Village. Drainages and culverts have been built in water-logged areas, just as flood plain parts of the council have been landscaped for appropriate infras-tructural remedies.

    The health profile of the area has also been boosted with the completion of public health centres at Obafemi Awolowo Way and Onilekere. Public schools at Ikeja area, classroom furniture including desks and benches have been provided.

    The administration has equally enhanced sanitation and healthy living by building prototype public toilets in the area with borehole facilities. Primary school pupils are regularly assisted with free aids, including power generating sets, computers and exercise books. Every year, free GCE forms are given to exam candidates. Security is equally improved by providing the police with logistics support.

    The recently inaugurated multi-storey building with 300 units of shops at Obafemi Awolowo Way has provided traders better options. So, have the 150 units of stalls at Onipetesi night market.

    Hon. Odunlami believes that if anywhere should be above par in hygiene and infrastructure, it is the state capital. He also says that his administration priori-tises the well-being of grassroots residents.

  • In search of the Queen of Sheba?

    In search of the Queen of Sheba?

    The road that leads to the mystical grave of the fabled Queen of Sheba – or Bilikisu Sungbo as the local residents of the village of Oke-Eri near Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State usually refer to her – is long with many winding turns. When one passes through the outer gate, which had a majestic look with a faded inscription Her Majesty, Bilikisu Sungbo, one will be required to remove the shoes.

    “From here, it is holy ground, so you cannot wear your shoes. Start making supplications in your heart, whatever you want, will be done for you,” Chief Ojulari Hamisu, the Chief Imam of Oke-Eri and one of the village griots told the visitor as he proceeded to remove his own shoes, setting the example.

    The grave of Queen of Sheba laid buried deep in the forest, from the gate the road formed into one long and tiny passage with deep forests on either side. At some points, the trees met overhead and formed a shade to give a protection to the traveller against the scorching sun.  Walking in silence, one could hear the rustling of the trees overhead and the singing of the birds. A gentle breeze intermittently blew cold air to the face which provided a soothing and almost magical feeling. Soon a shed appeared; about 80 feet long, made of corrugated iron sheets, underneath had been swept clean and at the northern fringe of it was a sepulcher marked by white iron fence and about six feet in length.

    “This is the grave of Bilikisu Sungbo,” Hamisu said. A first time visitor may not know what to believe, there was nothing there except the fence which demarcated a part of the ground from the rest. The top of the grave was clean and neat as if it was swept every time. Hamisu pointed to the middle of the fence and declared that the body of the Queen lay inside that spot. It was his faith, a strong belief shared by 15,000 inhabitants of Oke-Eri and several thousands all over the world who make the yearly trip to the grave to worship the late Queen.

     

    Who was Bilikisu Sugbon?

     

    It is difficult to discuss Bilikisu Sugbon without the historical appreciation of the Queen of Sheba or Bilqis as she was known in Arabia. The three oldest religions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam had mentioned her existence and the role she played in the affairs of the Middle East around 10 century BC. The Jewish and Christian beliefs had a Biblical root in 1 Kings 10:1-13, where a certain Queen of Sheba had visited King Solomon of Israel to prove his wisdom with hard questions, she also bore gifts in much gold and incense. According to the Bible, she gave Solomon 120 talents of gold (worth $10 million), attesting to the wealth of her kingdom, Sheba. Solomon was said to have answered her queries and the queen left impressed and amazed at the splendor of the king.

    In the Quran, Surah a-n-Nami, (Chapter 27) gave an interesting detail of the Queen who came from Saba in present day Yemen. The Quran records that she was invited by King Suleiman to convert to Islam, while she contemplated the invitation in conference with her subjects; she decided to visit Suleiman and converted to Islam with her subjects.

    But there are more interesting records of the Queen. In the Ethiopian compilation Kebra Negast , the Queen visited Solomon for six months after which she was outwitted by the crafty King to become his lover. When she returned to her country, she was pregnant and bore a son, Menelik who became the first King of Ethiopia and founder of the Solomonic monarchy in Africa. At the age of 22, Menelik visited his father and brought back the Ark of the Covenant thereby founding the Jewish religion in Africa.

     

    Resting place of

    a famous Queen

     

     

    In Oke- Eri, a sleepy community in Ijebu North Local Government area of Ogun State, the legend of the Queen of Sheba is known to everyone including children. Every year, during the Eid-el-Kabir and Boxing Day, the village plays host to thousands of tourists who have come to worship at the tomb of Bilikisu Sugbon. “We cannot say the exact number of people who come here, they even come from abroad, this village will be full of cars and everybody will go to the grave to pray,” Alhaji Kamorudeen Tijani, one of the elders of the village told The Nation.

    Apart from the little economic prosperity brought by the two days in the year dedicated to Bilikisu Sugbon, Oke-Eri remains poor with its bad and unmotorable roads. The people, predominantly farmers went about their work with abandon interests. In the middle of the village stood a cenotaph which pointed the road to the grave of Bilikisu. In the evenings, kids come and play by the foot of the cenotaph.

    There are more than 15 Christian denominations with their branches all over the village, mosques abound too as the people are divided between the two religions. Though according to some Christian pastors, many of those who profess both religions are also active traditional worshippers. The one trait of civilisation is the Pogil College of Health with its 3,000 students who also reside in the village.

    The grave of Bilikisu was located about two miles south of the village centre.  To gain the entrance into the gravesite, one would have to pay a stipulated amount to one of the griots holding the keys to the groove. “The money is used to keep the area around the grave tidy, we do not use the money for ourselves,” Hamisu assured.

    There are fantastic tales told of Bilikisu in Oke-Eri, one which unsubstantiated by science remains only a fable. According to Hamisu, Bilikisu came from across the seas several thousand years ago and founded a city called Oke-Eki with her followers. Hamisu, who tended to belief the Islamic version of the story, said after she married Sulaiman, there was a dispute and she came to Oke- Eri with her followers where she founded a kingdom and built the Eredo walls.

    “Bilikisu was the favourite of Sulaiman, she had a seat of gold that even Sulaiman didn’t have. She was very rich but when there was a quarrel, she came here and founded this place,” he said. But there are twists to the story. According to him, the villagers met the burial place and from oral history continued to revere and worship at the shrine. Then a certain white man came to the village about 100 years ago and insisted on opening the grave to prove its claims. The man was said to have arrived with his wife and dog while the people warned him it was a taboo for a woman and dog to visit the grave.

    The man was said to have ignored this warning and after breaching this protocol, his wife and dog died in Awa-Oru.  “Since then, we have strictly enforced the ban on women and dogs entering this place,” Hamisu said.

    But the white man discovered the grave and opened it. It was said that the spirit of Bilikisu appeared to him and he negotiated with his life.  He spent three months inside the forest and when the grave was opened, they found the body intact and a picture was taken. This picture – the custodian of the relics died last year and no one can get a copy any longer – had been circulating for some years and shown to high profile visitors including former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

    Hamisu claimed to have seen a copy of the picture and gave a vivid description: “I had a copy of the picture in 1958, she was a tall and slender woman, she wore a white dress and her face was partially covered with a veil. But the most amazing thing was that her body did not decompose, it was fresh like it was newly buried. Her complexion was light brown. She was not a black woman.”

    This narration was supported by another griot, Rufai Rauf who also claimed to have seen the picture of Bilikisu. “The white man himself died that year as he had exchanged his life with the power to exhume the Queen’s body,” he claimed.

     

    The supernatural powers

    of Bilikisu Sugbon

     

    As fabulous as this story sounds, it has reinforced the belief of the locals in the supernatural powers of the dead queen. Apart from the ban on women and dogs at the grave, it was also reputed that no dirt ever occupied Bilikisu’s resting place.  But a recent visitor to the grave would not appreciate this fact as the original trees which provided a shade over the grave have been cut down and in its place a shed constructed.

    Hamisu explained: “There were four trees at the four corners of this grave which provided an arch over it. Beneath the trees was a huge spider net, woven over thousands of years and forming a thick covering over the grave. It was on this net all the dirt that would have gathered on the grave went to.”

    There is also the belief that whatever prayer offered at the grave would be answered. To Hamisu, this is an attestation to the powers of Bilikisu. “She was a powerful woman who still had powers even after she died,” he said.

    Standing before the grave gave one a feeling of standing before a great personality, there was a supernatural aura, probably fuelled by the superstition that left one with goose pimples. On the zinc roof, the leaves rustled endlessly and intermittently the birds continued to coo.  As the wind blew, it seemed to carry with it the spirit of the Queen of Sheba. Hamisu told the visitor to make his supplication, saying: “Whatever prayer you pray here will be answered.”  The look in his eyes which wore such seriousness convinced the visitor this was an open cheque to also ask for the “impossible”.

    And pilgrims do come to make supplications at the grave. On the days assigned for her worship, many who had received the result of their petitions do come back for thanksgiving. Then the village wore a carnival look, with food and drinks supplied by the grateful pilgrims. But times have changed and very few come back for such festivities. “Though people still come around every year, it was not as it used to be in the past,” Rauf said.

     

    Tourism potentials destroyed

     

    About 15 years ago, a group of archaeologists from the Bournemouth University led by Dr. Patrick Darling made the first ever recorded scientific attempt at uncovering the mysteries behind the famed grave of the Queen of Sheba. Closely associated with Bilikisu was the Sungbo Eredo wall, remnants of which can be found in different places in Ijebu land. Reputed to be 100 miles in length and 70ft in height, it was a great archeological find dating several thousand years. Darling and his team made excavations at the wall but could not link it to Bilikisu Sugbon.This wall according to oral tradition was built by Bilikisu and if this claim is proven, Bilikisu’s grave may assume a more important potential in world tourism and even rival the great pyramids of Egypt.

    The tourism potential of the grave has only been scratched according to Tijani. Past administrations in Ogun state realising the potential of the site had attempted to build it to world standard. Several guest chalets were built around the area and the site was fenced round. New transformer supplied electricity and the road paved.

    But that has since become history. For some years now, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments had taken over the administration of the grave and since then its fortunes has dipped. When The Nation visited, all the chalets have been taken over by the forest and snakes, and are mostly inaccessible.

    The power transformer which once supplied electricity to the area was long broken down and the gate of the grave destroyed. Most of the buildings have been vandalised leaving empty bricks and the snakes.

    But there is also the knotty issue of the desecration of the grave. According to Tunde Odunlami, a lecturer in the department of History, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), the tourism potential was limited by the fact that the trees which fueled the myth of the supernatural have been cut down. He also queried the rationale behind the ban on women.

    “The tourism potential of the Sugbon shrine is limited by the fact that women are not allowed inside, if you look at world tourism, you will see women are more adventurous and when you cut that section off, you limit the potential. Also the cutting of the trees which provided a cover over the grave is a bad decision,” Odunlami said.

     

    A divided community

     

    One may think the village hosting such world heritage would be united in its belief; this is not the case with Oke-Eri. While the Muslims, who revered Bilikisu because she had converted to Islam play active part in fueling the Bilikisu myth, most of the Christians remain non-chalant. According to Rev. Canon  Ibikunle Moses, the Vicar of Our Saviour Anglican Church and the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Oke-Eri, the story of the grave of Bilikisu is nothing but a myth. “I never teach our members in that belief; I don’t know how the Queen came here all the way from Ethiopia. Although some white garment churches believe it, I can only revere one person and that is Jesus Christ.”

    He also debunks claims of answered prayers at the grave. “I have never been there and I can tell you that claim is a lie. My bible says wherever I pray, He answers not when I get to the shrine. What role did the Queen of Sheba play in the Bible? This place used to be a place of darkness but we broke it through prayers. I am sorry to say that you people from Lagos also believe in idolatry, we don’t believe in that here,” Moses said.

    But the secretary of CAN, Pastor Mogaji Omitogun had a slightly different opinion, he said while many Christians believe the Queen of Sheba may be buried there, the church does not believe in the rituals of worship to her.

    “I have personally been there before the shed was constructed and I can say there was no dirt on the grave. Some of our people believe in the story but unlike others, we don’t believe in praying at the grave.”

    Omitogun also claimed to have seen the picture of Bilikisu. “She was dressed in white and the body didn’t decompose, I didn’t see her complexion because there was a veil covering her, but she was tall and slender.”

     

    Science vs. Myth

     

    But what is the truth of the myth of Bilikisu Sugbon or the Queen of Sheba? While there have been Biblical and historical references to the existence of such a rich and powerful ruler, there are no evidence of her travelling to Africa or being buried in Oke-Eri. So how did the people of Oke-Eri come about this story?

    According to Hamisu: “The story was handed over to us over several years before the white man came to do the excavations. Then we also saw the supernatural incidents and believe in it for example, that if a woman enters the place, she will die, it has happened. We believe this is the Queen from Saba.”

    But researchers at the OOU are not impressed by whatever belief has held the villagers spell bound. According to Odunlami, there is no truth in the story of an excavation of the grave and the picture reportedly taken of the body was nothing but hoax.

    “I am telling you authoritatively that no excavations have been done at the grave site, the picture being circulated was nothing but sketches done by some artists. Even the so called complexion was nothing but colouring,” he said.

    Odunlami, who has done extensive work at some of the sites of Sugbon Eredo said it is important the timelines of event is placed side by side historical timelines and when done, many of the claims would fall flat on the face but said the truth about the grave is as far as the people believe.

    “The truth is what the people believe even though personally I tend to believe a powerful person was buried in that place because of the supernatural events that have occurred there. But was it the black woman that visited King Solomon, was it the woman who ruled Ethiopia, that has not been established.”

    Today as Bilikisu Sugbon stands, it remains a fabulous story told by eager adherents and promoted by the superstitious. In finding the truth, archeological evidence would have to prove it beyond doubt that indeed Sugbon’s body lay in the tomb. But would anyone in Oke-Eri be willing to undertake this venture? Both Hamisu and Rauf shrieked away and shaking their heads vigorously said no indigene of the village would evacuate the grave.

    Odunlami had a more philosophical approach: “I can assure you no permission would be granted for the excavations on the site because with that you will destroy the people’s faith in it. What if you dig and nothing was found underneath, you make it useless. It will remain like that as long as the people believe in it. The best is to turn it to a religious destination,” he said.

    Darling did not claim to have found the grave of the Queen of Sheba but he alluded to a great civilisation as evident in the excavated Eredo walls. ”We are not linking what we found to a city, but to a vast kingdom boundary rampart. The vertical sided ditches go around the area for 100 miles and it is more than 1,000 years old. That makes it the earliest proof of a kingdom founded in the African rainforest,” he said.

    While the world awaits the truth about the Queen of Sheba, Bilikisu Sugbon would continue to rest under the mighty trees in the forest of Oke–Eri, while she continues to play host to thousands of tourists every year. So, sleep on Bilikisu Sugbon until the myth becomes the legend, told to several more generations.

  • ‘An independent local government system is recipe for confusion’

    ‘An independent local government system is recipe for confusion’

    Chief Ayo Ogunlade, 83, is an indigene of Ilupeju-Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State and a two-time former minister in the federal cabinet. In this interview with SULAIMAN SALAWUDEEN, Pa Ogunlade contends that Nigeria runs a costly federal system and opposes financial independence for local governments.

    A brief introduction of yourself.

    My name is Ayo Ogunlade, I am a thorough bred Ekiti man. My parents were from this local government area, Oye Local Government. I was accidentally born in Lagos on March 18, 1931.

    It means on March 18, you will be 84 years?

    Yes. At the age of two I sailed off to the Gold Coast, now called Ghana with my mother and I did not return to Nigeria until I was 17; that was in 1947. By the time my mother brought me home, I had started attending secondary school in Ghana. On coming back my mother took me to Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti where I met with the late Chief E. A. Babalola who was the first black Principal and the first university graduate in Ekiti land.

    What were your interests?

    My interests were in the literary arts. My mother wanted me to be a priest while my father wanted me to be a lawyer. Fortunately, neither of them got what they wanted through me. I was neither a priest nor a lawyer. My first degree was in English and Literature, which I got from where we all now know as the University of Ibadan. Then, it was the University College of London, Ibadan. After finishing, I set sail abroad to Indiana University where I did my Master in Mass Communication, specialising in the Electronic Media.

    How do you feel nowadays being an indigene of Ekiti State?

    If it were possible to come back to earth I will like to be an Ekiti man.

    Why?

    We have a heritage of personal integrity and honour. That is the way we were brought up, but unfortunately our children don’t see it that way now because of this general loss of value.

    So, the essence is reversed?

    Yes, the essential Ekiti man is no longer there.

    As an elder, would you say some of your unspoken dreams have been realised in this state lately, given the performance of Governor Kayode Fayemi?

    The Hausa has an adage the Yoruba equivalent of which is “iroyin ko to af’oju ba, meaning being told about a development is not as gripping as seeing same oneself.” There is no doubt at all that Fayemi is working and he is working well by endeavouring to make a difference upon what he met. That is the essence of progress. It is to make a difference on what you have met. So, as far as I am concerned, Fayemi has made progress. Look at the roads, the dualisation in Ado, the state capital; education, health. People may blame Ayo Fayose, as they normally do, but the fact is he built upon what he met on ground. It was the bush path which Ekiti people called “ese ko gbe’ji” that he met to link Ado and Afao. He, Fayose broadened it and tarred it as well. Although the tarred portion were removing before a year or two, but the fact remains that the roads were broadened and tarred and it served people for sometime

    Always let the next person strengthen whatever he meets on ground. No one is perfect. Even Christ. When somebody said perfect master, he (Jesus) replied that “no one is perfect except my father”.

    Now, the opposition party is blaming him (Fayemi) for taking a N25 billion bond from the capital market?

    Yoruba will say: “Owo la fi n’wa owo (You use money to seek money). When borrowings are judiciously applied on meaningful projects, in time it will begin to yield profits for the people; misapplied, they turn out to be a curse.

    So, it is not wrong for government to borrow if it is meant for specific infrastructural projects?

    That is what I am saying. For an agrarian state like ours we have no industry, the only industries that we have are the old textile industry and the Ire burnt bricks. IGR (Internally Generated Revenue) was too paltry then to allow for meaningful development. Borrowing is very reasonable and good if used for developmental purposes as the Governor Kayode Fayemi has been doing.

    Politics seems to be the only way not just to get to power but also to affect society desirably, positively. What can we now say of politics of your time as against politics of today?

    Politics at that time was service rather than what do I stand to gain as an individual or as a group. Today, I am sorry to say, most of the politicians go into politics as a means of getting wealthy, so to say. Politics is used to be for service; it is to serve the people. But the nitty-gritty of it is that, it is the glamour of the office and the benefits that come from it that are the focus of participants nowadays. Maybe, that is a broad generalisation. When you look at it, the system has become so monetised; everything, money, money.

    Who is to blame?

    You cannot place the entire blame of that on the politicians. The people also have some blame. It is actually becoming a vicious cycle. The people have no means of livelihood. They look up to government to do everything for them. They see the politician living high up there and so they vote for you not because of your pedigree or sincerity, but because of the pocket. What do you have to offer does not interest the people again. But there had been politics before the Europeans came. There was governance headed by people of integrity and honour, and there were certain families who were noted for their public services.

    In a way, it has been like that even up to today, those who have at one time or the other attained power are still the same set of people ruling, broadly and generally.

    Good. I’m glad you added broadly and generally to it. But somebody who is from a public spirited family, whose family is known to have served their community and their people selflessly, such can often be considered for public offices. Nowadays, however, if you come out to say I want to go to this place to represent you, I am the son of so and so, they will say yes, if you are from that family, your family has a record of public service already but they will ask what have you brought for us in money terms. That is the final approach.

    Despite the family background, people will still need an accompaniment of cash?

    Yes.

    But, how can we have those who lack cash but have the heart of service in power?

    It may be an over simplification of the matter but it is by de-monetising politics. There is no reason whatsoever to continue to do things the same way we are doing them now. Whoever nurses genuine intention to serve and affect society meaningfully must be able to attain power. Society must rise above such primordial penchant for cash. However, I must note the saying in Yoruba that: ”Bi eye ba ti mo beni ite re n’mo (the nest of the bird is the same as its size).” Our administration is costly.

    How do you mean?

    I mean our so-called presidential (federal) system of governance is too costly. There is nothing wrong with the American presidential system that we chose to follow but we should have moulded it according to our size as America did. You see, we adopted the American presidential system at the 1994-1995 constitution conference of which I had the opportunity of being a part. I was secretary of the parliamentary group with Alhaji Mahmud Atta as the chairman. We were then looking for a parliamentary system of government in which the party is supreme, but we chose to follow the presidential system which the army forced on us. I did a study of the cost of it – mindboggling! America’s land size is ten times that of Nigeria; the population of America is double that of Nigeria and her GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is 100 times ours (Nigeria’s). Also, they have 50 states and two senators per state.

    Are you proposing the American system?

    You are right. If America had wealth 100 times our own and a population that doubles our own, what is our logic for having more senators than they have? Is it because we have larger land or more money or more population? We should have tailored the American presidential system that we wanted to adopt to our size. But, we did not do that. We also talk now about equality of states, equality of local governments. The theory of the equality of man is supported neither by the creation theory nor Darwin’s Evolution theory which says all men are not equal; some are giants some are beetles. The trees are not equal, you have the grass, you have the shrubs and then you have the large Iroko trees. But we say all are equal. There will be hiccups. Whereas in the American system no state pays the same thing as the other state as remuneration to its political office holders. No governor earns the same thing with the other state. Go and find out, the Attorney-General of California earns more than the vice president of United States because California can afford to pay. This is federation working.

    But is Nigeria truly a federation?

    That is part of the problem. We are having the problem of all states being equal. We also have the policy of the Federal Government as the mother under which the entire chickens, the states, come. It is not like that in the American system. The states of America are not under the control of any federal arrangement. There is also nothing like exclusive preserve, apart from the military for the defense of the country. In America, if you find gold at your backyard you are at liberty to go to the banks, get expert to come and explore and confirm that it is available in commercial quantity and go on to tap it.

    I know of some local governments the annual internally generated revenue of which is less than N12 million which is about N1million per month, but they get N50, N60, N100 million from the so-called federation account every month. How can you say that the chairman of a local government that generates N1million every month should earn the same salary and allowances with the chairman of a state that generate N20, N30 million? The kind of thing that happened to Lagos when the Federal Government said it must not create additional local government could not have happen in many states. Such a state would have completely expired. Therein lies the proverb that a bird will not extend its nest beyond its size.

    What should be the relationship between the federal, state and local governments?

    The relationship between the federal, state and local government is like the relationship between Iroko tree and the palm tree and the casarina and the cashew tree and the grass, they are all plant kingdom that is all.

    Are you saying the local government should be left to the care of the state or should be scraped?

    No, I am just saying that you should recognise that the difference between the Federal Government and the state is not the same as the relationship between the state and the local government. While the federal and state are and should be at different autonomous levels of powers in a federation, the councils do not and should not have such a distinct autonomy with the states!

    What should the status of the local government be?

    The relationship between the state and the local government is the relationship between a tree, its root, its trunk, its branches, its flowers, its fruits. The relationship between your eyes, your nose, your hands and your whole body. You cannot say that the branch of a tree is independent of the tree, or the eyes should be independent of the body, or a hand independent of the body. If you are walking in the street and you see a hand just swinging without the body will you stand? Or can you sit down here and someone knocks at the door and you say the eyes should go and see who is at the door. So I don’t know what they are talking about.

    But the Federal Government once appeared to be in favour of taking the local government out of the control of states?

    No. You see a local government independent of the state is an anomaly. That cannot work. It will only lead to confusion, and disjointed, disrupted and unmanageable systems

    Will that not be reflective of the entire confusion which Nigeria has been become?

    It cannot work. Financial autonomy without plans of what to do with the finance will worsen the situation as being experienced at the local governments. Why our local governments are not functioning now is that they don’t make plans. It is when the money comes at the end of the month that they will now say they have this and that, what are we going to do with it. No, every local government, as soon as you are elected, must present a short term and medium term plan with the budget as to what you are going to draw for the short term programmes and the medium term programmes. So that when the money comes it is applied to what is already on ground as the vision and the mission of the local government. I had the opportunity of implementing that when I was the minister for national planning between 1995 and 1998.

    Do we have planning today at all?

    We don’t again. John Kennedy said they will land a man in the moon in ten years and they did. The answer is not in giving N100 million to a local government in a month that generates N15 million in a year. It is in focused and genuine planning.

    How can Nigeria regain her steps?

    We need a serious surgical operation of the system of governance. Take another instance of full time legislators. How can legislators, from national to state and councils, be on so-called full time? Most of the 50 states in America do not have full time legislators. That is why I said we need a major surgical operation on our system of administration: executive, legislature, and judiciary. Why do we have full time councilors at the local government placed on salary and allowances? What do we need them for? What do they do on daily basis? How many bye-laws are passed by them? Let the university researchers in the social sciences do an analysis of how many legislations and bye laws emerge from national/state assemblies and the local governments.

    Why are they insisting that it should be a full-time engagement?

    Because that is the only industry that we have. Politics is the only industry that we have. We start to reverse the situation by massive de-monitisation of political offices; let those who don’t see it as their means of sustenance and living come in. That is when we begin to get it right.

    Is that possible?

    Yes. If we know what our objectives and goals are.

    Is there anything in this country that makes an elderly man like you happy?

    Yes, I am happy that anywhere in the world you go and you say I am a Nigerian, they will say “ah, the country with the largest concentration of blacks in the world”. I will still vote for one Nigeria any day because like Yoruba adage will say “agbajo owo la fi’n soya” (if you want to beat your chest and want the people to hear, you have to do it with clenched fist). It is preferable for Nigeria to remain one. In that is the hope for our eventual progress and development.

    Are those advocating that Nigeria should be sundered entirely wrong?

    I think they have the cause to think so. But, it is not entirely in the interest of Nigeria to scatter. There is no where you break the pattern after 100 years together.