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Our attention has be drawn to a purported press statement issued, signed and published in some national dailies on the 28th July, 2018 on behalf of Ilajo family in Kabba over the recent appointment of His Royal Majesty, Oba Solomon Dele Owoniyi as the Obaro of Kabba and Chairman of Okun Area Traditional Council by Kogi State Government by some individuals who ordinarily should be seen as an elderly persons who should be in the business of promoting the unity, peace and development of the community rather they chose to embark on a mercantile of sowing discord of war among brothers.
We would have not bother ourselves to reply the malicious press statement that is orchestrated to deliberately turn the peaceful community into a chaotic situation that will portrait the community in bad light in order for them to protect and promote their self-centered agenda but to put the record straight for the reading public to know those who are on the path of causing confusion in the community.
However, it is good to note that the Kogi State Government under the amiable, pragmatic, dynamic, young and vibrant Governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello who since he assumed office on the 27th January, 2016 has been in the business of rewriting the wrongs of the past in the state.
Since the announcement of the new Obaro of Kabba on the 19th July, 2018, Governor Yahaya Bello has rewrite the long aged wrongs and evil being perpetuated by the Ilajo people using all means including Nupe warriors and military government at different time to oppressed their fellow brothers in order to remain in power at all cost.
It is on record for a very long time in the history of the announcement of new Obaro for the community to have witness the kind of peace being witnessed right now in the community, as 7 days rain follow the announcement of His Royal Majesty, Oba Solomon Dele Owoniyi as the 44th Obaro of Kabba which the people believe it is a sign of good omen for the community.
Therefore, we were amazed and surprised to read on the pages of newspapers that crisis rock the appointment of the new Obaro of Kabba, maybe Ilajo people have another community different from Kabba, a community that was peaceful before and after the announcement, some set of people would now turn round to tell the world that there is crisis where there was none but we were not unaware of their antics to continue to promote anti-developmental norms and values to remain in power.
Brief history of Kabba community:
Kabba is the headquarters of the then Kabba Province and still the headquarter of Okun land and Kogi West Senatorial District. It is situated on latitude 07.5 oN and longitude 06o E in Kogi State, Nigeria.
Kabba community is an ancient town, fast turning to metropolis and the headquarters of the Okun speaking people; the Yorubas in Kogi State and the commercial centre of the zone.
Kabba people speak a Yoruba dialect known as Owe which means proverb. Owe was originally the name given to Oba Ajakaiye-father of the three brothers who migrated from Ile-Ife to establish Kabba over 2000 years ago, according to oral source.
The three brothers were known as Aro, Reka and Balaja. On arrival at their new domain after several other settlements, the trio established Katu, Kabba and Odolu. These names, which are according to their seniority, stemmed out of the description of the names they, gave their settlements.
History disclosed that the eldest of the trio; Aro headed Katu, Reka who followed headed Kabba while their youngest one, Balaja headed Odolu.
Later, the three settlements developed into one entity they are jointly called Oweland and constitute the three ruling groups.
Though for a long time, the settlements existed distinct of one another but a lot of political and economic activities as well as family bondage made them merge into one unit with Kabba settlement as centre.
Each group through procreation developed into lineages that formed a total of 13 clans with three from Katu, Atipa, Abata and Isoro, six from Kabba which includes, Ilemila, Idogba, Odogba, Ilajo, Ugbo and Okere while in Odolu is four clans, Ogbagi, Ijumu, Irasi and Teko.
Undoubtedly, every lineage or clan has land, worship same deity known as Ebora and has its praise name in which one or the other Obaro, Obadofin or Obajemu had once reigned in Kabba is embedded.
The 13 lineages, therefore, have unfettered access to the Obaro stool, traditionally and at inception, Kabba was ruled by a-three-tiered body of Chiefs also known as the Ololus who are Obaro, Obadofin and Obajemu. Each of the three is a three-titled chief but the Obaro is the first among equal and spokesman for the kingdom.
It is however unspeakable for Ilajo family to call someone who probably may have more stake than them in term of the enormous responsibilities our culture and tradition has placed in the hands of Odolu people, a Commoner!, calling a Prince of the land a Commoner and also ridiculing our community highly revered traditional institution with other smaller communities shows their highest level of ignorance and sense of irresponsibility.
It is not parts of our history, or culture, we really don’t know, a clan that is not the first born even in Kabba group want to lay claim to the Obaro Stool creating a ruling houses that is not in existence.
We only have 3 ruling groups as specified in the Kogi State Edict No. 12 of 1995, and the ruling groups includes, Katu
ruling group, Kabba ruling group and Odolu ruling group, aside these three groups, any other one are mere fallacy and alien to our customs, culture and tradition.
It is on records that it was during the reign of late Oba Daniel Aka that the Obaro Stool was recognized by the Northern Nigerian Government and moved from 4th Class to first Class Chief in 1980 under Kwara State Government, this was done during the administration of Governor Adamu Atta of blessed memory.
It is good to note that with the Ilajo claim of long rule as the Obaro of Kabba, the stool was never recognized until late Oba Daniel Aka Gbadebo became the 41st Obaro of Kabba in 1960 and died in early 80s before the then military Governor of Kwara State imposed the immediate past Michael Olobayo in 1985.
It is an open secret the crisis that erupted following the announcement of Michael Olobayo, a none title chief to become the Obaro of Kabba in 1985 by the military government which made the same government to constitute a Penal of Inquiry into the public disturbance in Kabba.
The Panel which was headed by Justice Gbadeyan did justice to the issue by upholding the existing rotational arrangement of the Obaro Stool among the 13 clans in Kabba before in 1995, Kogi State Government domesticated the recommendations made by Gbadeyan panel following another crisis in 1994, a Panel was setup and chairman by the current Chief Judge of Kogi State, Hon. Justice Nasiru Ajana.
Hear what one of their sons said in a research work he carried out in 1977 as an undergraduate student on Obaro Stool not been the sole ownership of their family:
“…. the Aro (Obaro) had never been, and, was not in Kabba. It was in the village called Katu and the person there under the Aro (Obaro) title at Katu village was Aiyerumi, known as the Obaro Aiyerumi of Katu…..”. James Alonge Obada, an Ilajo grandson of Mokelu, the first Obaro from Ilajo family in a petition to the District Officer, 20th January, 1933.
“One might say that the members of the Ilajo clan, having had a taste of power simply did not wish to relinquish it. However, according to the stated norms of the society, the titles of the Ololu grade (Obaro, Obadofin, Obajemu) ideally were to be rotated amongst the clans.
Furthermore, following the general myth of the Yoruba, the people of Kabba trace their origin to a common ancestor who was a princely son of Ile-Ife, thus implying that all descendants of this ancestor have the right to claim the Obaroship or the other Ololu titles “…. J.O.Gefu, an Ilajo in his Bachelor of Science Degree Long Essay” Title Succession – Structure and Functions: A Case Study of Kabba District (Owe)”. Submitted to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, 1977
In conclusion, we want to assure the government that Kabba community and indeed Okunland will continue to remain peaceful under the leadership of His Royal Majesty, Oba Solomon Dele Owoniyi as the Obaro of Kabba and Chairman of Okun Area Traditional Council.
Signed:
Kabba Owe Concerned Youths
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