INVESTIGATION: Between Akeredolu and the Deji of Akure – Who is protecting tradition?
*The background *The fact-check *The verdict: Outcome of a team-based investigation
By KEMI KASUMU
“Overall, it does appear that the directive of the Ondo State Government will now compel the Deji of Akure, his chiefs, and supporters to obey their own ancient practices and traditions going forward. It is therefore an irony, that it is indeed the government that is protecting traditions! The attempt to instigate the people against the governor is therefore premised on untruths, the fact-check showed.
The Oyemekun Development Initiative (ODI) and other supporters of the Deji of Akure recently accused the governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, of “riding roughshod over the culture and tradition” of Akure people. The subject matter is the recent ban on the closure of businesses in any part of Ondo State. They interpreted this as a move targeted at the Deji of Akure over his recent confrontation with the Iralepo of Isinkan on the issue of market closure. Our team had extensive interactions with people who should know and came up with a verdict backed by video evidence.
Background
A week ago, Akure and one of its closest neighbors, Isinkan, were poised for what was to become an epic showdown. A statement issued that Sunday by the Deji of Akure, Oba Ogunlade Aladetoyinbo through Michael Adeyeye, his chief press secretary, informed residents of the state capital that “no trading or opening of shops under any guise” would be allowed on Monday 22nd of 2022 during the annual Aheregbe festival celebration.
Perhaps, sensing that the Deji might be targeting the extension of the festival to his domain, the newly installed Iralepo of Isinkan, Oba Oluwagbemiga Olofin-Adimula, quickly issued a message congratulating the Deji and inviting shoppers in Akure to patronize markets in Isinkan thereby firmly signifying that markets and shops would remain open in Isinkan.
The Deji however responded that his market closure order would be extended to Isinkan. The Deji thus threw down the gauntlet. The Iralepo picked it. The Isinkan Monarch not only ensured that no Aheregbe adherent entered anywhere in Isikan, but he also ensured that markets in Isinkan were opened throughout the celebration of the Aheregbe festival. Not even a late directive by policemen who claimed to be acting on the orders of the Iralepo to close markets for security reasons had any substantial impact. A few market women that hearkened to the directive of the police briefly closed their shops only to quickly re-opened them joining their colleagues to insist upon a direct communication from the Isinkan traditional ruler.
Just when everyone thought the issue had been laid to rest, the Ondo State Government on Wednesday 24th August 2022 issued a directive placing a ban on the closure of markets across the entire state during festivals. In the future, any Oba desirous of closing a market would have to secure a formal clearance from the state governor and he would only be able to close his own Oba’s market. The reason given was because of the rampant looting that accompanied the last Aheregbe festival.
Most analysts however hold the view that though the looting spree was a serious cause for concern, the action of the government was likely precipitated by the crisis generated by the insistence of the Deji of Akure to close shops and markets in the domain of another traditional ruler – an action that could snowball into a major crisis in the future if not decisively handled as the state government has now cleverly and firmly done.
In a statement issued by the Ooye Development Initiative (ODI)’s Secretary, Professor Abiodun Ayodele and Publicity Secretary, Dr. Festus Adedayo, the group said “we consider the statement [banning the closure of markets and shops by Obas] a continuation of the Oluwarotimi Akeredolu government’s persistent riding roughshod over the people of Akure, hostility to their ANCIENT PRACTICES (emphasis ours) and persistent disregard for their monarchy and the monarch”.
Many supporters of the Deji of Akure have expressed a similar sentiment on social media. A group named Akure Youth Coalition released a statement on Saturday through its President, Comrade Tuyi Adekanbi, and Public Relations Officer, Prince Iteyemi Adegororye, accusing the governor of an “attempt to trample and attack [the} culture as well as denigration of [the] traditional institutions [of Akure]”.
The fact-check
A fact check by our team however revealed a staggering contradiction. For instance, a majority of elderly people in Akure contacted by our team to serve as witnesses of truth affirmed that it is true that the Aheregbe festival is never observed in Isikan or get near Isinkan. Babatunde Adedipe for instance explained to our team that “from time past, all markets would be closed in Akure during Aheregbe and our people in Akure would then go to the market in Isinkan to buy essential things during Aheregbe. Even to pound yam, we would either go to Isinkan or Isolo in those days during the festival”. We equally spoke to elderly people in Isinkan who corroborated this assertion.
To eliminate any doubt, we decided to speak to people who are currently in their 50s and 60s who once resided in Isinkan but who are not indigenes of Isinkan about whether they remember Isinkan markets and shops being locked during Aheregbe festivals while they were young residents of Isinkan. Again their responses were affirmations that they never witnessed the locking of shops and markets in Isinkan in their formative years.
For third-party opinions, we interacted with elderly people in Oba-Ile which is considered the cradle of the festival. All the elderly people our team spoke to in Oba-Ile firmly asserted that the Isinkan community has always been exempted from Aheregbe and its associated celebration and enforcement known as Isibi. Isibi (or Esibi) is the traditional term that embodies the totality of the celebration of Aheregbe, its dance, its rules, and the enforcement of those rules. None, they said, ever crossed over to Isinkan.
Pa. Michael Ayejusi in Oba-Ile stated that “there is a deity in Isinkan that forbids the presence of Aheregbe”. He added that “there is no Oba-Ile festival or Akure festival that ever crosses to Isinkan. That is the way we met the practice from the hands of our forefathers. I think it is also a traditional method of affirming the independence of the Isinkan people”.
However, we assumed that perhaps these ordinary members of the society who are neither chiefs nor priests may not know certain things. We, therefore trawled through publicly available media interviews to obtain the position of Aheregbe priests on the matter.
The Osukute of Akure, High Chief O. Ogunleye, while trying to promote the position of the Deji unwittingly volunteered a crucial piece of information to the effect that “during Aheregbe, by custom and tradition, the only markets opened would be the ones in front of the Baobab tree in the Iralepo’s home in Isikan and his counterpart in Isolo” according to “ancient practices”.
We contacted the Ojomu of Isinkan, High Chief Oluwatuyi Daisi, about the assertion of the Osukute of Akure. The Ojomu told us that the only three facts that the Osukute of Akure left out were that “up until 1976, the Oba’s market in Isikan was located right in front of the palace of the Iralepo just like the Oba’s market in Akure was located right in front of the palace of the Deji”.
Secondly, “that growth in trade and commerce led to the transfer of that market to a larger piece of land by the Yeye Grove, its present location after the market had spent 90 days beside Elegboroko as part of a ritual of movement”. Thirdly, ”the Osukute should have stated that for reasons he may pretend not to know, but which Isinkan chiefs cannot pretend not to know, the culture and traditions of Isinkan people are different from and independent of the culture and traditions of Akure people”.
On his part, after claiming in support of the Deji that the latter can order the closure of any market, the Asoga, Chief Niyi Jayeoba, who is saddled by the Deji with the task of a Chief Priest and Chief Enforcer of Aheregbe and whose duty it is to lead the ‘Isibi’ to enforce compliance, the Asoga stated firmly and with finality that “Isibi does not go near Isinkan”.
For balance, we subjected his views to the Aro of Isinkan, High Chief (Sir) Kolawole James. The Aro told us that while “politician-turned-chiefs or traditional rulers can speak anyhow, the Asoga is a priest, and his role as a priest imposes that duty upon him in order to avoid Eewo (taboo). That is why he sharply spoke the truth that Isibi does not enter or come near Isinkan land.
“He made his other feeble claim on the limitless power of the Deji to order market closure in another Oba’s domain to assuage the Deji’s ego because the Asoga knows the impact of the truth he just confirmed on the real tradition of Akure people.
“Once he confirmed that Isibi, the troop that enforces Aheregbe, is forbidden from entering Isinkan, that should let you know the truth whether the Deji has the power to close shops and markets in Isinkan where his troops are forbidden from entering”.
The Aro added that “more importantly, these current Akure leaders are wantonly violating their culture and traditions. They have no regard for tradition. We wanted to work with them before, but they have shown in their attitude that we are not wanted. Our late Oba spent 43 years trying to be their friend. Oba Olu Ojo bent over backward and even called the Deji “our father”.
“But they were never satisfied. Look at the way they treated him. We are not Akure people. We are Isinkan people. We are not on Akure land, we are on Isinkan land. Prominent Obas that include the Alara of Ilara in fact confirmed that a substantial part of what they occupy as Akure land today belongs to Isinkan. The records are there. Their very own history confirmed this,” he said.
The verdict
The culture and traditions of Isinkan people are different from those of Akure people despite the proximity of the two communities. Elders of both communities agree unanimously that Aheregbe and other festivals of Akure do not get into Isinkan. Elders from adjoining third-party communities confirmed that Isinkan maintained absolute independence on matters of culture and traditions.
People from Akure and elsewhere who lived in Isinkan in the 70s and 80s confirmed that Akure festivals were not extended to Isikan. Relevant traditional titled chiefs of Akure, especially those that can be described as subject matter experts or High Priests of Aheregbe confirmed that Isibi, i.e., the eponymous celebration of Aheregbe, and the enforcement of compliance with the rules associated with Aheregbe, do not get to, enter into or go near the territories of Isikan.
Therefore, the outcome of the investigations revealed, the claim that the Governor of Ondo State rode roughshod or showed hostility to the ANCIENT PRACTICES or trample and attack (the) culture and tradition of Akure by the actions of the Executive Council of Ondo State, is FALSE. On the contrary, the Deji of Akure heedlessly attempted to violate the tradition of Akure and actively sought to desecrate the culture, customs, and the age-long traditions of a neighboring community.
Overall, it does appear that the directive of the Ondo State Government will now compel the Deji of Akure, his chiefs, and supporters to obey their own ancient practices and traditions going forward. It is therefore an irony, that it is indeed the government that is protecting traditions! The attempt to instigate the people against the governor is therefore premised on untruths, the fact-check showed.
As analyzed, Isikan (and Isolo) has separate customs and traditions. The reader is nevertheless invited to watch the attached video for the assertions of the High Chiefs of Akure on the exemption and respect conferred on Isinkan by the traditions of Akure as a rival community.
