Questions

Apado, Okutala, and Shao [including follow-up questions from Set 1]

Apado

1. In the 1950s, one of the leaders of the ITP was Mohammed Odeyemi Asona. Was he UMS or a Muslim?

2. In the 1970s, was Madam Ruth Ibitoye the Lady Chairman of the NPN for Apado? Or for the whole LGA?

[questions 3 and 4 removed to protect an individual]

5. Salami Elero and Memudu Olarewaju are listed as UPN leaders. Are they Muslims or Christians?

6. Is Iyaafin Ayoka Adebayo married into the royal family? What is the meaning of “iyaafin”? What is her function as “iyaafin”?

Okutala

1. Is Mr. Amos Fajobi (listed as a UPN leader in the 1970s) a member of the SDA, or ECWA?

2. Is Okutala in Lanwa District, or Ejidongari District? If it is now in Lanwa District, was it ever included in Ejidongari District?

3. What are the traditions of origin of Okutala? Eg when was it founded and by whom? Was it founded by one person or group, or by several? Where did its founder(s) come from?

Shao

1. Is Babatunde Oke the father of Wole Oke? Or other close relative? (both are listed as coming from Eiyeba Compound)

2. What secondary school did Wole Oke attend? What institution(s) of higher education did he attend? What is his profession?

3. In records of the early colonial period, the Ajia Atikekere was listed as Shao’s official “Village Head.” When was the Ohoro officially recognised as the Village Head? And how did this change come about?

4. What do Shao people remember about the Ajia Atikekere?

5. In the 1950s, did the Ohoro and his family have any political affiliation? If so, what?

6. In the 1970s, did the Ohoro and his family have any political affiliation? If so, what?

District Heads

1. Is Saidu Alao, DH of Bala and brother of Emir Abdulkadir, still alive? If not, when did he die, and who is now the DH of Bala? (give name and relationship to the royal family)

2. Who replaced Sulu Gambari as emir? In what month and year was he chosen?

3. What is the name of the present Magaji Ojuekun? In what year did he become Magaji?

Is the Magaji Ojuekun also DH of Onire? Or does the post of DH of Onire go to another member of the Ojuekun family? If so, since when has the District Headship of Onire been given to a family member, but not the Magaji Ojuekun himself?

Is there still a quarrel between the Ariyibi family (of Onire District) and the Magaji Ojuekun family? If so, in what ways has this quarrel expressed itself in recent years?

[other questions were included in this section, but no replies were received]

Local Government Areas

1. In what year were Asa, Moro, and Ilorin Local Government Areas set up?

2. In what year were they further subdivided? What were the names of the new LGAs?

3. Were these new LGAs later cancelled, and a return made to Asa, Moro, and Ilorin? If so, when?

Districts

1. At some point in the past, some villages in the southern part of Afon District became part of, I think, Oyun District. These villages included Ikotun. Can you tell me when this happened, and what other villages were involved?

2. The small village of Ajagusi used to be in Afon District. Is it still in Afon District, and if not, what district is it in? What Village Area is it part of?

3. The village of Ago Oja is in Afon District. Is it in Osin Aremu Village Area?

4. Are Gama, Oko Jimba, and Jimba Oja in Ajasse District?

J.A. Otunola and the village of Elesin-Meta

Lawyer J.A. Otunola represented the village of Elesin-Meta (in Igporin District) during the Chieftaincy Panel of the late 1970s. Is he a native of this village?

Report

APADO

1. Mohammed Odeyemi Asona was a Christian—a U.M.S. The man is dead. He died 3 to 4 years ago.

2. Madam Ruth Ibitoye was the Lady Chairman of the NPN for Apado not for the whole LGA.

[answers 3 and 4 removed to protect an individual]

5. Salami Elero and Memudu Olarewaju are listed as Christians of UMS/UMCA denomination.

6. Iyaafin Ayoka Adebayo is not married into the royal family. The word “Iyaafin” in its original meaning is the most senior woman in the palace. She is the coordinator or the reference point for all the women in the palace. In recent times the word Iyaafin has lost its original meaning and it is being used to refer to any married woman and carries the same meaning as Mrs.

Sources:

1. Mr. D.S. Banji

2. Dr. J.F. Adetunji

OKUTALA

1. Mr. Ajos Fajobi is a member of the S.D.A. He was listed as UPN leader in the 1970s.

2. Okutala is in Ejidongari District. It had ever been in Ejidongari District.

3. There is no recorded history of Okutala just like most, if not all ancient towns in Nigeria. As a result of this lack of historical record, the actual date or year of their founding can not be given. It was founded by a man called Ayinla, a hunter who moved from Ile-Ife. His first place of call where he made a temporary sojourn after leaving Ile-Ife was Shao. It was from Shao he moved to the site now called Okutala. The name Okutala derived from “Okuta Ayinla” meaning Ayinla’s Okutala. That is the spot where he first settled and with which he was highly associated. People identified the site with him and whenever people were going to visit him they would say “Anlo si Okuta Ayinla,” literally meaning, “We are going to Ayinla’s rock.” Over the years it metamorphosed to Okutala.

Sources:

NAME COMPOUND TOWN AGE

1 Mr. Amos Fajobi Ile Alagba Okutala 58

2 Hon. Stephen Wole Oke Ile Eyeba Shao  49

3 Researched and Analysed by Jimoh A. Yakubu (B.A. (Hons) (His.) Unilorin)

SHAO

1. Yes, Babatunde is the father of Wole Oke. They are both from Ile Eyeba.

2. Wole Oke attended Government College Kaduna (1961-1965) for his Secondary Education. Then he proceeded to Barewa College Zaria for his Higher School Certificate, 1966-67. After this he went to the Ahmadu Bello University between 1968-1971. He was at the Institute of Administration School of Business where he read Business Administration. He obtained his B.Sc (Hons) degree in Business Administration with a second class Upper Division.

He also attended a UNIDO-IRI course in Rome-Italy for a Certificate in Industrial Management in 1975. By training and profession Wole Oke is an Industrial Management Consultant.

3. Ajia Atikekere was never a village head in Shao, he was the district head for Oloru District.

Ohoro of Shao has from time immemorial been the village head of Shao, recognised as such during colonial period. As a matter of fact the Ohoro was recognised and graded as a traditional ruler in 1919 as “village head of Shao.” In 1983 the Ohoro was recognised and graded as a third class Chief by the civilian Administration at the time, only for the Military to divest him of this status in 1984.

4. As a matter of fact the name Ajia Atikekere will sound strange in the ears of the people of Shao today. The only person to whom the name Ajia can have any meaning is the Ohoro of Shao who by virtue of age and position must have known much about Ajia Atikekere. The present Ohoro of Shao was installed in 1947, some 49 years ago, a fact which makes him one of the oldest (if not the oldest) reigning traditional ruler in Kwara State today.

5. By virtue of his position as traditional ruler under the Northern Regional government he was coerced into supporting the political party ruling the North at the time. He was also expected then to carry all his subjects (people of Shao and environs) to the fold of the ruling party, the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC). In the 1950s therefore the Ohoro and his family could be said to be member of the Northern Peoples Congress.

6. In the 1970s, when the Second Republic was taking off with the formation of political parties, the entire people of Shao, without any exception and without dissent opted for the Unity Party of Ni#ria (UPN). The people of Shao are Ohoro’s subjects and he cannot afford therefore to go against the political current of his people. To that extent therefore the Ohoro can be said to be affiliated to the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).

Sources:

NAME COMPOUND TOWN AGE

1 Hon. Stephen Wole Oke Ile Eyeba Shao  49

2 Ahmadu Eja Oke Sinja Shao  62

3 Researched and Analysed by Jimoh A. Yakubu (B.A. (Hons) (His.) Unilorin)

DISTRICT HEADS

1. Sa-adu Alao, DH of Bala and brother to Emir Abdukadir is no more alive. He died in the y ear 1987. Sa-adu Laufe also a brother to Emir Abdukadir is the DH now.

2. Mallam Aliyu Abdukadir DH of Bala was chosen to replace Sulu Gambari as Emir on March 1st, 1992 [and reigned until] 1995. He is dead.

3. The present Magaji Ojuekun is Alhaji Sa-adu Ayinde. Magaji Ojuekun is not the DH of Onire. The post of DH of Onire is given to another member of Ojuekun family. Historically, the people of Ojuekun moved from Onire to Ilorin and settled in an area now known and called Ojuekun, therefore, both the people of Onire and Ojuekun are of the same family. The DH of Onire is Alhaji Issa Alapa. Alapa is the Headquarters of Onire District.

Onire District has not been controlled by the Magaji Ojuekun himself. Instead according to tradition where Magaji Ojuekun dies, whoever may be the DH of Onire will move down to Ilorin and take over the seat. Another member of the family will be chosen to be the DH of Onire. This only applies to Magaji Ojuekun when he dies.

Ariyibi is a village occupied by the same people of Ojuekun family. In other words, both [the] villages of Ariyibi [and] Onire and Ojuekun Ward in Ilorin township are of the same family.

The family always quarrel on land, particularly on the ownership of locust bean trees (cash crop) in the past. Locust bean trees produce “beans” every year which they use to make Local Magi [ = “Maggi cubes” i.e., flavouring for stews]. Since a lot of money is realised from it yearly the issue of who owns the land used to occur among the family members which always resulted in a quarrel, especially during the locust bean harvesting periods.

However, the quarrel had been put to rest by the late Emir—Sulu Gambari—who allocated the land to those resident at Onire and Ariyibi villages. He forbids trespass by any family member on another man’s land. Each member of the family is to man the land and the locust bean trees within his jurisdiction.

Sources:

NAME COMPOUND TOWN AGE

1 Alhaji Layinka Gambari Afin Ilorin  50

2 Alhaji Baba Balogun Retired Personnel Asa LGA 56

Officer II

3 Dr. Sule Abdul Ipata Ilorin  41

4 Alfa Yisa Subir Ojuekun Ilorin  49

5 Researched and Analysed by Jimoh A. Yakubu (B.A. (Hons) (His.) Unilorin)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS

1 Asa, Moro and Ilorin local government areas were set up in the year 1976.

2 The L.G.A. edict of 1976 which established the former 12 L.G.A.s in the State was amended by a bill of the House of Assembly. This called for more L.G.A.s bringing the total numbers of L.G.A.s in the State to 24. It was signed into law in August 1981 by the governor of the State, Alhaji Adamu Attah. Therefore Asa, Moro and Ilorin were subdivided in the year 1981.

(A) The names of the new L.G.A.s were:-

(i) Out of Asa L.G.A., Owode L.G.A. was carved out with the Headquarters at Alapa.

(ii) Out of Moro L.G.A., Orere L.G.A. was created with the Headquarters at Bode Sadu.

(iii) Out of Ilorin L.G.A., Osin L.G.A. was created with the Headquarters at Agbeyangi.

(B) However, there was another review of the edict in the year 1983 by the same governor whereby 8 additional local government areas were created, making the total number of the L.G.A.s to be 32. Out of Ilorin L.G.A. two L.G.A.s were created:-

(i) Southern Ilorin L.G.A. with the Headquarters at Oloje.

(ii) Northern Ilorin L.G.A. with the Headquarters at Pake.

(3) These L.G.A.s were later cancelled and reverted back to Asa, Moro and Ilorin in the year 1984 by the Federal Military Government under General Muhammadu Buhari and General Tunde Idiagbon.

Sources:

1 Mr. Useni Garba. Information officer, Kwara State Ministry of Information. Age 42

2 Bill of House of Assembly 1981

3 Researched and Analysed by Jimoh A. Yakubu (B.A. (Hons) (His.) Unilorin)

DISTRICTS

1. At some point in the past, some villages in the southern part of Afon District became part of Oyun Division and not District. These villages are Ikotun and Ojoku in the y ear 1968. Ojoku and Ikotun were carved out of Afon District to form Oke Ogun District in Oyun Division, with the district headquarters at Ikotun. Other villages in Oke Ogun are: Falokun Oja, Faje, Igbotele, Oke Oye, Gudugba, Oriho, Agbamun I, Agbamun II, Budo Ganmo, Falokun Panabon.

2. The small village of Ajagusi is still under Afon District.

3. The village of Ago Oja is in Afon District. It is not in Osin Aremun village area.

3b. Osin Aremun village is in Ilorin West L.G.A.

4. Gama, Oko Jimba, and Jimba Oja are in Idofian District of Ifelodun L.G.A. They are not in
Ajase District. Ajase District is in Irepodun L.G.A.

J.A. Otunola was a native of Elesinmeta. He was not a lawyer. He was a retired Agric Extension officer and a politician when he died in 1979.

Sources:

NAME COMPOUND TOWN AGE

1 Adeniyi Jimoh Ile Alagbede Ojoku  56

2 Aremun Osin Osin Aremun Osin Aremun 57

3 Researched and Analysed by Jimoh A. Yakubu (B.A. (Hons) (His.) Unilorin)