pannigeriannews 
BY AKOGUN IYIOLA OYEDEPO
There are no people, be it in a community, family, tribe or race without their own unique culture and history. That explains why there are community or family cognomen. Such cognomen creates identity for the community or the family. The history of a people has much to do with the people’s heroic past. It could also have much to do with how historical disappointments and challenges were overcome.
The main cognomen of the people of Isanlu-Isin is: Isanlu Iyeye Omo Ajokogun. Iyeye is a type of tree that provided shelter to the people and this tree was so unique and important in the historical past of our community that the tree was used to describe Isanlu-Isin Community. Ajokogun is a memory of when people valiantly danced to meet invaders and not only drove them away but also conquered them. This was not ordinary matching to the war front but rather dancing to meet the invaders. The appellation was indeed given to us by enemies that incessantly faced defeats in the hands of our dancing army. The community then became a scare to war mongers that they used to tell one and another not to go to Isanluu- Isin, where there is Iyeye tree where the people danced to capture their attackers. That is why it is often said that Isanlu-Isin was never conquered in any war. Hence it is often said and it is part of our history that ogun ko jaja ko kowa lode Isanlu ri. That explains why our annual gathering for celebration of our culture and history is called AJOKOGUN FIESTA. That of this year is the 4th in the series. The dancing army will be on display at the venue of Ajokogun 2024.
There was Ajokogun in operation when Isanlu-Isin was a republic in its own right. It was by then not part of Nigeria and there was no Nigerian Army. The Isanlu-Isin of then had its own government and army. It is to the memorable feat of that army that this annual event is dedicated. Today, there is no Ajokogun army and Isanlu-Isin is not a republic of its own. And what happened in the past is akin to the Biblical incident in 2Chronicle, 20: 21-22, where King Jehoshapalt only arranged his Army led by singers and praise singers to the Lord and with that the enemies of Juda were defeated by the ambush laid by God almighty against the enemies of His Children. Even as the community is mainly Christians today, we have embraced a God that can make us unconquerable in the face of our challenges as was done in the above passage of the Holy Bible.
But Ajokogun of this year is more than celebration of our past. What makes Isanlu-Isin unique in terms of culture and history will also be well displayed. There will be cultural exhibition where the history of the community will be pictorially displayed. Part of the events will be the display of local cuisine that may have been lost to modernity like, ewu-Iyan, lakitipa, Lagba, Ekuru, Sanpala, obe oopa, obe egungun, Isapa, etc. We shall also show case the mode of dressing of the past by men and women especially the fading hairdos of the past. The festivals of the past like the egugun elewe, layewu, paraka will be part of the celebration not with the aim of worshipping idols but as a form of entertainment. The young ones must really know where we are coming from.
Yet the AJOKOGUN FIESTA of this year will be full of colors and funs. All clubs, branches of Isanlu-Isin Development Association, the eight different wards of the community and the traditional chiefs will be in their different attires and splendor, each taking the turns to pay homage the Kabiyesi, the Alayeluwa, the Olusin of Isanlu-Isin, Oba Solomon Oloyede, Atobatele the second. The Olusin will be royally decked.
The Ajokogun of this year will also include the award of excellence to the deserving community members in different categories. The Olusin will also give titles to deserving people that are of significant to the development of the community. Since the theme of the Ajokogun of 2024 is UNITY FOR DEVELOPMENT, a paper on the theme will be presented by an erudite scholar from the community.
It will also create the opportunities to showcase the abundant tourism sites in the community. On our land, we have the Ijoko falls, Aise falls and various historical artifacts that could be of immense values to the yet to be encouraged tourism industry in Nigeria in general and Kwara State in particular.
A significant part of this year Ajokogun Fiesta is the N250m fund raising activities. The fund raising is for the purpose of construction of an ultra-modern Town Hall for the Community. To this end, several friends and lovers of the community are invited to help us generously towards our efforts to start this project very early in year 2025.
We therefore appeal to all members of Isanlu-Isin, our friends and lovers to witness this epoch-making occasion.
Thank you for coming.
Being the context of the press briefing on the 4th edition of Ajokogun Fiesta read by AKOGUN IYIOLA OYEDEPO, Chairman Planning Committee, at the Press Conference held on 10th December 2024, at Comfort Hall, No 1, Adelodun Road, GRA, Ilorin, Kwara State.
