In the Humanities, the phrase ‘the part is a mirror of the
whole’ is a very popular maxim. Okeho, in very many respects mirrors what is
going on in Nigeria and in many other countries in Africa. What has just been
stated is not a hyperbole but a fact as would be demonstrated very shortly.
As stated in the blurb and Preface of the book under review,
Okeho
in History‘was commissioned to celebrate the centenary of the
relocation of Okeho back to its original site in 1917’. Besides educating everyone about the
background of the town, the underlining motive of the book is to call the
attention of the indigenes to the hopes and developmental challenges of their
community. The extent to which it lives up to this intendment would be gleaned
from an excursion we are now taking into the landscape of the 232 page
publication.
The book is divided into four parts. Part One is
appropriately titledIn the Beginning.
Part Two contains items that deal with Governance
Institutions. In Part Three, issues treated come under the collective title:
Religion and Spirituality. Issues
pertaining to Education are treated
in Part Four while Parts Five and respectively deal with The Economy and Health.Communal Life makes up Part Seven.
The final part which carries the titleConclusiondiscusses the various ways by which Okeho can be ‘taken
to greater heights’. There are ten Appendixes. Contained in these Appendices
are Traditional Political Institutions, 2. Compounds in Okeho Quarters 3.
Modern Political Institutions 4. Education 5. Health Facilities 6. Major
Businesses 7. Religion 8.Major Social Organisations 9. Entertainers and 10. An
Anthem.
Special pages are also devoted to Bibiliography, Picture
Gallery and Index.
Let me state from the onset that the author of this book,
Professor Segun Gbadegesin, although a philosopher by training and vocation,
demonstrates a good knowledge of historical ethos. This should not be
surprising since no one can be a good philosophy scholar without having a good
knowledge of some historical figures and ideas. Beyond the call of duty as a
philosophy scholar, the authoris also an individual with veritable interest in
historiography/history. An accomplished scholar, Prof Gbadegesin is also
exemplary in community service. No wonder, he was bestowed with the title of Asiwaju
of Okeholand. He has certainly been living up to the demands of this office as
attested to, among others, the publication of this book.
The book appropriately opens with the location of the
subject-matter: Okeho. The town is found in the heartland of the Yoruba nation.
Research carried out established a notion that has always been in the public
domain to wit: Okeho is an amalgamation of eleven villages. The villages voluntarily
decided to come together for protection and self-survival; a very smart move
indeed.
The villages that came together are Isia, Olele, Isemi,
Imoba, Gbonje, Oke-Ogun, Ogan, Bode, Pamo, Alubo and Ijo.
The Baale of Ijo whose domain is more strategically located
was the one that invited others at different times. For this reason, it was
conceded that he assumed the overall leadership of the new settlement. Two
points are important to be made at this juncture. The first is the mindset of
the then Onjo – an insight into the temperament of the people of yore. For the
fear of possible challenge to his leadership position, someone else might demur
in having others come near him – especially equally powerful personalities. It
is natural for one to want to be protective of one’s ‘privileged’ position.
Thus, it was not impossible that such a fear was entertained by the then head
of Ijo, Arilesire. Reading between the lines of this insightful book along with
its predecessor,
1 Itan Ilu Okeho[i]he
overall interest of the people, their safety particularly, was uppermost in the
minds of not only OnijoArilesire, but heads of the communities that decided to
amalgamate with Ijo. This was around 1800.[ii]
The second point relates to what I mentioned earlier – how
Okehomirrors Nigeria. We are aware that Nigeria is an amalgamation of several
nations.But while Okeho was able to forge a town out of several hitherto separate
settlements within a short time, the more the years advanced, the more Nigeriais
falling apart.As stated in the Preface of the book under review, ‘in the
voluntary merger and preservation of the heritage of each of the constituents,
Okeho also taught us a great lesson in the management of diversity’ Page xvii.
Considering the fact that in an occasion like this, there
would not be enough time to go into long treatise, permit me to just highlight
salient issues raised in this book.
As stated on Page 95, the economy of the community was built
on communalism in which people co-operated with a view to advancing the
interest of the individual and that of the community as a whole.
What kept this system thriving then was the honesty and
trust that abounded. On page 101 for instance, it was stated that traders used
to go to markets in many towns outside Okeho in those days. “Those who could
not go gave their products to the market delegates with the confidence that
their interest would be well-represented. This was the precursor to the
cooperative movement of later years”. (P101).
A maxim in Yoruba language has it that Bi a kobarieniba la, olakiiya. Another says Owolaa fi peenaowo. The first means that to make it in life, one
needs the support of other(s) while the second posits that one has to invest in
order to reap some dividends. What these means when taken together is that there
is the need to have sources from which people with entrepreneurial skills can
tap so as to grow their businesses. In several of his articles in his Weekly
Column in The Nation newspaper, the
author of the book under review, Prof Segun
Gbadegesin,always clamoursfor the need to implement policies
that are pro-people. In Okeho in History,
he underscores this same point very much by calling on patriotic and well-off
indigenes to pull resources together to assist ambitious but less endowed natives.
This is in line with the age-old notion of ‘agbajoowoni a fi n soya’. His advocacy is supported
by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who in his recent public speech[iii] asserts that “The long-term economic strength of the nation is dependent on how
we deploy idle men, material and machines into productive endeavour.”
What the JagabanTinubu says of the Nigerian nation is true
of Okeho. The interesting thing is that what is advocated here is not strange
to Okeho, our beloved town. Apart from the eesu,
aro, owe[iv]tc
traditions, Gbadegesin makes it known to us that such a practice has taken
place before. On page 103, he recalled that there was an explosion in transport
business as a result of credit facilities provided by AlhajiShittu Oladejo
a.k.a. Asao Motors. The challenge is thrown to EgbeOmoIbileOkeho, Okeho Strategic Development Foundation (OSRADEF)
and elites of Okeho is to pull their resources together with a view to lifting
the town up. Although eleven communities
came together to form Okeho, although there are over 240 Compounds (Agbo-ile), although
there are various political, religious, professional and sundry other groups in
Okeho, there is the need to have patriotism, love for one another and
development of the town at heart. Echoing one of the exhortations of late Onjo,
Oba Ereola Adedeji where he reminded everyone that there is only one Okeho,
Gbadegesin urges everyone to join hands together in uplifting the town by
“investing our intellectual, moral, spiritual and material resources in its
development and resources” p. 157.
At the beginning of this short Review, I talked about how
Okeho is a microcosmof Nigeria, especially in regard to the plurality of
religious faiths, historical background, politically-motivated violence as well
as failure to properly exploit available potentials for the good of all. The
only major area of difference betweenOkeho and the Nigeria nation was in how
the two were respectively amalgamated and how there is no known
religious-induced violence in Okeho – thank God! While the coming together
ofOkeho was voluntary, the coming together ofNigeria was forced. The Nigeria
nation has something to learn in how Okeho elders, more than a century ago,
forged unity among disparate communities. Nigeria leaders also have something to learn
from how the present Okeho leadership and the elites are trying to overcome
their shortcomings and build a new society that will continue to serve the best
interest of its people. They are doing this by re-examining their past, learn
from their mistakes and enhance their areas of strength. Nigeria should take a
cue by listening to the agitators of Restructuring so that components of the
country can, just as Okeho Eleven did over one hundred years ago, sit down to
discuss the terms of staying together.
2 keho in History teaches a lot of
lessons. I will mention just a few. Strength in unity p vi, how power or wealth
makes some people to misbehave (bi aye ba
ye won tan, iwaibajeni won ma n hu) p71, how treachery or undue rebellion
does not pay pp 8, 47, 59.
The personal experiences narrated by the author on pages 111
and 112/113 are quite instructive regarding the immense benefit that we can
derive from a proper co-operation between traditional and western ideas.
Incantations by a knowledgeable elder literally neutralized the venom of a
scorpion that stung the author while at school. The second experience was that
of how the western method of healthcare came to the rescue. This was how Pa
Bamimeke used a vacuum to bring out the cockroach that sneaked into the writer’s
ear, p112.
Before rounding off, it would be remiss of me if I failed to
mention areas that would need edification or emendation in the next edition of
this historical book. Translation of the Yoruba expressions on pp 24 and 29 is
desirable as was done for those on pages 40, 57, 67,130 etc. Also, ‘house fire’
on page 71 in reference to Sango ought to be ‘thunderbolt (ara)’. A person who
is not familiar with Oyo State may not realize that the School of Hygiene being
referred to on P 90 is the one in Ibadan as only Eleyele was mentioned. ‘Ward
off’ should replace ‘wade off’ on page 6. Efforts should also be made to ensure
that the missing letters in such words as Isemi, 6, 13, 23 Alase 13, Ayoola 45
to mention a few are inserted. The phrase “There, Olujumo, Olujide, and
Adeniyi” p42 is hanging. In the same
vein, I hope that the name of notable Okeho professionals like LereShittu will
find a place among Journalist/Broadcasters (p179). Luckily, the author promises
that the missing ones will be included in subsequent editions.
A few words on the role normally played by Ifa in the choice
of a king would be helpful (p42).
Readers would be better informed by knowing who the first Onibode is
P30.
In his concluding remarks, Gbadegesin states “We need others
as they need us to make the world a habitable and better place for all people.”
(P157). This message is for Okeho people as it is for the people of Okeogun as
well as Nigeria as a whole.
I like to end this Review by echoing His Royal Highness, Oba
RafiuOsuolale Mustapha Adeitan II in his Foreword to this book. He commends the
book to all sons and daughters of Okeholand because “There is a wealth of
information there for everyone to cherish” pxiv. Except that the book is
recommended not just to indigenes of Okeholand but to all Nigerians and several
others across the world due to the universal messages contained therein.
Thanks for your attention.
*JareAjayi, a poet,
novelist and playwright is a journalist and social worker dedicated to
community service among others.
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