Alhaji Sola Bello was appointed in 2007 as Chairman of the Annual Ojude Oba Planning Committee in Ago-Iwoye. In this interview, he shares his experience about the activities of the committee and the benefits of Ojude Oba celebration to Ago-Iwoye.
Excerpts:
What is the significance of Ojube Oba celebration?
Ojude Oba celebration is a unique event in the sense that the present Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye, Oba Abdul-Razaq Adesina Adenugba belongs to Regberegbe in Ijebu-Ode, and has been participating in the Annual Ojude Oba celebration there before he ascended the throne. His dream was that Ojude Oba celebration in Ago-Iwoye would be like that of Ijebu Ode or surpass it. So, after he became the Ebumawe in 2004, he started nurturing the Ojude Oba celebration in Ago-Iwoye. He set up a committee headed by Alhaji Yesiru Yisau (YY) which organized the Ojude Oba celebration in 2005 and 2006.
In 2007, I came in as the Chairman of Ojude Oba Planning Committee. Kabiyesi specifically told me that he would like the Ojude Oba celebration in Ago-Iwoye to be a point of reference in Ijebuland. By that time, there was no Regberegbe in Ago-Iwoye or let me say that the Regberegbe that existed during the days of our fathers was not like what we have today. So, we started by inviting the Baloguns in the Quarter Councils to participate in the Annual Ojude Oba festival because Regberegbe was no longer in existence.
Thereafter, Ebumawe resuscitated Egbe Bobakeye as a Regberegbe but it could not participate in Ojude Oba until 2008. It was only Egbe Bobakeye which the Kabiyesi belongs that was participating in Ojude Oba until 2010 when other Regberegbes such as Egbe Bobagunte, Egbe Gbobaniyi, Egbe Jagunmolu, Egbe Arobayo and the rest came on board. I must tell you that members of these Regberegbes also had big dreams. Some wanted to be the Giwa, Iyalode, Asiwaju, Balogun of their respective Egbe.
Ironically the dream of becoming leaders in some of the Regberegbes later split them into factions when they could not step down for one another. The Ojude Oba Planning Committee tried to resolve the crisis that led to factionalisation, but was not successful. It is only Egbe Bobakeye, Egbe Bobagunte and Egbe Gbobaniyi that are not in factions.
What does Ojude Oba celebration stand for?
In Ijebuland, the royal fathers donate rams to the Muslim community in their respective towns to be slaughtered at Eid ground during Eid-el-Kabir also known as Ileya festival. On the third day of the Ileya festival, people of the town will go and pay homage to the royal father to thank and pray for him. They do this with a lot of fanfare which includes horse riding by the Baloguns.
Nowadays, the Regberegbes add glamour to it by coming in uniform attires, dancing round the town to create awareness about their Egbe and engaging in healthy competition to outdo one another. Our Kabiyesi do give us money to organize a befitting Ojude Oba celebration.
When I became the Chairman in 2007, we were giving the Baloguns cash prize for their horse riding performance. At this point, I have to thank some people in Ago-Iwoye, particularly members of the Ojude Oba Planning Committee for their support and contributions to the Ojude Oba celebration. I also want to thank the likes of Oluomo Femi Bakre and his wife, Alhaji Adenusi, Murphy Adesegun, Tele Ogunjobi, Sayo Soyewo, who shared the occasion twice, Tunde Olufowobi, who also shared the occasion twice and other sons and daughters of Ago-Iwoye who have been supporting us.
The hospitality business in Ago-Iwoye also benefits from Ojude Oba celebration because of high patronage it gets from indigenes and visitors who lodge in the hotels for several days. For instance, I have two houses in Ago-Iwoye, but when my children and their friends come for the Ojude Oba event, they go to either Limelite Hotel or Townend Suites for lodgement.
What benefits have the people of Ago-Iwoye derived from the Annual Ojude Oba Festival?
The Ojude Oba festival brings enlarged economic value to Ago-Iwoye. Like I said earlier, the hospitality business in Ago-Iwoye is one of the major beneficiaries of the Ojude Oba festival. Before, it was hospitality business in Ijebu-Ode that was reaping from the annual festival, but now that we have many hotels in Ago-Iwoye, people now prefer to lodge there, thereby boosting the revenue of such hotels that are owned by Ago-Iwoye indigenes. Also, the Ojude Oba festival boosts the patronage enjoyed by the traders who use the occasion to make more money. Ileya festival, which lasts for about three to four days is a period that everyone looks forward to. If you go round the town at that time, you will see a boom in the economic activities.
Many people who were afraid to come to Ago-Iwoye before, now take the opportunity of the Ojude Oba celebration to visit the town and unite with their families. In fact, the Ojude Oba celebration has further united Ago-Iwoye more than before.
Tell us some of the challenges you have faced as the Chairman of Ojude Oba Planning Committee and how they were surmounted.
The challenges are numerous, but I want to tell you that Chief Jubril Martins-Kuye (JMK), who died recently was a prominent supporter of the Annual Ojude Oba celebration. Chief Kuye would give me money; N100,000.00, N200,000.00 for the planning of the Ojude Oba celebration, and he was very consistent with this kind gesture. JMK would tell me: “My brother, the Oba has the town, I’m just an indigene, Ebumawe is the owner of the town and I have to support him. Get this money to start the planning”.
Every year, he gave us the money and the chairs we will use at the event will be taken from his house. Apart from this, after attending the Ojude Oba in Ijebu-Ode, he would make himself available at the Ojude Oba in Ago-Iwoye, where he would give us money. Such was the great contribution we enjoyed from Chief Martins-Kuye.
I must not forget to acknowledge the contributions of Balogun of Isamuro, Alhaji Sefiu Adesina Rasak, who used to bring 10 horses to Ojude Oba with many followers. He financed this singlehandedly.
I’m happy that Ojude Oba in Ago-Iwoye has now been strengthened, and people no longer abandon Ago-Iwoye to attend Ojude Oba in Ijebu-Ode as was the case before. The credit for this has to be given to our highly supportive Kabiyesi, Oba Abdul-Razaq Adesina Adenugba, whose vision for a great Ojude Oba in Ago-Iwoye has come to fruition.
I want to use this opportunity to congratulate our Royal Father, Oba Abdul-Razaq Adesina Adenugba, the Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye, on his 65th Birthday Anniversary. I wish him more prosperous years on the throne with sound health.
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