15/04/2025
COLLECTIVE IDENTITY OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF OOTU O'JIRE OR YORUBA LAND: NEEDLESS SUPERIORITY CONTEST
(By: Abdulrahman Asunmo-Edu Agboola)
Since the coronation of a new King of Oyo Town, unfortunate arguments and misgivings have taken the centre discourse on superiority between the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo.
The philosophy that "there's no competition in destiny" doesn't appeal to many, rather, many align with "Might is Right"
If you ask me as a person of direct concerns, who is superior between the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo, I will gladly reply that, one is not superior to the other, but, if you ask me, who should be accorded with the most distinct respect between the duo of Ooni and Alaafin, or Ooni and other Mighty Kings across our collectives, rather than answering directly, I will choose the one that sits on the oldest throne of our forefathers and represents our collective identity as a people.
WHERE THE FURORE STARTED
History is a broad topic that just an author cannot force his accounts down the throats of the people. If people can query the authenticity of contents of books classified as spiritual and serve as guides on faith orders, why do certain people feel their one sided accounts must be authoritative?
First note is the History Book by Rev. Johnson, which generated different controversies, since it was authored in the18th Century. Many schorlars opposed the accounts as one sided and half truths, as it concerns our true history, which fetched different revisions, rebuttals and condemnation by those who found the accounts as false, while those considered favoured by the accounts have over the years refused to accept the flaws observed.
FALSE OR TRUE IDENTITY
Historical Traditions are sustained from generations to generations, often encountered with changes, twists or something else, it's difficult for a child to refer to his forebears as liars, sadly, the truth must come to bear, whether accepted or not.
A large percentage of the population were made to accept Odùduwà as the progenitor of Yoruba race, as promoted by Oyo People and documented by the first known book on Yoruba History by Rev. Samuel Johnson. The book can best be qualified as the History of Oyo and Allied Towns, because it didn't capture the collectives about people before Odùduwà.
ODÙDUWÀ YESTERDAY AND TODAY
Odùduwà features in the historical conflicts among the Benin People, but with a twist in Ile Ife circumstances. The only place authoritatively that can be said to be a home for Odùduwà yesterday is Ile Ife, historical accounts on his lifetime activities as a Royal King stated no other place.
I seriously doubt, if there's any household directly connected to Odùduwà in Ile Ife today, other than the Palace of Ooni of Ife.
Among the 401 gods or 201 deities in Ile Ife, there's no singular one named Olofin Adimula or Odùduwà, why is that?
Among uncountable traditional celebrations in Ile Ife, the only place you will get a special recognition of Odùduwà is at the Gelede Cult, a female cult, where Odùduwà is depicted as a Woman, not a Man. Even in Odu Ifa, "Osa Meji", Odùduwà was depicted as a Woman, wife of Obatala. That's not to conclude he a female, but to buttress the fact that historical validations are necessary to verify truth about oral traditions and stories before admitting them hook, line and sinker.
Is there really anywhere in Yoruba Land where Odùduwà is recognised as a Deity being appeased? I seriously doubt that. Why is that so? If Truly Odùduwà was our real progenitor or the claim of him having successfully reign as a King in Ile Ife and His True blood line are spread across Yoruba Land?
WHERE OYO IS RIGHT & ILE IFE IS WRONG
That the Ooni of Ife is not a blood line of Odùduwà might be historically, culturally and spiritually correct. But are their families of note or importance in Ile Ife that is a blood line of Odùduwà? At first, Kings reigned before Odùduwà in Ile Ife, and no law or tradition conferred the singular right of Kingship on the Households of Odùduwà.
If the listing of Obatala, Obamakin, Ogun..... as Kings in Ile Ife is correct, and their offsprings reigned in Ile Ife, what gives Oyo the rights to conclude that only Odùduwà bloodline must be respected as a King of ILE IFE?
Is Ile Ife not wrong to have portrayed Odùduwà as one without equal as well? and also reference the Palace as that of Olofin Adimula, while he was just one among others, that's the reason for the wrong assumptions about our history.
For the avoidance of doubt, that someone is referred as a Priest in ancestral time didn't imply low status. Okanranjigbo, Orunmila, Obatala, Ọbàlùfọ̀n, Obalesun, Obameri, Obarese have their bloodlines as Priests till date, some of them were Kings in Ile Ife before Odùduwà and one special note is Obatala.
A TRUE KING IS A PRIEST IN SPIRITUALITY.
WHO REALLY ARE WE?
I have no iota of doubt that historical accounts are debatable and contestable, but the spiritualism of a race have a standing role in their history. Aside Alaafin Sango, deified in Oyo, though the notable Sango is Ayelegbe Orun of Ile Ife, Obatala is the topmost among the deified gods across the nooks and crannies of Yoruba Land, followed by Ogun.
Both Obatala and Ogun were Kings in Ile Ife, whether by the nomenclature of Oba or Ooni, they were Kings before and after Odùduwà, why is Odùduwà not classified among the gods? If truly he was our collective progenitor.
Do the listing of Towns associated with Yoruba, including Oyo, you will find devotees of Obatala, Ogun, Sango, Osun....... where are the Odùduwà devotees?
In real essence, the Obatala bloodline is rooted and sustained till date, same for Okanranjigbo bloodline and Orunmila bloodline, the onus of proof is on Oyo and his historians to come and proof their Odùduwà bloodline with verifiable facts that align with our CULTURE OF TRADITIONS.
ORANMIYAN/ORANYAN AS THE REAL DEAL
If there's any defense for Oyo, it's the Oranmiyan link. No one has ever disputed that Oranmiyan founded Oyo Ile , but was it before his reign as Ooni of Ife or after? Was if after he ruled Benin or before? Was if after he founded Oko or before?
Benin claimed Oranmiyan was the father of Eweka and this serves as their link with Ile Ife, historians didn't contest it, so, it's not wise to contest it, however, Benin equally silenced the Obatala bloodline fom mention. Oyo accepted Ajaka Oko, as the second Alaafin Oyo and Tella Oko( Sango), the third Alaafin, (as documented) were two direct children of Oranmiyan that succeeded him on throne in Oyo, when Oranmiyan died, why was he not buried in Oyo, why Ile Ife?
Which towm did Oranmiyan died, Oyo and buried Historians? Oyo Historians should answer this and tell us his children that witnessed his death, burial and spiritual transformation?
PATERNITY OF ORANMIYAN
Issues surrounding the interpretation of the name Oranmiyan and his true paternity are popular debates. There are conflicting reports and contestable information on this matter, whether he was truly a child or grandchild of Odùduwà or that of Ogun.
If Oranmiyan was a direct child or Odùduwà and he reigned as Ooni after Odùduwà, who succeeded him on throne from his bloodline?
If Oranmiyan was a child of Ogun and he reigned as Ooni after Ogun, who succeeded him on throne from his bloodline?
We have the answers, but can the Oyo Historical revisionists assist us, by telling us the truth? What's the true history of Ogun himself?
OYO WAS A GREAT EMPIRE, OYO IS A GREAT TOWN
Oyo was a strong federation under different Alaafin at Oyo Ile. Oyo Ile is today a sad history or sad reality, it's today a habitat abandoned by humans, at the boundaries of Kwara State and within.
Oyo is great town for Eminent Personalities, Oyo Town in Oyo State is not an empire and doesn't represent one. It doesn't even have an authority of neighbouring town of Awe and others, so, those histories of Old Time is past glory. If Oyo in it's entirety want to live to the Deserving Glory, it should go and rebuild Oyo Ile where Oranmiyan, Ajaka and Sango reigned, especially, if it's undeniable that each Alaafin must visit the abandoned site every year from atonement and sacrifices, what is Oyo Hiding?
BRITISH DOCUMENTATIONS & RECOGNITION
The British met Oyo as a brutish force and Alaafin as a Leader to be reckoned with, and the one with dominant power at that time in history and rated Alaafin as the topmost King in Yoruba Land, at that Time. An Oyo Man, Rev Samuel Johnson documented the history of our people, taking information from Oyo that no longer had a home in Ile Ife, regarded all of us as offsprings of Odùduwà without recourse to truth about others who reigned before and after Odùduwà that are not related to him by blood.
When it was later discovered that Ife is the real source and was that not what led to the effected changes?
They created the falsehood of calling all of us siblings from one father and you are still promoting that falsehood till date, what a funny situation.
HISTORICAL VALIDATIONS & TRUTH
This is the point where people who claimed to be offsprings of Odùduwà should come fore to explain their claims. You and your people recognised Obatala, Ogun, Sango......... and do regular celebrations for them, why is Odùduwà exempted from our Spirituality across the globe?
Take it or leave it, if Ile Ife is the truly our source, legitimate offsprings must have sustained bloodline and family quarters in Ile Ife.
If the OONI OF IFE is a bloodline of one Priest that was not related to Odùduwà by blood, can the children of Odùduwà tell us their sustained bloodlines and family roots in Ile Ife?, then you might discover Odùduwà had a very short reign in Ile Ife before Obatala regained the throne he lost to Odùduwà.........
Before you ask me, let me answer you: I am Igbo bloodline, Oseremagbo, Okan-Igbo, Eji-Igbo, Oko Irese, offsprings of The Mighty Spirit That Eats "Gbegbe" Leave.
ILE IFE BEFORE OYO
We matched water before matching the soil, those of us that know our roots from Ile Ife of Oranmiyan, to Oko of Oranmiyan and Oyo Ile of Oranmiyan before spreading across Yoruba Land after the fall of Oyo Ile, will never join you to insult the person that sits on the throne of our forefathers in Ile Ife.
Ooni of Ife and the Ife 13 Kings should be bold enough at this age and time, to tell us the names of their ancestral fathers, and le them swear not to hide the truth, let not the falsehood remain sustained for the sake of future generations.
"The rod dye knows the symbolism of dyes......"
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