‘Oko enjoys Aresa’s benevolence’, group fires back, cautions Oloko over revisionist statement
pannigeriannews
5 min read
A socio-cultural organisation in Iresa-Pupa town, Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State, Iresa-pupa Community Development Association (ICDA), has issued a strong statement condemning what it called as “deliberate mischievousness and highly divisive outbursts” credited to Oloko of Oko, Oba Solomon Olagoke Akinola, over his recent comment on the ownership of land and settlement in the region, especially the one directed to the ancient kingdom of Iresa.
While claiming that Iresa is not in a superiority tussle with its Oko neighbours or any other town, the group affirmed that records should be set straight for the sake of posterity.
Pan-Nigerian News reports that Oba Akinola had, on Monday, spoken in a video clip, against the claim that the Aresa settled the Oloko in his present location, as a reaction to a comment made by Olugbon of Orile-Igbon, Oba Francis Olusola Alao while receiving the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Abimbola Owoade I, in his Oril-Igbon palace.
Oba Akinola also made his comment in the presence of Oba Abimbola during the latter’s visit to Oloko Palace on Monday.
In a statement signed by the Chairman and Secretary of ICDA, Rev’d Zachaeus Olusanjo Akanni and Mr Johnson Oyebamiji respectively, the group clarified that an ancestral and cordial relationship has existed over the years between Iresa and Oko, specifically regarding their residential and settlement arrangement.
The group claimed that based on available information that was never denied by anyone in the past, they posited that Oloko is a tenant to Aresa, stemming from Aresa’s role in providing the initial settlement where the Oko ancestors were warmly welcomed and settled.
The group added that the elders of Oko have never disputed the fact.
In the full press statement, ICDA, quoting George Orwell, said, “The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.”
The the group said, “Rewriting and perverting history is an ignoble act perpetrated by revisionists, and it creates a brutal recipe for avoidable controversies and crises.
“The statement credited to Oloko of Okoland, Oba Solomon Olagoke Akintola, should only come from a novice with poor or no understanding of history. Until recent times, any anointed Oloko would always be crowned by the Aresa, which shows the landlorship relationship between the two ancient towns.
“The records lucidly proved that Oloko was never a King by tradition but a King by statue.
“We’ve read the History of the Yorubas by Samuel Johnson page to page, even though we disagreed with some of the narration. Notwithstanding, Aresa was prominently featured as one of the key and major kingdoms that Alaafin relied on for defence against invaders and marauders from the North; the name Aresa was mentioned more than 15 times in the book, along with other ancient towns like Ikoyi, Iwo and Igbon.
“We challenge Oloko to mention just a page where Oko’s name could be found in the book in reference of the community’s present location. While describing Oyo Empire, page 76 of the History of the Yoruba by Samuel Johnson said, ‘Of all the vassal kings, the Olukoyi, Olugbon, the Aresa and Timi are the most ancient’.
“We also advise that Oloko should consult the history of Ogbomoso by a renowned Ogbomoso historian, Prof. N. D. Oyerinde for more tutelage.
“Maybe Oloko should be reminded that just like Oranmiyan left Ile-Ife, Asebiyi, who was the founding father of Iresa, also left Ile-Ife; there was nothing like the Oyo Empire as of that time. Also, the enormous utterance should be corrected: Oko was not founded by Oranmiyan; Oko was founded by a grandson of Olofin named Adelowo Kele, who was exiled from Ife after he mistakenly murdered someone.
“The Oko where he settled was not the current Oko but the one closer to Oyo Ile in the present Oriire Local Government Area; the place is currently called Oko-Ile. The royal crisis made Prince Oyeyode leave Oko-Ile for the present Oko, where he sought refuge from Aresa-Pupa and the first Baale of Oko died in 1907.
“Aresa-Pupa, hitherto, shared a boundary with Ejigbo and Ola, while Aresa-Dudu shared a boundary with Ifon before the arrival of Oyeyode, and a portion of land was given to him and his people in between by Aresa out of benevolence.”
ICDA added that Oko town only had Baales who were appointed by Aresa since its inception until the 6th Oloko, Oba Isamotu Adegbele, who reigned between 1976 and 1992, sought permission from Aresa and Soun to be given a crown when Oko town was also becoming populated.
“It was the approval of Soun in connection with Aresa that made Oloko to be given a crown as gazetted by Ọlọkọ Enquiry on Obaship of Oyo State in 2001. The Gazette also recognised Oko as the first among numbers of villages and towns under Aresa-Pupa, and that is the same Gazette the current Oloko relies on to relate with the government for promotion.
“The claim that Oko shared an ancestral relationship with Oranmiyan is highly controversial and disputed, and even if Oranmiyan allegedly resided in Oko for a few years and died there, as claimed by Oba Akinola, it is definitely not the current Oko that was founded less than 200 years ago. And Iresa as a kingdom had been in existence even before the emergence of the Oyo Empire. There are several documents to support our claims, and we would be ready to tender them whenever they are required.
“On a final note, Aresa is not in a superiority battle with anyone; our Kabiyesi, HRM Oba Moses Olayiwola, JP, Ajiboye III, is a very humble and accommodating leader, and that reflects the nature of our ancestors and the reason Baale Oyeyode was warmly accepted and settled without any segregation and Oko ancestors have always respected the Aresa throne as their host.
“We, therefore, urge Oba Akinola to be dissuaded from concocting fallacies in the name of history; he should seek guidance from the elders in Oko who are well informed before making controversial statements. Let us respect our history and focus our efforts more on progress and development of our region,” the group concluded.
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