The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ijebu Ode

  • From waste to wealth

    Considered a waste, metal scraps are a source of employment and revenue, even as more entrepreneurs are discovering the market potential  in the scrap metal collection and recycling . DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    The started as a part-time industrial waste collector as a student in the College of Education, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, in 1986.

    Today, Mrs. Titilola Cynthia Saka, is the chief executive officer, T. Cynthia Nigeria Limited, a company she registered in 1987 dealing on plastic waste, in Lagos.

    Mrs Saka said she drew inspiration from her mother, also a business woman, when she imbued her to be an entrepreneur rather than an employee. And with a vision to transform ‘waste into wealth’, her company has been able to create more than 20 jobs.

    Mrs Saka said one waste material had potential is polyester fibre because of its several uses in many industries and also for its use as packaging material for beverages, food products, pharmaceuticals, consumer and industrial products.

    Scraps, such as aluminum, steel, copper, brass, and glass, are also some items she deals in, as these have a reliable market. Her clientele cuts across large specialist metal firms, while she also brokers deals on scrap materials. From these transactions, especially the sale of scrap materials, extracted metals and glass, huge revenue returns to the company’s coffers.

    As the business expanded, Saka has come to realise the volume of industrial waste firms discard and the need to process them into other products. Buried among the junk are valuable metals and cotton wastes with high market value, which she hires young men and women as waste collectors to dug up and bring to her factory.

    For some time, there has been a surge in metal scrap business, especially following the “waste to wealth” orientation catching up like wild fire among the people. This is more prevalent in the iron and steel sector, where investors as well as merchants encourage idle young men to comb waste dumps sites, mechanic workshops, streets and highways for the remains of vehicles parts, industrial metal wastes and anything in the form of iron and steel. It is a common sight to see tonnes of scrap metal assembled for onward transportation to privately owned steel mills across the country which are eventually processed and converted to iron rods and metal sheets.

    Metal scrap can be classified into two categories, namely HMS (Heavy Melting Scrap) and Used Rails. The business is said to worth over N50 billion a year. Condemned metal articles and motor parts are in high demand and come from as far as Lafia, Keffi in Nasarawa State and Abaji, Gwagwalada and other small towns in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Mrs Saka said the business does not require much capital investment. With as little as N40, 000, a chunk of which came from the bursary the Ogun State government gave her as a student, she was able to start her own business, and a combination of cheap labour, low entry costs and limited regulatory controls, makes the business a money spinner. But the turn around came for her when she got a contract from a big firm to supply plastic and metal waste, needed for the firm’s production.

    Abdullahi Abubakar is another person that has found a fortune dealing in metal scrap. Trained as a carpenter, he eventually abandoned the carpentry trade and relocated to Lagos in search of greener pasture.

    On arrival, his friend, whom he simply identified as Salisu, introduced him to metal scrap collection as a means of earning an income. Today, Abubakar looks back with satisfaction at the turn of his earning capacity; he rakes in between N50, 000, from a scrap metal he buys for N10, 000. But it does not come easy for this Kano indigene who has to work many hours a day, six days a week, scouring alleyways and knocking on factory doors for scraps. The intense physical labour involved sometimes can produce dark bruises and aching muscles. He is now used to the scrap yard littered with barrels overflowing with fragments of aluminum, copper and stainless steel. This is why whenever he has the funds, he would buy up scraps behind office buildings to ease his stress of scavenging in the open fields.

    While Abubakar once relied on scrap for survival, today the business is his greatest achievement and accomplishment. He now encourages others to get involved, especialy since he now understands clearly importance and huge hidden wealth of recycling and reusing scrap metal. And because there are low seasons in the trade, when scraps become extremely difficult to come by, Abubakar Adamu, another scrap collector, now has a place where he stores scrap materials such as steel from building and tower demolition, household appliances, outdated agricultural equipment, sheet metal, cable and wire, even tin cans, which he sells at a higher price in times of scarcity.

    In spite of these benefits, these “businessmen” have a challenge- the police, who visit the dump site to collect money from them. Another challenge is that a lot of prospective scrap dealers find it hard to find money to start their own businesses, elongating their period of apprenticeship as it were. Yet, the business is tasking as the weight of the scrap is a challenge while transportation cost to the mills are so high. Also, there is no standard gauge for measurement to get actual value for the product, meaning that most times they are under valued. “Is very challenging taking the scraps to the local steel mills because they are usually heavy hence, truck drivers charge a lot,” Adamu explained.

    Findings by The Nation revealed that the business is a multibillion naira business, where dealers involved rake in a fortune. It is estimated that an average middleman can make up to N1million a week from supplying metal scraps to steel mills. The inability of the federal government to complete the Ajaokuta and Delta steel mills and the comatose state of the several rolling mills in the country gives an added advantage to the thriving metal scrap business.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Royal row rumbles on in Ijebu-Ode as princes disagree over Olori-Ebi of Fusengbuwa Ruling House

    Royal row rumbles on in Ijebu-Ode as princes disagree over Olori-Ebi of Fusengbuwa Ruling House

    An epic royal tussle rages at the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. When and how it would end or be resolved may remain a subject of conjecture by many and perhaps for a long time to come.

    The Fusengbuwa Family is one of the four Ruling Houses in Ijebu-Ode that can legitimately provide a candidate, when it is their turn, to fill the stool of the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland whenever it becomes vacant should a reigning Awujale grows old and joins his ancestors.

    In the ancient Ijebu-Ode town, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House appears to have had the rare fortune of being about the largest of the royal families and have equally had princes, who at different eras, later became the Awujales of Ijebuland and this is derived in part, from their ancestor, Oba Jadiara, who was the 25th Awujale to reign after Obanta – the heroic and first monarch of Ijebu.

    For a period spanning over 100 years, members have increased numerically and in stature with a good number of them not only attaining positions of repute in business, banking and industry, legal, engineering professions among others but also became first class serving Obas in some Ijebu communities.

    But the same numerical strength that ought to be a veritable advantage, seemed to have become a huge albatross. Not only is the Fusengbuwa Ruling House facing challenges of not immediately knowing how many they are, but also gravitate towards fragmentation with two of her prominent sons – founder of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Otunba Michael Subomi Balogun, and former President; Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN), Otunba Lateef Adebayo Owoyemi, claiming headship of the family – Olori-Ebi of Fusengbuwa Ruling House, at the same time.

    Today what looks real is the existence of a parallel Olori – Ebi for the Ruling House with each of the claimants – Balogun and Owoyemi, commanding not small separate supporters to his side.

    Onlookers of the royal intrigues playing out in the family, say unless the issue is resolved quickly and amicably too, it has the potential to fester and then weaken the already fragile unity among their princes and princesses, and the by extension, the cohesion and oneness required to pick a candidate seamlessly in future for the exalted stool of the Awujale when the opportunity beckons.

    The Nation gathered that the rivalry had been brewing in the past, in a smouldering form as far back as 2004 when Otunba Subomi Balogun was accused of authoring a publication in an Ijebu – based community magazine where he claimed Fusengbuwa/Tunwase Ruling House where he belongs, is one of the official Royal families in Ijebuland and not Fusengbuwa Ruling House.

    Not done with just asserting that he is a member of the Fusengbuwa/Tunwase Ruling House, Balogun also expressed his conviction at the time that he was the most senior member of the House, whose opinion has always been respected by other members of the royal family.

    It was learnt that these claims of Balogun compelled the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of the Ile-Nla Compound Agunsebi, Ijebu-Ode, to quickly meet in August 2004 to distance themselves from Otunba Balogun’s claims.

    And the Fusengbuwa Ruling House anchoring their position on the Chieftaincy declaration of the then Western Region Government around 1957 to 1959, insisted that what was officially recognised was Fusengbuwa Ruling House and not Fusengbuwa/Tunwase Ruling House as claimed by Balogun.

    According to the said Western Region Government Chieftaincy declaration, the predecessor of Ogun State, the Ruling Houses in Ijebu-Ode are Gbelegbuwa Ruling House, Anikilaya Ruling House (where the reigning Awujale, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, belongs), Fusengbuwa Ruling House and Fidipote Ruling House.

    But what touched off the latest tussle in the Fusengbuwa Ruling House was the death of the Olori – Ebi, Prince Fasasi Adebisi Adeyemi in February 19, 2013, and the intrigues on how to fill the vacuum left by his demise began to unfold.

    It was learnt that an Olori-Ebi is usually selected from proven descendants of direct children of previous Oba/King of the Ruling House, and such person must have shown interest in the affairs and welfare of the Ruling House, its members and is also expected to prove himself worthy of the position.

    The Nation gathered that after the death of Prince Adebisi Adeyemi, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House met, March 31, 2013, at the residence of the late Adeyemi where it unanimously appointed the then deputy Head of the Family (Igba keji Olori – Ebi), Otunba Lateef Adebayo Owoyemi, as the new Olori-Ebi to succeed Adeyemi.

    It was further learnt that Owoyemi was later installed formally at a special meeting of the Ruling House at his late predecessor’s home on April 7, 2013, with former Minister, Senator Jubril Matrins Kuye, among other Princes in attendance and by April 8, 2013, letters were sent to the Secretary, Ijebu – Ode Local Government Council,  Ogun State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Abeokuta,  and Oba Sikiru Adetona, to formally announce Otunba Lateef Adebayo Owoyemi as the new Olori–Ebi of Fusengbuwa Ruling House.

    But a new twist crept into the matter last June 22 when Otunba Subomi Balogun was presented to the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, as the new Olori-Ebi of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.

    The Saderiren of Isonyin, Oba Funso Omo-Ogunkoya, Moyegeso of Itele, Oba Adesanya Kasali,  Oru of Imoru, Oba Adeposi Bashorun, Chief Olu Adebanjo and  91 years old Prince Adedapo Adeniran, were among members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House that presented Subomi Balogun to the Awujale as the new Olori-Ebi.

    Balogun was said to have emerged the new Head of the Ruling House in a meeting he jointly convened with Chief Olu Adebanjo, the Otunba Fusengbuwa of Ijebuland, at the Royal Pavilion, Otunba Tunwase Court, Ijebu-Ode last April 14.

    The Fusengbuwa Ruling House which was said to have been rattled by Balogun’s latest  move, quickly wrote the Awujale, Oba Adetona, last November 12, through its Counsel, Alhaji. Adesegun Adebayo, pointing out the anomaly and the alleged role of Otunba Timothy Olu Adebanjo in the whole matter.

    Lateef Owoyemi told The Nation that neither the meeting where Subomi Balogun emerged as the new Olori – Ebi was lawful and properly constituted nor Olu Adebanjo whom he alleged played a key role in the making of Balogun an Olori-Ebi, a member of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.

    The former ICAN President who is also the Otunba Jadiara of Ijebuland, maintained that Olu Adebanjo who hails from Idowa-Ijebu, is not a member of any of the four Ruling Houses of Oba Dagburewe in Idowa or any of the Ruling Houses in Ijebu-Ode and so, lacked the competence to take the action he took in respect of Subomi Balogun.

    He recalled that in March 12, 1995, the representatives of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House led by the then Olori-Ebi, Prince Adebisi Adeyemi(now late), had  protested at the Palace of Awujale, Ijebu-Ode, when Oba Adetona was to make Chief Olu Adebanjo the Otunba Fusengbuwa because the Ruling House alleged he was not a Prince.

    Owoyemi argued that Ogburo through whom Olu Adebanjo claimed to be a member of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House was neither a Princess nor senior Olori (Queen) to the first Dagburewe of Idowa, Oba Owa Otutubiosun.

    Oba Owa Otutubiosun is one of the sons of Oba Fusengbuwa, the Awujale of Ijebuland, who reigned between 1790-1891.

    Owoyemi said available record has shown that Ogburo whom Olu Adebanjo had continually claimed was his ancestors’ great grandmother was not a woman, Princess or Olori (Queen) but one of the Ilamurens(chiefs) in Idowa land.

    And sources close to the Palace of the Awujale also told our reporter that the said letter written by Counsel to the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and addressed to Oba Adetona last November 12 and which was equally acknowledged last December 16, explained the propriety and the need for the Paramount ruler to declare all actions taken by Olu Adebanjo “null” and “void” should Adebanjo’s claim to being a Prince, be found to be “false.”

    The letter reads in part: “we respectfully wish to refer your Majesty to the recent unfortunate events leading to the emergence of the unhappy and unusual experience of two Olori – Ebi in Fusengbuwa Ruling House, namely in the persons of Otunba Lateef Owoyemi, who was lawfully selected at a meeting of the Ruling House on March 30, 2013 and Otunba Subomi Balogun, whose emergence is said to have occurred at the Awujale Palace on June 22, 2013…

    “…Your Majesty reportedly publicly noted ‘the leadership role played by Otunba Olu Adebanjo in the emergence of Otunba Subomi Balogun as Olori – Ebi’ and his presentation was done by a delegation widely reported to have been led by one of the prominent sons of the Ruling House, in the person of Otunba Olu Adebanjo…

    “We trust that your Majesty, as a highly principled and widely respected monarch, will readily agree that should Chief Olu Adebanjo’s claim to Royalty through Queen Ogburo and Fusengbuwa Ruling House, be found to be false, not only will all the actions so far taken by him as Otunba Fusengbuwa and a member of Fusengbuwa Ruling House or on behalf of the Ruling House, including his purported roles in the recent issue of Olori-Ebi, be declared null, void and of no lawful effects whatsoever, by your Majesty, but also your Majesty would not hesitate to take all other actions normally necessary in such circumstance, most especially in keeping with your Majesty’s sacred Oath of Office as Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland.”

    When contacted, the Secretary of the Ruling House, Engr. Kayode Sote, in a telephone conversation, told The Nation that he had not gotten the mandate of the family to speak on the issue, stressing that he would rather keep mum.

    But Olu Adebanjo in an interview with our reporter said Owoyemi was in the meeting where Subomi Balogun was selected as the Olori Ebi, wrote his name and also signed same on the attendance register.

    Adebanjo insisted that he is a Prince through his great grandmother, Ogburo, and that his ancestors came to Idowa from Ijebu-Ode.

    He admitted that Ogburo was a Chieftaincy title in Idowa but said it was created by the Dagburewe; Oba Owa Otutubiosun, in honour of his most senior wife, Olori Ogburo, and wondered why the likes of Owoyemi would think a woman could not become a Chief.

    According to him, the decision  making Subomi Balogun Olori-Ebi was unanimous while names of people present at the meeting were also read out to the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, the day Subomi Balogun was formally presented to the Paramount ruler in line with the customs and tradition of the Ijebus nay Yoruba.

    Adebanjo said: “Our ancestors came to Idowa from Ijebu-Ode around 1540. Ogburo is a woman; she was the most senior wife of the first Dagburewe of Idowa.  My mother also came from another royal line in Idowa. Her father, Prince Yesufu Ogunejo was the son of Adejo – daughter of Oba Dagburewe Anowoneyo.

    “It is in the original history book. This fellow (Owoyemi) is going to get himself into trouble. When he was the Local government Chairman, he borrowed the history book from the Oba and started tampering with it; it was when we told him that we have a photocopy of it that he stopped.

    “The meeting that made Owoyemi the Olori-Ebi was a sectional meeting and half of the people who were there are not from the royal family, they are not known and are not related to us. When we called the meeting that selected Subomi Balogun, Owoyemi was there and he signed the attendance (register) and the decision was taken unanimously and that is what he will try to wriggle out of.

    “He was present I can show you the attendance book. When we went to Awujale to present Subomi Balogun, his name was mentioned  as one of those present in the meeting where Balogun was selected and not only that, he signed the attendance book.

    “He (Subomi Balogun) has been selected as our Olori Ebi and he accepted it and we have presented him to the Awujale of Ijebuland. I don’t know what culture you (reporter) practice but in Yorubaland even if you make someone a Baale, he has to go and see the Oba.

    “In the meeting he (Owoyemi) claimed he was made the Olori-Ebi, ask him if he had been presented to the Awujale. It is an illegal body, a section of people who don’t belong to us. He can be secretary or anything. And that section is inhabited by people like Owoyemi who have nothing to do with our family.

    “My best advice to Owoyemi is to do like his father did and accept that they came to Idowa as aides to the Dagburewe of Idowa. I am telling you that Bayo Owoyemi and others who are fighting are not members of our family, they are pretenders.”

    “That is why I, Olu Adebanjo refused to go and sit with him in that section of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House. I am the Otunba Fusengbuwa of the ruling house so I should know who and who members of the ruling house are.

    “I don’t know the reason for Owoyemi’s antagonism and bitterness towards me. His claim that I am not a member of the ruling house is not correct. You know Subomi Balogun very well, he is rich, if I am not a member of that house can I just go there and pick him and he will follow me?

    “His anger against me is because I am the one that knows his history that is his bitterness. Owoyemi knows that it is only my evidence that will do him all the damage because I have it.”

    Apparently reacting to insinuations that he is not from a royal lineage and his forbears were aides to Oba ….. and merely accompanied him to Idowa, Owoyemi said: “my father was Alhaji Prince Yinusa Adelowo Ayinde Owoyemi. His Mom was Princess Onagbadeke, daughter of Prince Onamade Sikuloye. Onamade’s Mom was Princess and Queen Ushenbanke Onadi, Queen to Oba Sikuloye Dagburewe of Idowa.  Princess Ushenbanke was the third Child and first Abidagba (Born on the Throne) daughter of Oba Awujale Fusengbuwa.

    “It was Princess Ushenbanke Fusengbuwa-Sikuloye that co-financed with her elder sister Princess Adekenu Fusengbuwa, the making of his junior brother, Prince Adesimbo Tunwase as an Oba Awujale in 1886.

    “Coincidentally, it was my late father Prince Yinusa Adelowo Owoyemi that solely played a vital role to the making of Prince Ephraim Olaneye (Sikuloye) as Oba Dagburrewe of Idowa in 1954. The Idowa Community also used my father’s personal house in Idowa as the town’s Oba Dagburewe Official Palace from 1954 till 1957.

    It was learnt that unwilling to accept the situation, the former ICAN president and four others on behalf themselves and the Fusengbuwa Ruling House filed  a suit (HCJ/18/2014) against Subomi Balogun,  Kayode Sote, Olu Adebanjo and also listed Oba  Adetona as fourth respondent in the matter.

    They sought to “challenge Otunba Subomi Balogun’s attempt to forcefully impose himself,” as their “Olori-Ebi.”

    But the matter took a disturbing dimension when the Awujale Office, Ijebu – Ode,  in a letter dated February 10, 2014 and signed by the monarch’s Secretary, Joseph Clement, suspended  the head of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House; Otunba Lateef Owoyemi as  an “Otunba of Awujale.”

    By the suspension order, he was restrained from further participation in activities at the Palace or any meeting of the Council of Otunbas.

    According to the Awujale Office, Owoyemi’s action against Oba Adetona is an “abomination and contrary to Ijebu culture, ancient custom and tradition.”

    However, Owoyemi told The Nation that  the purpose of listing Awujale’s name initially was for a “judicial declaration for His Majesty not to further recognise or deal with Otunba Subomi Balogun” as their Olori Ebi but added that the said action against the Awujale would no longer be pursued.

    Owoyemi said: “Our joining His Majesty in the suit as the fourth defendant was only for a judicial declaration for His Majesty not to further recognise or deal with Otunba Subomi Balogun as our Olori-Ebi.

    “Our doing was so based on the strength of sound legal advice from a number of senior legal experts, who we consulted before our action was filed.

    “We did not mean harm or inconvenience for our Royal Father, who we continue to hold in the highest possible esteem at all times.

    “However, following the intervention of respected, community leaders of Ijebuland, the Chief Imam of Ijebuland, Alhaji Abdul-Rasak Salaudeen, as well as the Ijebu-Ode Council of Oloritun, we have on February 14th, 2014, filed notice of discontinuance of our action against the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba S. K. Adetona, and duly brought same to the notice of the Palace.”

    Although, Oba Adetona’s name in the suit has been withdrawn by Owoyemi and others but the one they filed against Subomi Balogun, Olu Adebanjo and Kayode Sote still remains even though no date has yet been fixed for its mention in Court.

    Already Otunba Subomi Balogun is said to have started carrying on as the new Olori-Ebi of Fusengbuwa Ruling and has pledged to unite members but his rival, Owoyemi appeared determined to deploy all lawful means to wrest the Olori-Ebi Office from Balogun. The battle has just begun and who wins or loses; only time will tell.

  • Ijebu-Ode set for Obirin Ojowu

    Ijebu-Ode set for Obirin Ojowu

    Sons and daughters of Ijebuland, both at home and in the Diaspora will converge on Ijebu-Ode on March 5 to celebrate the 2014 Obirin Ojowu festival.

    To Ijebus, the annual festival is very significant as it offers women looking for fruits of the womb, business men, women and traders who are experiencing setbacks in their businesses and trades an opportunity to come back home and ask the deity, Obirin Ojowu for their heart desires. It is said that the deity usually grant such desires.

    Obirin Ojowu was brought into Ijebu-Ode by Ogborangannida (Obanta), the grandchild of Olu-Iwa from a town called Idoko. After his sojourn in Ijebu-Ode and Ogboro-gannida wanted to leave the town, the deity opted to make Ijebu-Ode her final abode.

    The festival is one of the cultural and traditional activities that is observed during the first week of every third month of the year and  before the coming of the Agemo to Ijebu-Ode from 16 towns scattered all over Ijebuland.

    Preparatory to the celebration of Obinrin Ojowu, the chief priest of the deity known as Olowa-Iberu, High Chief Rasak Oshimodi, had since December last year commenced the traditional three months ”Isera” or total abstinence from women which would end after the celebration.

    During this period, no woman must touch him, wash his clothes, prepare his food nor must he sit in a place just vacated by a woman.

    The programme of the festival showed that the Olowa-Iberu, in line with tradition, would visit ‘Ipebi’ tomorrow, Thursday, to inform the Awujale of Ijebuand, Alaiyeluwa, Oba Sikiru Adetona, that it is ten days to the commencement of the celebration of Obirin Ojowu.

    And exactly ten days after, on the night of February 23, he would beat the ‘dagba drum’ to the hearing of the people of the town to signify that celebrations of the deity would commence in nine days.

    The next day, the chief priest would move from his Odo-Esa residence to Isoku to make precipitation to the god while the crowd would be mocking him, singing and accusing him of stealing dogs.

    Seven days to the celebration, the Olowa-Iberu and other adherents would perform the ‘Iwesu’ during the night of which they would bath the deity.

    At about 4am of the next day, the youth would go round the town and kill any dog that came their way and those whose owners failed to tie palm fronds round their neck.

    By 8am, they would come back to Odo-Esa and drop all the dogs that were killed at the foot of the Iroko tree where they will be left till sunset to allow their blood to drain completely. One of the dogs would later be hung on the Iroko tree with the palm fronds. The Iroko tree will also adorn a white cloth tied round it and a perimeter set to keep the crowd at bay.

    The tradition of killing dogs and the youth whipping each other with canes, as part of the celebration of Obirin Ojowu, was sequel to the instructions given by Erelu Otufoluke during the burial of her daughter, Owu. Owu had died during child birth and angry at the manner of her death and how the news was kept from her by her servants while she was dancing for the then Awujale, Erelu  was said to have instructed that  whoever her servants  came across while going to bury Owu must be beaten and caned.

    On their way back from the burial, the first living thing her servants met was her husband’s dog. They killed the dog and dragged it home. They also beat all the people they met on the road as instructed by Erelu. Since then, it has become the tradition for the youth to whip each other during te festival. It was said that the Iroko tree on which the dog is hung was initially the walking stick of Ogborogannida and that he stuck it to the ground when he was leaving the house of Erelu Otufoluke in those days and it later grew to become a giant Iroko tree.

    The night of Monday, March 3, 2014 is when the chief priest and other adherents would perform the traditional night walk, ‘irinde oru’. They would carry the deity, ‘Obirin Ojowu’  and visit all the shrines in Ijebu-Ode to perform sacrifices and sprinkle specially prepared traditional medicine,  ‘ero’, all over the town for peace and prosperity to reign in the land. This would continue till around 11am of the next day when they would return to base at Idi-Iroko, Odo-Esa.

    Same day, at about 3pm, they would go out again to perform ‘woro’ for the Awujale of Ijebuland and the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode. This entails picking ‘woro’ leaves’ (leaves of peace) from the river and taking them to Awujale and the Olisa at Itoro.  By tradition, Awujale would first take his pick of the leaves and thereafter the Olisa would pick his. Both of them would pray for peace to reign in the town. All those present would thereafter pick theirs and go back home with them.

    Two days to the final celebration of Obirin Ojowu, the chief priest will clean up all traditional tools of Ijebuland in his house and offer sacrifices to the deity and this would continue till Saturday, March 5, 2014, the grand finale for the celebration of Obirin Ojowu.

    As early as 8am on that day, youths of the town would start arriving Idi-Iroko at Odo-Esa, drinking and making merriments, with music playing all over the area, while a lot of them would be whipping each other with canes in line with the tradition.

    Later in the afternoon, at about 2pm, the Olowa-Iberu would send message to the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode that he was coming on a visit to his palace. On delivery of the message, he would take off from Idi-Iroko with Obirin Ojowu, and head towards the palace of the Olisa with a large crowd behind him and from there to  “Olowa-Ako” shrine, another deity who is said to be the husband to Obirin Ojowu. On conclusion of the visit and after making necessary sacrifice, they would move to Itoro where the chief priest will meet with the Awujale.

    At Itoro, Olowa-Iberu and Awujale would visit “Oju Amu”, the shrine of Leguru  who was also known as “Enisemu” and make necessary sacrifices and precipitations in line with the tradition. Leguru was a very powerful native doctor believed to have used his charms and magic to drive away water from Ijebu-Ode and in the course of which he sacrificed his life. Since then, it has become the tradition of the people of the town to make sacrifices at his shrine during the festival of Obirin Ojowu. Both the Awujale and Olowa will dance to the traditional drums after which they would retire to their different homes.

    The festival would be rounded up with an all night party by the adherents of the deity and other youths at Idi-Iroko, Odo-Esa.

  • Bayelsa Utd hit Ijebu-Ode Sunday

    Bayelsa Utd hit Ijebu-Ode Sunday

    • Pick Calabar as second option

    Bayelsa United will embark on two weeks camping in Ijebu-Ode ahead of the Glo Premier League, SportingLife can reveal.

    The club’s Technical Adviser, Ladan Bosso told SportingLife that the Restoration Boys will arrive in Ijebu-Ode on Sunday for the training exercise.

    The former Kano Pillars manager revealed further that the training session will start on Monday.

    Bosso said the choice of Ijebu-Ode is as a result of its two beautiful synthetic pitches in the South-West state and the good grass stadium to train with.

    “Ijebu-Ode is a lovely state for any club to camp for pre-season. There are two nice synthetic pitches with good training facilities. There is choice of grass pitch stadium too. So you can choose anywhere to train in Ijebu-Ode,” Bosso told SportingLife.

    “Apart from that, Ijebu-Ode has football loving people who can give you good atmosphere to train. We hope to have good preparation there.”

    Bosso said the team has picked Calabar Stadium as second option in case the club changes its mind to camp in another palace aside from Ijebu-Ode.

    “Calabar is plan B because our intention is to camp in Ijebu-Ode.”

  • ‘Sango-Ojodu road on course’

    ‘Sango-Ojodu road on course’

    Barely a month after work began on the Sango-Ijoko-Agbado-Ojodu road, Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far.

    Speaking during an inspection of the project, Amosun said: “We are on course. We are ahead of schedule on the 32km-road and by January, next year, everything would have started taking shape. With the way we are going, we will reach an appreciable level by December, next year.”

    He debunked media reports that all road projects embarked upon by his administration would be ready by next May, saying: “For example, this road, which started a month ago, is a three-year project. I know that by the time we spend 12 to 18 months, we should be done. We pray we have the wherewithal to continue to fund the project. We have made some payments and will continue to give them more as they work.”

    Amosun said majority of projects in major towns, including Abeokuta, Ota, Sagamu, Ijebu-Ode and Ayetoro, would be ready next year.

    He said: “All our flyovers would be completed by the time we celebrate the third anniversary of our administration.”

    Thanking the people for their co-operation, the governor said: “We have demolished some houses because there is no other way to do it. If we want good roads, we have to create the right of way for those roads. I am happy that a significant percentage of our people, whose houses were demolished, have collected their compensation.

    “We are concerned about building shopping malls for displaced shop owners and houses for affected house owners at heavily subsidised rates.”

  • Amosun inspects first Ijebu-Ode flyover

    Ogun State governor,IbikunleAmosun, yesterday inspected the flyovers under construction in Ijebu Ode and urged the construction firm to redouble its effort to complete the projects in a record time.

    The two flyovers, according to a statement by media aide of the governor, FunmiWakama, are located at Mobalufon junction, along Sagamu-Benin road and Bobasua/Lagos Garage.

    It reads: “When completed, the Mobalufonbridge will end the regular carnage on the expressway as vehicles moving to Ijebu Ode will use it instead of risking head-on collision with those coming from the Benin end of the expressway.

    “The flyover descends into the 6-lane international standard Moblufon-Folagbade-Imepe-Ibadan Road being constructed by the current administration.

    “Commuters along the Ondo-Benin Road will not experience any traffic gridlock at Bobasua/Lagos Garage as another flyover is being constructed at the T-junction.”

  • We’ll fix Ijebu-Ode road, others, Amosun tells Fed Govt

    We’ll fix Ijebu-Ode road, others, Amosun tells Fed Govt

    •’Daniel left N87b debt’

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun yesterday said his administration would expand the Ijebu-Ode road and build a bridge there, despite the Federal Ministry of Works’ “attempts” to frustrate the project.

    Amosun said the contract for the six-lane road had been awarded and N2 billion paid to the contractor, but the ministry is hindering the take-off of the project.

    The governor spoke at the Obas’ Complex in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the state capital, after the inauguration of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, as the Chairman of the Ogun State Council of Obas.

    He said the Federal Government claimed it awarded the project to a Chinese firm in 2009, adding that he is facing the problem on the Ogijo-Sagamu road and the Papalanto-Ilaro road.

    Amosun said: “We should let our people know that despite of our efforts, some people do not want good things to be done, but we will not be deterred. We will fulfill our promises to our people we.

    “We have awarded the contract for the Ijebu-Ode road, but the Federal Ministry of Works said it awarded the contract for the road since 2009/2010. If it has awarded the contract, why did it not fund it or do anything on the road.

    “We came up with a bigger specification than theirs because they just wanted to do overlay. We want to do the Ogun Standard road with six lanes and a fly-over. Imagine paying N2 billion for a road and somebody says he is paying N400,000 to the same contractor for four lanes.

    “All of a sudden, they said contract for the road, as well as that of the Papalanto-Ilaro and Ogijo roads had been awarded. Why did they wait until we paid for the roads before speaking out?

    “They cannot mess us up. My people are not federal people and we cannot allow them to suffer. We are going back there with a different contractor to fix that road.”

    Thanking the traditional rulers for their support, Amosun said he inherited N87 billion debt from the past administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel and not the N49.6 billion announced by his predecessor.

    He said his administration took a N26 billion loan in December, 2011, and has repaid N10.774 billion (principal and interest inclusive).

    The governor said he would approach the state lawmakers on the possibility of taking a N15 billion short-term loan.

    He said: “When they handed over to us on March 31, 2011, the record showed N49.6 billion debt. We were not sworn in until May 29 and our predecessor continued to sign cheques until we were inaugurated. As we speak, so many people said they were given government guarantee and that means in the event of default, we have to pay. When we added all of those, the debt was N87 billion.

    “Our people voted for me because they believe I can effect positive change. That was why we overlooked the past and focused on improving the state. The highest Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) they made from tax was N730 million. In less than two years, we have moved it to N3.2 billion.

    “I told myself we had to grow our IGR so that we can borrow and pay back. That is why we are doing the things we are doing; it is not that we have the money.

    “We met some loans on ground. We renegotiated with the lenders and majority of them agreed with us. The only loan this administration has taken is the N26 billion we took in December, 2011.

    “That is about 14 months ago and we have paid back N10.774 billion out of it. We have been meeting up with our monthly obligations and that is why our Bankers know we are serious.

    “Ogun’s total external debt is N25.8 billion. This does not include internal debt, such as those owed pensioners and councils. I have not owed anyone since I assumed office.

    “When we came in, people were owed between 19 and 29 months pension and we have paid part of it. I believe we have done well in terms of our finances. We are accountants and are mindful of what we are doing. I will not owe anybody. We are not going to the bond market.”

  • Ijebu Ode celebrates Obirin Ojowu

    Ijebu Ode celebrates Obirin Ojowu

    The ancient town of Ijebu Ode was in festive mood as the indigenes celebrated the annual Obinrin Ojowu festival. For three days, the Olowa Iberu, High Chief Rasaki Oshimodi, went round the town making sacrifices and atonements at necessary places for the peace of the town.

    Obinrin Ojowu is celebrated during the first week of every third month of the year by the people of Ijebu Ode in compliance with the directive of Ogborogannida who was also known as Obanta by some and Ajagunla by others.

    Olowa Iberu recalled that when Ogborogannida, who travelled to Ijebu Ode from Wadai, Sudan,  was leaving the house of Erelu Abiye Otufoluke, he left Obinrin Ojowu behind in accordance with an agreement she made with him. He, however, instructed that during the first week of every third month of the year, Obirin Ojowu must be brought to meet with him once every year. That begins the celebration of the annual Obinrin Ojowu festival.

    Today, the practice is for the adherents of Obinrin Ojowu to carry the deity to meet with the reigning Oba of the town. When going on such visits however, they would make a stop at Olisa’s place (i.e. Ogunja). He would receive Obinrin Ojowu, carry it and return it back to them. Thereafter, they would make another stop at the place of Olowa Mobita-the male Ojowu and husband of Obinrin Ojowu at his palace. It is after this that they would go and meet with the reigning Awujale at Itoro. This aspect of the ceremony is called ‘going for Isewu’.

    According to the Olowa Iberu, the Awujale was expected to dress resplendently and wears his crown to receive them.  Olowa performed the traditional dance for the Awujale and together, they would performed the traditional rite for the peace of the town. It must be noted that Obinrin Ojowu as a deity, is a very decent deity. When one is praying before it, it must not be touched by blood, hot drinks, kola nut or bitter kola etc like other deities or dire consequences awaits anybody who does that. But every nine days, a fire must be set up in its front to keep her warm.

    However, one striking aspect of the Festival is the killing of dogs and the use canes by the youths to whip each other.

    The celebration of Obinrin Ojowu started on the first day with a walk that is done in the night – “irindeoru”- during which the youth of the town carried the traditional eguntan (light), set up fire in front of Obinrin Ojowu, and walked round the town till morning. They also sprinkled “ero” round the town and made atonement for peace.

    On the second day, they went for “woro” at Odokala after which they were received by the representatives of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Alayeluwa, Oba (Dr.) S.K. Adetona, led by the Ogbeni Odi of Awujale of Ijebuland, Chief Adebisi Alaran.

    Others were the Asokute of Awujale of Ijebuland, Chief Muftau Yaya and Aworawo of Ijebuland, Chief Oye yaya. Together they performed the necessary traditional “ato” for peace and development to reign supreme in the ancient town. They also carried out similar traditional rites for Mobita, the male Ojowu, and prayed for all women of the town present at the occasion, including the Olisa of Ijebu Ode, for their safe-keep and safe deliveries during child birth.

    The grand finale of Obirin Ojowu festival was held Saturday, March 2, when Olowa Iberu went to Isewu and presented Obirin Ojowu to the representatives of the Awujale. Sacrifices were made at the place where Enisemu, otherwise known as Leguru, was said to have sat on a mat and drove away water from Ijebu Ode.