History Of Ondo

According to Benin oral account, the founders of Ondo migrated from Udo town in Benin Kingdom. They fled Benin during the Benin-Udo war. The word Ondo was derived from “Emwan N’Udo” (a Benin phrase which means “people of Udo”). Similarly, the title of the traditional ruler of Ondo “Osemawe of Ondo “ was derived from Osemwughe, name of the Benin warrior who led the migrants from Udo to the place which is now known as Ondo.

Sitting among the thickly forested planes that characterize southwestern Nigeria are the towns and communities that make up the Ondo Kingdom. Located some 300kilometres to the north-east of Lagos, Nigeria’s economic nerve centre and 45kilometres west of Akure, the Ondo State capital, the Kingdom is easily reached by road from all parts of the country. The Ondo people are one of the largest South-west subgroups, situated in the eastern part of the Yoruba speaking area of Nigeria. The weather elements that characterize the region are those typifying the rainforest region of Sub-Sahara Africa.

The descent of Ondo people, as well as the geography of the Kingdom does not reflect any significant deviation from those of other towns and communities peopled by the Yoruba of south-westernNigeria, who are virtually agreed on the common paternity of Oduduwa. However there exists still, as in most historical collections, about three separate accounts that explain the origin of the Ondo people. While some of the people of the Kingdom, almost in unison rejected a version that links its origin to the Old Benin Kingdom in present day Edo State, as being the invention of its proponents, there seems to be some level of convergence on the other two accounts which trace the origin of the people to Ife and Oyo respectively. While an outright invention of any historical account, as attributed to the Benin Kingdom version, may be unlikely, the symmetry of the more widely held versions of the origin of the people are herein reflected with the major dissonance being in the origin from either Oyo or Ife. But on a broad outlook, the two accounts seem to point towards the same direction.

BRIEF HISTORY OF AKURE KINGDOM

Oral tradition states that Akure was founded by a prince named Omoremi, son of Ekun and grandson of Oduduwa Omoluabi, the royal progenitor of the Yoruba tribe. The Prince left Ile-Ife, his grandfather's kingdom, in search of a place to settle after passing a strict test administered by Oduduwa himself. This test wherein he was kept in solitude for about nine (9) days is still annually commemorated in Akure today by the reigning king of the town during a ceremony known as 'Oba wo ilesunta'. 

At the point where the prince and his party arrived at the exact location of the modern city, the string holding the heavy royal beads on his neck is said to have snapped, thus causing the people to exclaim "Àkún rę" (or The beads have snapped), this later becoming the name of the settlement they established on the site. Over time, the phrase was whittled down through its constant use to become Akure. [citation needed]

Omoremi is said to have hunted with his entourage while on his way from Ile Ife. He arrived in Akure and was proclaimed the Person who hunted and arrived with royalty, i.e., Asodeboyede. Originally, the kings of Akure that were born of him were referred to as Ajapada. The title Deji of Akure started with Oba Arakale, whose father took the daughter of Oba Atakumosa, the Owa of Ijeshaland as one of his wives while the latter was on his way to Benin. By the time Oba Atakumosa was returning to Ilesha from the pilgrimage, his daughter (Owawejokun) had given birth to a son. 

While other dignitaries gave the little baby common gifts, Oba Atakumosa was said to have presented his grandson with a small diadem. Owafadeji i.e., Owa gave him a diadem or royal crown became the nickname of the young boy, and by the time he reached his adulthood it had become his de facto name. When Owafa'Deji became Oba, the appellation assumed a titular importance and because of his prominence as an Oba, subsequent Obas or kings assumed the title while the advent of the modern era has formally made Deji the official title of the Obas of Akure. However, the original title of Ajapada has remained a significant part of the Deji's ceremonial style till the present day.

The Oba's Palace in the centre of the town was built in 1150 AD.[5] During its long history, the city-state of Akure was at times independent, at times subject to other states. There is a sizable population of Bini origin. Akure was the main base for Benin's trade in the area, and at times seems to have been considered within the western frontier of Benin. The Benin historian Egharevba refers to suppression of resistance by "rebellious Akure" during the reign of Oba Ewuare of Benin (1440–1473), although the king was allowed to remain as nominal ruler. Another rebellion is recorded a century later during the reign of Oba Ehengbuda of Benin.

Akure had regained independence by the early 19th century, but around 1818 it was recaptured by Benin forces and the Deji was executed.After 1854, Akure and other Ekiti towns came under the rule of Ibadan, which lasted until a rebellion in 1876 followed by a prolonged war between the Yoruba states.

Towards the end of the 19th century the British based on their Lagos Colony had established a protectorate over the area, although they ruled through "native" administrations. The British sought to combine the Ekiti kingdoms of the region into a single administrative unit, against resistance by the Ekiti people who preferred local autonomy. In 1899 Ekiti and Ilesha formed the northeastern division of the protectorate. In 1915, Ekiti, Owo and Ondo were combined to form the Ondo Province with headquarters at Akure. Ondo Province later became part of Western State. In 1976 the old Ondo State was formed, and in 1996 Ekiti State was split off from the modern Ondo State, which has Akure as its capital.

Akure indigenes are fondly called “Omo Akure Oloyemekun a mu ida s’ile m’ogun enu pani” (meaning sons and daughters that sheathed the sword and kill with mouth). It is also a common knowledge for an Akure indigene to regard himself as Omo Ekun (son of a tiger).

OLOOLU – THE FATHER OF ALL MASQUERADES IN IBADAN

Egungun (masquerading) is a popular practice among the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. They see it as a channel to connect themselves to their ancestors.

Oloolu is one powerful egungun or eegun in the Yoruba city of Ibadan. Oloolu is not in any way strange to Ibadan natives and dwellers. At the mention of Oloolu, Ibadan people, women especially, shiver in fear which ascertains the claim that Oloolu is the most feared masquerade in Ibadan and one of the most revered in the entire Yorubaland and Africa.

Oloolu masquerade is feared because of its powers, history and sacrality. Women are not allowed to see Oloolu because of the female skull attached to the top of its costume. It is believed that if a woman stares at Oloolu, she will miss her menstruation and might even die.

It is also believed that on the first appearance of Oloolu, the first person it sees will fall ill and if necessary rites are not performed on time, the person might die.

History of Oloolu Masquerade:

The history of Oloolu masquerade has it that a brave warrior named Ayorinde Aje who fought battles alongside Oderinlo, Ogunmola, Ogbori-efon and other Ibadan warriors, went to war in Ogbagi, a town in Akoko, in present Ondo State.

During the war, no one was able to face the powerful war masquerade of the town which was Oloolu. Ayorinde Aje was the only one who challenged and defeated the masquerade. He then took the Oloolu bearer captive and led him to Ibadan.

On the way, the bearer’s refused to proceed with the journey and in annoyance, Ayorinde Aje beheaded her and commanded her husband to add her head to the costume of Oloolu. This was how Oloolu masquerade began in Ibadan and why women are forbidden to look at it.

Oloolu masquerade comes out every July to celebrate Oloolu festival which is believed to bring blessings upon the land. At every appearance, Oloolu masquerade goes around the heartbeat areas of Ibadan such as Popo-Yemoja, Beere, Oja’ba and others.

Whenever Oloolu is out, no other masquerade is allowed to perform, or else, it will meet its waterloo. History has it that during the reign of Olubadan Dada, a masquerade called Iponri-Iku came out when Oloolu was performing. This enraged Oloolu and he challenged Iponri-Iku.

Gossip House gathered that Oloolu dropped a mystical cowry on the ground and dared Iponri-Iku to pick it up. As Iponri-Iku bent down to pick the cowry, he broke his spine and died eventually. Since then, no masquerade dare challenge Oloolu.

The tradition of Oloolu forbids its bearer to meet his woman 30 days before coming out. Also, during the display, the bearer must not wear shoes or carry any load other than the Oloolu costume which includes different pieces of clothes, a net, a human thigh bone, and a female skull attached to its head which makes it look more dreadful.

The skull is that of the woman whom history said was beheaded by the warrior Ayorinde Aje. Back in the olden days, Oloolu used to wear a mask that detects the presence of women. But it was said that the mask was lost to Europeans who took it to their land.

No one can deny the fact that Oloolu is the most popular, feared and celebrated masquerade in Ibadan.

Laura Adorkor Koffi Ga Adangbe Prophetess from Gold Coast Ghana and her role in Pan Africanism in America

Laura Adorkor Koffi was a religious leader and Pan-Africanist who created the African Universal Church. Koffi was born circa 1895 in a Ga village outside of the city of Accra in Ghana.

In the early 1920s, Koffi served as a Prophetess in the Asofa village and ran a mission in Kumasi. Koffi moved to the United States via Canada in the mid 1920s and was a guest speaker in Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) divisions throughout the United States and Central America. Koffi gained significant recognition within the UNIA when she spoke in front of its members in Miami’s Liberty Hall in March 1927. Koffi boldly claimed to be the daughter of King Knesipi of the Gold Coast. Her oratorical skills bolstered her popularity, making her one of UNIA’s most recognizable leaders. With that popularity, Koffi attracted thousands of new members into the UNIA from Daphne, Alabama; and five Florida cities, Miami, Jacksonville, St. Petersburg, Tampa, and West Palm Beach.

Koffi sudden rise led some members of the UNIA to question her origins and true intentions. Marcus Garvey, the founder and leader of the UNIA, began to despise Kofifi visibility within the organization. When Garvey heard that Koffi was suspected of raising funds to buy ships for her own African repatriation mission, Garvey dispelled her from the UNIA and called her a fraud in the Negro World newspaper. In response, Koffi created the African Universal Church in Jacksonville in 1928.

Koffi held church meetings, mainly in Jacksonville and Miami, where her talks were frequently disrupted by UNIA members. Koffi was assassinated on March 8, 1928, while giving a sermon in Miami’s Liberty Hall.

She was shot twice in the head from a crack in a door near the pulpit before an audience of 200. The shots killed Koffi upon impact. Audience members seized Maxwell Cook, a highranking official in the UNIA’s local branch, and beat him to death. Later Miami police arrested James Nimmo, a leader of the Universal African Legions, the paramilitary auxiliary group of the UNIA, and Claude Green, president of the UNIA’s local chapter. Green and Nimmo were tried and found not guilty on July 10, 1928, due to insufficient evidence. Three separate funeral services were held for Koffi in Miami, Palm Beach, and Jacksonville where she was buried on August 17. Hundreds of people attended when Koffi was finally laid to rest.

Koffi espoused a brand of Pan-Africanism that encouraged Black people to embrace African culture, become economically self-sufficient, and seek out religious redemption. The African Universal Church continued to advance Koffi”s  ideas after her assassination. Since 1928, the church has engaged in mission trips to the African continent, developed African history programs, created industrial clubs, and established communities, such as Adorkaville in Jacksonville. Leaders in the church’s early history were primarily migrants from different countries on the African continent. They gave free lessons to U.S. born church members on how to read and communicate in Bantu languages and taught songs in the Xhosa language. Two African Universal Churches still exist today, one in Jacksonville and one in Daphne, Alabama.

BRIEF HISTORY OF IRAGBIJI TOWN IN OSUN STATE

For those steep in the tradition and history of Yorubaland, the mention of Iragbiji always evokes the people’s traditional praise them: “Iragbiji oloke meji tako tabo lori agba”. It means Iragbiji made up of two rocks male upon the female. The modest town with a rather slow laid back mien common to most small towns in the semi rural areas, is scenic. It has one major road from Ikirun meandering through the town heading to Igbajo, Ada and other towns. There are other small roads.

The towns visage is greatly influence by the rocky hills that form a kind of arc round it. But the hills are not austere. Trees, shrubs and other economic plants fight with the igneous rocks fro space. It is as if they have reach a kind of mutual agreement that but the trees and the rock should co-exist side-by-side for the sustenance of the community.

Here man and nature, most especially the hills, have come to co-exist that one can hardly be mentioned without the other. Although hills are  the basis for the aesthetic beauty of this town, but it actually one of the hills, Okanyilule that has become the symbol of the town.

Okanyilule spectacular hill is at the back of the town towards the boundary between the Iragbiji people and Obaagun town. The rocky hill juts out high into the sky. Right on top of the rock another one is delicately place as if a superhuman giant had picked the rock and balance rock on top. It is a spectacle and marvel for many. It is from this rock that Iragbiji people got cognomen. Moving inside hill area is difficult with rocks and shrubs blocking the way. But finally one managed to make the it to the hill of course with scratches from plants. The site was worth the trouble. But according to the natives, there was more to the hills than the aesthetics.

Oba Abdul-Rasheed Olabomi is the traditional ruler of the town. Cultured and well educated, talking about the tourist endowments of Iragbiji, most especially the famous Okanyilule hill seems to bring the out him. He has deep knowledge about his town’s history and talks about it like a history professor lecturing university students. He occasionally laced his speech with Yoruba songs in praise of his town. He talks about the Okanyilule hills: “The Okanyilule Hill is historical to Iragbiji. It is a monument that really depicts and connotes what Iragbiji is. Part of our cognomen says ‘Iragbiji owners of double hills, one fell down, while the other is still standing.’ Okunyilule has a history dating back to about 200 years ago.

There was a dispute over the ownership of the hills area and the land around it. It involved the then monarch of Obaagun, a neigbouring town to Iragbiji. The monarch of Iragbiji then was Oba Oloyede Dada. Then there were no policemen, there were no soldiers and there were no courts; but traditionally, when issues like that arose, our people in the past had their own method of settling such dispute. What was then was to invite all the Obas around Iragbiji area. It involved the then Timi of Ede, the then Ataoja of Osogbo, Oragun of Illa. All of them went to the foot of the hills and asked each of the monarch to prove that their ownership. Eventually the Aragbiji said, to prove that he was the owner of the land and the hills, that within seven days, the two hills, Tako-Tabo, one male and one female standing on each other, one will roll down within seven days. The then Oloba Agun said nothing of such would happen. To the glory of Almighty God, on the third day, the small hill sitting on the other one, one of them rolled and fell down.

Since then, Iragbiji has considered the Okunyilule hill a monument. In fact every year, people go there salute the courage of our forebears who were able to stand by the truth, uphold and also say the truth. We also commend the gods who allowed the truth to manifest in the rolling down of one of the hills. Today, it is the symbol of Iragbiji on our letter head. Anything we do, we would always allude to the Okanyilule hill. It is one of our prime monuments. We are proud of it.”

So, what are some of the things to attract a tourist to Iragbiji. The Oba has an answer: “Around the Okanyilule Hils, we have about four sites. There is a source of water at the Okayilule Hills. There is the site where the earliest migrants to iragbiji, called Iledesi,. That was where they settled. There is also a source of water we call Oloti. It was not Oloti from source, it became Oloti down the stream. If you get in there, you will see the marvels of the work of Almighty God, how water is gushing out from the base of the rock. It is as site to behold.

“When you leave there, you want to visit Oke Iragbiji itself, which has its own historical connotation. It started with the establishment of Iragbiji, about 600 years ago.

“History has it that our great grandfather, Sokungbade, was a great man, a hunter . when he arrived here, he went on hunting expedition to the pick of the hill, Oke Iragbiji. He was chasing an antelope and the antelope entered a hole on top of the hill. History has it that he entered and and the antelope and the hunter came out in front of what we now have as the palace. We cannot prove the veracity of that claim, but that is in our oral history. In those days, so many things did happen that we will see now and feel they are unbelievable. Since that time, our people have been celebrating the hill annually in what we call, Oke Iragbiji Odun rioke. We normally celebrate it last week of July every year. On top of that hill too, we have the Ayeye stream.

The stream has its source, on top of the hill. The water is always very clean and chilled. Then it was forbidden for anybody who was not a prince to go there draw water or have anything to do with it because it was sacriligoues. The water, before now, was said to be highly medicinal for barren women. The beleive3 was very strong that taking a cup full of that water, a barren woman would conceive. During annual festivals, people go to the stream to make a lot of pledges, the barren, sick and so on. history has it that about 100 years a go, there was an outbreak of small pox all around the then Yoruba land, if not Nigeria. That it was the water from Ayeye stream that was taken to heal the ailment. So, the water is regarded as highly medicinal and spiritual.

“We leave that place, we have the traditional wall fence, Odi. We have tow types: the earth wall fence and the rocky wall fence. According to our history, the two types were put up by extra-terrestrial beings. That our fathers in those days were so powerful that they invoked the spirit to help them construct the two traditional wall fences. Today, we still have relics of the fences. The earth fence has collapse, but we still preserve some of them. Leaving Iragbiji, one is left with the feeling of having been to a town where the people and nature are at peace.

A Weaver working on her loom in Lagos: Circa:1910’s

Before colonial contacts, four types of loom existed in the Yoruba traditional weaving scene (Williams, 1998; Lamb and Lamb, 1976; Fadipe, 1970; Ojo, 1966; Dodwell, 1955). Among the people of Ado-Ekiti there existed the “bush loom” ( ofi oko) which was found to be ideal for light weaving.

The twilling loom (ofi elejo) was agreed to have existed among the people of Ilorin which was said to have shared the same properties with that of Ado-Ekiti. The traditional strip loom was found among the people of Iseyin, Oyo, Saki, Ibadan, Ede, Abeokuta and other former Oyo province (Williams, 1998; Lamb and Lamb, 1976; Dodwell, 1955).

The fourth type of loom that existed before colonial contact is the vertical loom, the construction and operation of which was said to be the same in all Yoruba communities. This type of loom is particularly suitable for weaving kijipa, itagbe, oja for example. Of particular interest is the fact that various looms in the Yoruba societies reflect environmental and cultural adaptation and the ability to develop a range of choices suitable for products’ manufacturing in the industry.

The Yorubas also categorized aso-oke used for rights and ceremonies. Those used for such occasions are called the aso alaro group of cloths (Lamb and Lamb, 1973).These are made from hand spun cotton which has been dyed with indigo, with, perhaps, warp patterns in varying blue shades and in the case of marriage some red warps as well ( Williams, 1998). Alaro cloths have neither holes nor inlays patterns; they are often beaten to give them glossy appearance (Lamb and Holmes, 1980).

The red pattern in aso-alaro for marriage reflects on the colourful environment that surrounds marriage in Yorubaland. Thus, aso-oke plays an important role in marriage ceremonies that one should not be supprised to find a great variety of aso alaro amidst marriage ceremony. It is adequately important to note that the use of alaro cloth for marriage expresses celebration of affluence and the readiness to take the responsibilities of household and family. 

HOODOO

October is Hoodoo Heritage Month. It is a time that we, the descendants of slaves here in America, celebrate and honor the ancestors who came before us, and paved the way, despite the struggle, entrapment, brutality, and attempt to rip everything they knew away. One thing they would not allow was for the oppressor to strip them fully of their spiritual practices. “Hoodoo” is a marketed term because it is widely known. Hoodoo is not a religion, it is a way of life and that stemming from Ifa, Isese, the source of our ancestor’s traditions in Africa but in a VERY modified way. Our ancestors had to hide their TRUE understanding of how to access God and to “move mountains” for their liberation behind colonized and westernized ways for their own safety. But our communities knew, our families knew, our people KNEW we are… and it has been a time of awakening, acceptance and realization among us the descendants that we ARE who we ARE. I’m a very proud Oníṣẹ̀ṣe and bravely carry the legacy of my ancestors in its original form.

@mazdamiles

Oil painting by Reynier Llanes

QUEEN KAIPKIRE

Queen Kaipkire a Female Warrior who revolted or fought against the British and Germans Colonists in Present day Namibia, Southern Africa.

Queen Kaipkire was an Unknown Female Warrior from the Herero ethnic group of Present day Namibia and she was a Namibian by nationality. She  led an army of Herero and they both fought against the British Colonists  during Colonialism and Wars.

It is said Queen Kaipkire also led the Rani of Jhasi the first war of Independence she fought in 1857, She is one of the Unknown African female warriors who was a Herero from Namibia to have led a revolt or rebellion against Europeans such as the British to stop them from enslaving her people and the German Colonial Soldiers from Oppressing her people and the people of Namibia.

It is believed Kaipkire continued the fight by war and liberating her people furthermore , she fought the Germans about 1919 . Queen Kaipkire believed strongly in her ancestral traditions and she led other herero women to also joined her army and fought as well.

It is believed  first rebellion took place in 1903, Queen Kaipkire , Nama and Witboi murdered and shot 60 German who were both Colonists and settlers they were known for enslaving and opressing her people.

Nama also unified an army between two ethnic groups such as KhoiKhoi and Herero under the leadership of Queen Kaipkire and the 2nd revolt was led by her and Maharero and other hereros while they were another troops from Britain and Germany who had left Europe to what is now Namibia . Under Queen Kaipkire leadership , she had one of the unknown greatest revolt against the European Colonists by defeating them and killing Colonists who were settlers who called for wars.

It is claimed the German won one out of many battles just one time and lost many battles with her and her armies this proved she had one of the powerful armies, Germany first victory was under the leadership of Von Throtha in the battle of Waterberg later he and his troops lost many battles they had many defeats, their first victory they captured Hereros as prisons the Germans and took them to the prison when Queen Kaipkire lost her battle for the first time and she won many as well.

Queen Kaipkire gave a speech before her death and during her era when she won many battles she quoted “ I can hear the roar of Courageous women, African women have been Introduced to alien or foreign cultures in the past, the African women themselves, we will fight and sacrifice our lives on the battlefields, we are going to liberate and fight for our freedom and return back to our heritage”.

Ọba Ladapo Ademola (b.1872), the Aláké of Abeokuta (1920-1962) arriving with his daughter, Omoba Aderemi Ademola for the coronation of King George VI on 12 May 1937

Ọmo-Oba Aderemi (some sources also called her Adenrele) practised Nursing in Britain for over 30 years, she was so popular in those days because she attended many Royal social events with her father including a Royal visit to the famous Carreras Cigarette Factory, Camden, London in June 1937.

On June 27, 1941 she became a registered nurse (RN) at Guy’s Hospital, London having passed her nursing examinations after six years of training.

From 1941, she moves between hospitals; recorded at Queen Charlotte’s Maternity Hospital in London before being listed at New End Hospital in Hampstead in December 1942, having passed her Central Midwives Board examination.

She was also an actress, She played 'herself' in the documentary film "Nurse Ademola" produced by the Colonial Film Unit, a division of the British Ministry of Information between 1939-1955. The film depicted Ademola as an African nurse at various phases of training at one of the great London hospitals’, it was said to have inspired many African viewers at its screenings across West Africa. Unfortunately, the present location of the film is unknown.

When her father abdicated the throne in 1948, she was said to have returned to Lagos but later returned to the UK with a man believed to be her husband, Timothy Odutola (A.O.C The famous Ijebu businessman). They both resided at Balmoral Hostel in Queensgate Gardens, South Kensington in 1949. This was her last known address and no known record of her afterwards.

HAKEEM KAE-KAZIM

Meet HAKEEM KAE-KAZIM, He's an Hollywood actor, he was born in Lagos State, Nigeria and is a native of Ogun State, Nigeria. He has featured in several hit movies such as ‘Hotel Rwanda,’ ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’ ‘At World’s End' and many TV series including 24, and Criminal Minds. 

He has also featured in some Nollywood movies like ‘Last Flight To Abuja,’ ‘Black November’ and ‘Half Of A Yellow Sun.’ he recently featured as King in Kunle Afolayan  movie Anikulapo where he wasn't able to speak a word throughout. That's part of the role he played as a King who don't speak. Nice concept.

BRIEF NIGERIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY HISTORY

Just as many other countries of the African continent, Nigeria experienced many years of colonial regime of European countries. Due to the specific features of the African technical and cultural development, most tribes could not oppose Europeans with their guns, war ships and other weapons. This is why the locals were eventually subdued by white colonial powers quite easily.

Colonization on the continent brought many cultural effects. Local religions, traditions and culture were oppressed and replaced by European ones.

No wonder that one day local tribes started to think of freedom. Actually, the very first day of the colonization was the beginning of the rebellion. It grew for many years until there appeared strong spirits who were able to lead others and conduct the struggle for freedom.

Somewhere between 1922 and 1959 Nigerians began to agitate for freedom after so many years of the British rule. Some famous and courageous men started struggling for the awakening of the Nigerian national spirit. It was an unexpected turn for the British colonists and they started to think about the ways of regaining control over the colonized lands.

For instance, they created several new constitutions that were supposed to calm down people’s rebellious moods. However, all these steps were not effective enough to make people forget about their life under the colonial rule and calm down their intention to have freedom.

On October 27, 1958, the United Kingdom came to a conclusion that it would be better for Nigeria to become an independent state. At midnight on October 1960, Nigeria became independent and a new flag was created to replace the Union Jack. The national anthem was changed, too. “God Save the Queen” was no longer welcomed. It was replaced with “Nigeria We Hail Thee.”

The first Prime Minister after the Independence of Nigeria was Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. In 1963, when Nigeria was declared a republic, the new President was Nnamdi Azikiwe, previously a Governor General. Jaja Wachuku was the first African to be the speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives. Simultaneously, he received the Freedom Charter – the famous Nigerian Instrument of Independence.

The history of pre-colonial Nigeria dates back to 11,000 BC and there’s a hypothesis that some settlements were created even earlier. The pre-historic tribes developed in their own way, gradually forming up the current ethnic groups, which can be met in Nigeria today.

Before the British came and colonized the land, there were several independent kingdoms and states. They lived as neighbors up to the moment when Europeans came and started to reconstruct everything to meet their demands and to rearrange life, as they wanted it to be.

Before the British arrived, even in 1600’s, the coastal Nigerian areas used to trade with Europeans. They sold people (as slaves to be taken to America) and when slavery was abolished, they started trading palm oil and other goods for the goods and products brought by Europeans. Yet, it soon ended because British people started to conquer the ancient lands and establish their rules.

In 1851, Lagos was taken and turned into a colony by 1861. In 1884, Calabar became the protectorate capital and remained up to 1906. In 1897, the Empire of Benin collapsed, too, and also turned into a colony.

On January 1, 1901, all the lands that were already under the protectorate of the British Empire were joined into several colonies: the Colony of Lagos, the Niger Coast, and the Northern Protectorate. For further simplicity, the Colony of Lagos and Niger Coast were amalgamated in 1914.

This is how the Nigeria of today was created. The name was coined in 1897 by Flora Shaw. She just took the name of the biggest river in the area and created a name for the new country.

Nigerian Independence Anniversary October Ist 2022 /Message from the Odù, Òdí Méjì cast by AATREN ÀJỌ ONÍSẸ̀ȘE and today, Ọ̀sẹ̀ Ifá

Our legend, late Chief Hubert Ogunde sang in one of his hit albums as follows :-

K'ólórí d'orí rẹ̀ mú o ẹ sọ f'áráyé

K'ólórí d'orí rẹ̀ mú ọ l'ọ́jọ́ ìdájọ́ ẹkùn

People should seek Orí's protection, let the whole world be informed 

People should look for the sanctuary of Orí on the day of the leopard's judgment.

I think the judgment day is close. Only the righteous shall be saved. Only the guilty should be afraid. Just listen to the stanza :-

Ọkùnrin jó jó jó lókè màjó

Ọkùnrin gànrànmù ganramu lórí ẹ̀gún òsùsu

Àwọn ni wọ́n pá ẹkùn dúdú igbó ìwọnràn

Wọ́n hó awọ rẹ̀ t'ojú t'imú

Wọ́n he dá àpò àmìnìjẹkùn

Wọ́n he dá àpò aláhanhanjíhan

Ọkùnrin jó jó jó lókè màjó (name of sage) 

Ọkùnrin gànrànmù ganranmu lórí ègún òsùsu ( name of the sage) 

They were the ones who killed a black leopard in the forest of ìwọnràn 

They removed its entire skin including eyes and nose skin 

They used the skin to make the sack of àmìnìjẹkùn 

They also used the skin to produce the sack of aláhanhanjíhan.

This is a verse where the cheats, liars, impostors, untrained and unrighteous who called themselves Babalawo were exposed and executed by "Ikọ̀ Olódùmarè "( Emissaries of Olodumare).

This stanza also  talks of the entire universe comprising  liars, fraudulent and undesirable souls. They will have themselves to blame on the judgment Day.

Now listen to the super true story:

The 'Reformers' named above were sent by Olódùmarè . Firstly, they confronted the "so called Babalawo, "Mímọ̀ọ́dá Awo Ilé Alárá". They asked him, "how do you cast your Ifá"? He responded, "when casting Ikin, if I have two left on my palm, I print two. If I have one left on palm, I print one. If the Ikin drops, I still print". He showed them the way he was doing it. The delegates of Olodumare shouted simultaneously, "so you are among the people destroying people's lives". They cut off his head and put it in a sack called "Àpò Àmìnìjẹkùn " and transfered it to another sack called "Àpò Ọláhanhanjíhan ".

They did the same to Àìmọ̀ọ́dá Awo Òkè Ìjerò, Ọmọ tuntun Òòjọ́, Ogún Awo wọn nílé Alárá, Ọgbọ̀n Awo Òkè Ìrẹsì, Ọ̀kànlókùkópéirínwó Awo Ìpatùrùmòté and  other fake Babalawos.

They decided to visit Asámọ̀, Arùmọ̀, Òdìmọ̀dimọ̀ who were wise enough to consult Ifa before their arrival. Ifa warned them that doing 'ebo' would not be enough except they followed Ifa truthfully.

The "Ikọ̀ Olódùmarè" arrived their house and asked them, "how do you cast your Ifa"?. They said, "If casting Ifa, we have two left on our palm, we print one. If we have one, we print two. If the Ikin drops before printing, we start all over again".

The 'Reformers" were pleased with them and declared, "your truthfulness has spared your lives. We have made you leaders of Ifa practitioners".

The three Babalawos were very happy and thankful and they started singing as follows:-

Òdìnà ò bá dínà ibi o 2/ce

Ò bá dínà mọ́'kú o ko dínà márùn

Òdìnà ò bá dínà ibi

Protector against evil, please save us, 

Close door to death, affliction and all misfortunes 

Protector against evil, save us.....

Òṣìnà, ò bá ṣínà ire o 2/ce

Ò bá ṣínà f'ájé o ko ṣínà f'áyà

Òṣìnà , ò bá ṣínà ire....

Comforter of goodness

Please open door for wealth and good wives /children and all good things of life 

Comforter of goodness, endow us.

Those who have ears should listen.

Happy Independence Anniversary to Nigerians, new month and Ọ̀sẹ̀ Ifá to you all....

Stay blessed.

Iṣẹ́ Orí rán mi ni mò ńṣe. 

What my Creator directs me to do that I do.

Enlightening the world on the awesomeness of Ifa is my priority.

From Araba of Oworonsoki land, Lagos Nigeria

HISTORY OF ITSEKIRI (Part One)

EARLY RECORDS

Professor Saburi Biobaku, the chairman of the Yoruba Historical Research in his book titled "Odu" volume 4 said “ The history of the WARRI Monarchy and the ITSEKIRI People history is one of the best documented in NIGERIA, beginning from the great YORUBA migrations of the 12th Century." He said this, in reference to the great migration of the 9th to 12th century that saw the movement of Yoruboid speaking people and communities from various parts of what makes up the Yoruba people today to the current location of the Itsekiri people and some part of the lower Niger.

This can be substantiated from the History of Ureju, Omadino and other communities that made up what the Itsekiri people called Aborigines communities. They all trace their migration from various Yoruba areas to their current location around the 9th to 12th century. We also have some of the Okotomu Irigbo people that trace their Origin from Igala land. This migration form the earliest records of the history that shape what is know today as the Itsekiri history.

When these migrant moved down to their current location, did they meet anyone on ground? It is of interest to note that Sir William Moore in his book "The History Of Itsekiri" page 22 had this to say “When the Kingdom of Iwere was founded, there was no nation or tribe known as the Sobo on the coastline of Warri River, nor was there any settlement on the land besides those of Ode Itsekiri. However, there were of course the four large Sobo towns far away in the hinterland and as already stated, Ugo, Agbassa-Oto, Iyede and Ughelli, the people of which had all come from Benin at different periods." From the above account of William Moore and other collaborative information from the various itsekiri aboriginal communities, it is easy to come to the conclusion that the Itsekiri were the first people to settle in their current location.

For us to have a more in-depth understanding of this, let us take a peep at the records on the division of Benin Kingdom as recorded in pre colonial times. It is pertinent for us to note that the word Benin was for long used in reference to geographic location made up of various ethnic groups not an ethnicity of people.

John Leighton Wilson 1856, Page 192 in his book "Western Africa: Its History, Condition, and Prospects" has this to say about Benin “Many years since the kingdom was divided into two minor provinces, one of which is still known as Benin, and the other as Ware.  the capital of Benin, covers a large extent of ground, but does not contain, according to Captain Adams, more than 15,000 inhabitants. The town and island of Ware, which is the principal sea-port and commercial depot of the kingdom, has a population of something like 5000 inhabitants." From the above, we can deduct that Warri (Iwere, Oery, Aweri, Itsekiri) was once an important part of Benin.

Let us take a look at the account of the early Portuguese that came to that region.

In A.t.t. Livro das Ilhas (fol. 6lv.-62r. 20 March 1500) the Portuguese said “We arrived  Oeyre, a port of Benin on the 6th day of March 1486." The name of this port occurs several times in documents of this period with variant spellings that makes it clear that the Portuguese were using the local name (A.t.t . Corpo Cronologico 1.20.127.19 Nov. 1516), Ovyere, Oere.

From the early record, it is easy to say with confidence, that most of the people that made up Warri Kingdom and the Itsekiri nation came from the South West of Nigeria and settled in an area later known as Benin which has Iwere (Ovyere, Oere, Oeyre) as its principal port.

THE LANGUAGE:

The people we call itsekiri today, have they always spoken this same language as they do today?  In the History of Itsekiri by William Moore 1936, we were told that when Prince Ginuwa left Benin to Warri, he changed the name of the people's language to Itsekiri in honour of the leader of the people he met called Mr Itsekiri. If we were to accept this as said, it meant that the people spoke a language before Ginuwa arrived, we don’t know the name of the language but we know Ginuwa changed the language name. In order to help us identify the type of language we will have to rely on historical record from that period.

In 26-12-1640 Columbin de Nantes, Report to Propaganda Fide: proposes a mission. Father Columbin's has this to say about the language of the inhabitants of Benin: “In this kingdom the people are very easily led to embrace the Faith, and priests can live here with greater ease than in other parts of Guinea because of the healthy climate, the fertility of the soil and because the people are more generous. Their language is simple: it is called the Licomin language and is universally used in these parts, just like Latin in Europe”. A.S.C Lettere di Germania, Francia, Fiandraea, Inghilterra, 1641. vol.83. fol. 379-80. "Licomin' was a vague name for the inland Yoruba-speaking peoples.

Interestingly, there are still remnants of the Olukunmi (Licomin) speaking people. Their language is closely related to the Itsekiri language than the Western Yoruba language. Let us also see what an eye witness has to say about the language of Warri and Benin in the 18th century.

In Memoires du capitaine Landolpe, contenant l'histoire de ses voyages pendant trente-six ans, aux cotes d'Afrique 1820 Jean Francois Landolphe [(1747-1825)] Said "In the past, Owhère and Benin were one kingdom. ….. The language and customs of the two states are the same. There is however this difference that the king of Owhère does not make any human sacrifice that there are three classes of nobility in Benin, and only two in Owhère."

It is important for us to note that Jean Francois Landolphe a French captain came to Warri in 1768 to set up a French colony in Warri. He had regular visit to both the king of Warri and Benin and lived in Warri up till 1789. His memo was published into the above mentioned book shortly before he died. So his accounts or Benin and Warri can be accepted as eyewitness report.

From the letter of Father Columbin's above and the eyewitness account of Captain Landolphe, we have been able to have a better knowledge of the historical background of the Itsekiri language. We can confidently say that the Itsekiri have always spoken a language close to what they speak in this modern day,  Yoruboid language.

LOCATION OF WARRI KINGDOM:

Let us dive into historical records to see what was written about Warri Kingdom location. 1571-4 mission to Warri 1620 Pedro da Cunho: Ad limina report stated “Besides these three islands, there is a town of Christians on the continent in the kingdom of Warri, called St. Augustine, because its people first received the Faith from religious of the Hermits of St. Augustine. One of them, called Brother Franciscus a Matre Dei, baptized the present king at the time he was still a prince and successor designate. He gave him the name Sebastian, after the then king of Portugal. That religious was a truly apostolic man, and had such authority over the barbaric people that in front of them, to the great amazement of all, he destroyed a tree that was very popular for incantations and diabolic superstitions among them. For they thought it would be impossible for their gods to put up with such an insult and that the religious himself who was the author of the insult could survive unpunished, as he did. After this religious went back, the bishops of that time agreed to send a priest to the king to reside with him and exercise the work of pastor”.  

Diogo da Encarnação: Appeal for priests  27-9-1584 read “There is another king in Rio Forcado [ Warri] who is already Christian, but is calling for priests, because he has none in his kingdom.  The record of Diogo do SS. mo Sacramento: 14-12-1584 read “There is another king of what is called Rio Forcado, which is in alliance with the Priester John and Congo, who is already Christian. He also calls for priests so that they can do baptisms in his kingdom.”

The above are some of the earliest recorded history on this part of West Africa and everyone of them identified Warri as an independent kingdom.

Do we have idea of the boundaries of the Kingdom of Warri? The ancient boundary of kingdom of Warri covers both bank of Benin River down to river Calabar. This we can see from John Barbot 1682 and extract from Captain Landolphe Memo 1820 below.

John Barbot (1678 – 1682)  A description of the coast of North and South-Guinea; and of Ethiopia Inferior , vulgarly Angola :being a new and accurate account of the Western maritime countries of Africa in six books London 1732.

In this chapter I shall speak of the kingdom of Ouwere or Forcado, and of the coast from cape Fermosa, where the Ethiopian gulph or bight of Guinea commences, to the river of new Calabar or Calbary. Captain Okro September 1786 (Captain Okro is Chief Okorodudun, a Chief Of Ogiame Erejuwa I A.K.A Sebastiao Manuel Octobia 1760–1795). Landolphe’s memoirs “The sovereign of this state owns not only both banks of the Benin river but also all the rivers of these parts as far as the tributaries of the Calabar”.

In part two we are going to look at the foundation of the kingdom, a critical look at Prince Ginuwa from the Benin and Warri historic records, the spread of itsekiri people and the infusion of some other tribes into the Iwere race.

By Oritsegbubemi Adrian Edema 

Why The Igbo Hate Benjamin Adekunle

The attack on Lagos was unnecessary. Ojukwu knew for certain that the Yorùbá's had no stomach then for war and also was not going to allow any assault on the East from the West. The key Yoruba Generals, after trying their best to mediate on both sides, and after Yaradua shot Adekunle without any consequences have told Gowon to fight his own war.

The Igbos were winning at the initial stages of the East-North war, they East have taken all what the Federal Government had and destroyed them. They have defeated all the Generals from the North completely, all Ojukwu needed to do was shift from defensive mode to attack against the North, they would have gained ground, shifted the battle ground to the North proper and put the civilians under pressure, forcing Gowon to negotiate East exit.

But that was not what he did.

He instead saw it as opportunity for the Igbos to conquer the whole south and rule the Yorùbá's. Even though we nurtured him as we nurtured Zik, Achebe and most of the Igbo leadership, he repaid us with Contempt. He knew the Yorùbá's had no weapon base, complement of the British who diverted all the Military arsenal to Kaduna and left the West completely unprotected from attacks by the other tribes because the British feared the Yorùbá's more.

Ojukwu knew this, Awolowo told him so at their last meeting in Onitsha, a conversation that was secretly recorded and the tape that has been transcribed. So why was it the Yorùbá's the Igbo leadership chose to attack instead of pursuing the Fulanis that attacked them. The answer can be deduced in Ojukwu' s letter to Banjo, promising to make him the governor of SW, answering to him.

But Ojukwu was foolish, his contempt for the Yorùbá's made him forget our tenacity when threatened. 

Adekunle rose up and formed a new Fighting Battalion made up of Yoruba people called 3rd Marine Commando, not with the approval of Gowon and the North. Gowon was powerless, already facing certain defeat.

Yorùbá's taxed themselves and bought new weapons for the new Battalions and the weapons were not purchased from the British. Adekunle' s wife and children were caught in the battle line by the sudden attack by Biafra. Adekunle was the one who rescued most of the experienced Igbo fighting men from the North, yet Ojukwu went after Adekunle's family in Warri.

Yorùbá's had more historical relationships with the Calabars then than the Igbos, there was a Yoruba town in Calabar then, so Adekunle sneaked to Calabar and formed the second front made of SS fighters who were already been rubbished by the Igbos when they thought they will win the war. It was those Eadt- West assaults on Biafra that led to the Biafra demise. 

Adekunle sunk Ojukwu and Biafra. He attacked their Western moving front with speed boats, which he recruited the Ijaw boys for, deterring the movements at Ore, forced them back to Benin and crushed them. Then move them to Asaba and back across River Niger.

OJUKWU set up defenses across river Niger expecting Adekunle to follow, but he didn't, he went after Biafra Navy instead making sure that the Igbos will never threaten the Yorùbá's again from the sea.

Gowon was furious that Adekunle would not pursue Biafra so he brought Murtala to Benin to do the Job, apart from Murtala sacking the Central Bank and stealing all the money, he was a completely useless human being. He was defeated over and over, destroying the lives of many soldiers. Yoruba soldiers refused to fight with him totally.

Adekunle captured Bonny, sacked PH and then went after Biafra stronghold in Owerri. He attacked Owerri both from PH and Calabar, a completely inch by inch war. The Igbos best fighting men and women and their officers where in Owerri and that battle was the bloodiest. When Adekunle conquered Owerri, everyone knew that the war was over, it was only a matter of time.

The story of the war was documented by foreign press, expecially Military Press, who came to witness the incredible fighting skills and strategies been displayed in PH and Owerri. Adekunle had already made International news and reputation as one of the best Warrior-General of modern warfare, and the best to emerge from Africa. Every news outlets wanted to interview and document his troops. He had the best officers Nigeria ever produced, trained by him. They led their forces from the front and created magic that brought the whole world press to Nigeria battle field.

Gowon did not defeat Biafra, the Fulanis did not defeat Biafra, it was the Biafra Leadership disrespect and contempt for the Yoruba people that defeated Biafra. Yoruba whooped the Igbos Ass.

Yes, towards the end of the war, it was also the Yoruba people who came up with the reconciliation plan, no winner, no vanquished. The Yorùbá people of Lagos who paid for and developed Surulere where made to give up their ownership of those buildings up to Lawanson to resettled the Igbos. Schools in Lagos, primary and secondary where expanded to accommodate the resettled Igbos. Spaces were created for the Igbos in secondary schools depriving the Yorùbá's in the process. Yorubas were not initially happy, but Yoruba leadership went around to create the awareness that the Igbos were out cousins and that the war was a family feud and it is over, we need to bind the wounds of our cousins.

Yet look at now, look at the version of history that the Igbos fed their own children. Still filled with contempt against the Yorùbá's and lies, purposeful calculated lies just like before the war. Now Igbos own Lagos and Ibadan, they built everything in Yoruba land, the Yorùbás were just savages. That is what they teach their children, contrary to the facts.

Yet, can you blame them? What are the stories Yorùbá's are telling their Children? Do your children know the truth about events in your lives when you were young? If you are over 58, I shouldn't be telling you the stories I just did, you lived through it, what did you tell your children?

By Tony Mosunmade

THE THUNDER

Late Teslim Balogun.

(1927 - 1972)

Legendary Apapa Bombers, Marine Athletics, UAC XI, Railway XI, Pan Bank Team, Dynamos Club, SCOA XI (all Nigeria), Peterborough United, Skegnes Town, Queen's Park Rangers, Hold beach United (all England), Ibadan Lions Nigeria, 5 times Challenge Cup winner in 7 finals, First Nigerian to signed professional contract abroad and Nigeria international striker.

IKORODU OGA: A BRIEF HISTORY

The cosmopolitan city known today as Ikorodu was a massive forest in the early seventeenth century, it was used for game hunting by the Princes of Shagamu, precisely the children of Ọba Koyelu - The second Akarigbo of Orilẹ Offin.

The eldest of them was Olusoga also known as Oga, followed by Lasunwon, Rademo, Anoko, Osonusi, Igimisoje, Kilaro, Oladepo and lastly Sekumade. Oga was said to be the most powerful and influential of them all.

Initially, Oga and his siblings only used the area as a camp, soon after they discovered how strategic the area was for doing business as traders from Shagamu, Ijebu and Epe ply the route to the coast. So the brothers decided to make it their permanent settlement.

The area was the home to a now extinct specie of plant called 'Odu' - it was a kind of vegetable that blackens and used for dyeing cloth by Remo women hence the traders usually refer to the settlement as OKO-ODU meaning Odu farm.It was later corrupted to Okorodu and subsequently to "Ikorodu".

As the settlement began to expand, Olusoga being eldest and the most powerful hunter took responsibility for the expansion of the village, shortly before his death, he received a large contingent of Benin migrant led by a wealthy merchant called Eregbouwa or Rebugbawa.

After his death, there was need for proper administration of the town, his brother became the Oloja meaning the ''village head'' or market head according to some quarters, the influential Eregbouwa was made the Olisa - the prime minister.

Till this day, the Obaship goes to the Akarigbo line while the Olisaship goes to the descendant of Eregbouwa.

The tragic story of the first Black African gold medallist who was executed by firing squad

His involvement in politics and later military activities have made many people forget that Emmanuel Ifeajuna was the first ever black African to win a gold medal.

Born in Nigeria in 1935, Ifeajuna was a high jumper, a skill he learnt while still in school. He participated in national competitions including the 1954 Nigerian Athletics Championships that saw him establish his name as a prolific high jumper. After jumping 6 foot 5.5 inches (1.97 m) at this competition, he qualified to represent his country at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

While in Vancouver where the competition took place, Ifeajuna broke both the competition and the British Empire records in high jump. He did all this without his right shoe. He was considered a hero and received such a grand welcome, complete with a parade when he returned to Nigeria after the competition. He became such a celebrity that his photo was used on the cover of exercise books in Nigeria.

He, however, stopped training in the game and opted to go back to school. He joined the University College of Ibadan, where he became involved in student politics and became friends with some of Nigeria’s biggest poets, J.P Clark and Christopher Okigbo. Ifeajuna would organise a number of protests, but would not participate in many of them according to the accounts of his friends and schoolmates.

After completing his university studies, he went to Abeokuta to teach but left the profession in 1960 to join the military. Because of his education, Ifeajuna rose the ranks to become a Major in 1966.

Dissatisfied with how the government was running affairs after independence, Ifeajuna became a plotter of Nigeria’s bloodiest coup together with Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, Timothy Onwuatuegwu, Chris Anuforo, Don Okafor, Adewale Ademoyega and Humphrey Chukwuka.

It is recorded that Ifeajuna not only arrested then-Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (who later died in detention) but also killed other army officials including Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari, who had come to him for help and Lieutenant Colonel Abogo Largema.

The coup was prevented by Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, who later took over power to become the first military head of state. Following the failure of the coup, Ifeajuna had no choice but to run away. With the help of his friends, he travelled to Benin and headed to Ghana where he was welcomed by Kwame Nkrumah.

His stay in Ghana was shortlived as Nkrumah’s government would be overthrown shortly afterwards. He returned to Nigeria amid assurances from Emeka Ojukwu, who would later become the leader of the Republic of Biafra, that his life was not at risk.

Ifeajuna got back into the military and became part of the Biafran Army. However, Ojukwu would accuse Ifeajuna and other top military leaders of treason in 1967. He claimed that Ifeajuna and his mates were busy negotiating with Nigeria via the British and wanted to overthrow him and take power for themselves.

In a hastily-conducted trial, Ifeajuna was sentenced to death by firing squad and was executed on September 25, 1967. According to reports, his last words were:

You may kill me now, but I am afraid it is too late. I am sorry for you all because it won’t be long before they get all of you. The Nigerians are already in your midst.”

Compared to most of the 1966 coup planners and the leaders of the Biafran revolution, Ifeajuna has not been featured prominently in Nigerian history.

He left behind an unpublished manuscript about the January 1966 coup that caught the attention of many people who believed that it would reveal some facts about the event.

Why is [the term] kabbalah used in Ifá Esoteric Yoruba Kabbalah? Isn’t Kabbalah Jewish?

Kabbalah is actually a universal and non-sectarian philosophy and spiritual discipline that teaches us how to receive the divine light and integrate it into our lives so that we can evolve, develop, unfold and mature morally, ethically and spiritually. Kabbalah is for eradicating selfishness and acquiring selflessness [overflowing love and compassion].  Kabbalah is for overcoming and transcending powerlessness and becoming filled with continual waves of ever increasing divine power, strength, intelligence and ability.

Even thought the science of Kabbalah was adopted, grafted upon and used within the framework of Judaism, Kabbalah itself transcends and predates Judaism. Kabbalah a perfect and divine system and science of spiritual enlightenment, empowerment and unfoldment that can be applied and practiced by anyone. Kabbalah teaches how to successfully receive and employ divine blessings, endowments, [spiritual] powers and benefits. Ifá is such a divinely constituted system and science that is exclusively dedicated to teaching us how to successfully receive and employ divine blessings, endowments, [spiritual] powers and benefits, and as such can rightly be called kabbalah.

The foundational principles, teachings and practices of Kabbalah are universal and the science of Kabbalah exists everywhere though it is called by different names depending on the time period and culture where it emerges. Calling it by the name Kabbalah is not what is important. What is important is the understanding and practice of its principles in all the aspects of ones life. Kabbalah simply means the science that teaches us the way to quickly and safely receive divine light, understanding and spiritual power. 

When we carefully study and consider the profound teachings of the Ifá literary corpus we very quickly come to understand that what Òrúnmìlà revealed was a science, method, practice and philosophy that leads us safely and unerringly to fulfillment, maturity, intelligence and power. Ifá teaches us how to RECEIVE [kabbalah means the art, wisdom and science of receiving divine wisdom, power, benefit and blessing]  divine power, grace and wisdom or ÀSE in a systematic, orderly, gradual and progressive way and hence the founder of Ifá Esoteric Yoruba Kabbalah very wisely adopted the use of the universal and non-sectarian word Kabbalah because Ifá is the science that teaches us how to receive [kabbalah means to receive] divine blessings, healing and correction, and how to right perceive the world and our place in it, and how to properly operate our lives within this world so are to achieve the maximum amount and maximum quality of blessings, benefits, prosperity and unfoldment in an optimal time period.

Ifá is written in a sacred and ingeniously codified language devised by Òrúnmìlà. When you are taught to correctly understand and apply the confided confidential teachings of Òrúnmìlà in Odu Ifá you will will experience immediate and direct contact with the upper spiritual worlds, the world of primordial power, the world of the holy emanator and the supreme absolute truth [Enitolodun - Olorun Alaaye]. The goal of Òrúnmìlà for us is Ifáyelele - the unsurpassed state of excellence, perfection, satisfaction, harmony and fulfillment.

Ifá - A Computer Programmer’s Perspective

For some of us who earn our daily bread from programming computers (I have been doing this for over 2 decades), making the connection between Ifá binary notation and programming is a no brainer.

We programmers write codes/instructions (incantations) on the cpu - made from silicon (sand) to carry out our desires.

The parallel between a Babaláwo and a computer programmer is striking. We write on sand (silicon/cpu), a Babalawo writes on Iyerosun (camwood powder). We chant/write binary codes, a Babaláwo recites Odù Ifá!

In essence, a computer code is àfọ̀ṣẹ par excellence! In Yoruba, àfọ̀ṣẹ means “oun tí a fọ̀ tí ó sì ṣẹ” - something commanded to happen.

Our incantations (computer codes) can animate the entities in the cpu (sand) and make them become whatever we want: a game console, a financial trading system, an air traffic controller, facebook, Google, Twitter, Amazon, Bitcoin etc.

How did this come about? Well, the Binary System makes this possible.

The Binary System of Ifá is based on the Yorùbá philosophical duality of Ibi and Ire (Evil and Good); for several millennia, the Yorùbá had been using the binary system before the German mathematician - Gottfried Leibniz formalised in 1679.

These days, the Binary Numeral System (Base 2) is well known in Mathematics and digital electronics and the system underpins how computers work by representing numeric values using just two digits - zero (0) and one (1)

In Computing, a Bit (i.e. BInary digiT) is the smallest unit of storage and can either be 1 or 0

A Nible (also called half Byte or semi-octet) is the grouping of four Bits e.g 0 1 0 1

In Ifá, Odù signatures are marked with “|” and “||”. Where “|” is the binary number “0” and “||” is “1”.

For example Ogbè (0000) has the following signature:

|

|

|

|

Ọ̀sá (1000) is represented as:

||

|

|

|

Òtúrá (0100) is marked as:

|

||

|

|

We can therefore summarise the representation of the first sixteen Odus as follows:

Decimal == Nibble == Odù

00 == 0000 == Ogbè 

01 == 0001 == Ògúndá

02 == 0010 == Ìrẹtẹ̀

03 == 0011 == Ìrosùn

04 == 0100 == Òtúra

05 == 0101 == Ọ̀sẹ́ 

06 == 0110 == Èdí

07 == 0111 == Ọ̀bàrà 

08 == 1000 == Ọ̀sá 

09 == 1001 == Ìwòrì 

10 == 1010 == Ọ̀̀fún 

11 == 1011 == Ìká 

12 == 1100 == Ọ̀wọ́nrín 

13 == 1101 == Òtúrúpọ̀n

14 == 1110 == Ọ̀kànràn 

15 == 1111 == Òyẹ̀kú.

Since Ifá speaks only in binary (Odu Èjì Ogbè says: "Èjèèji ni mo gbè, n ò gbe ọ̀kan ṣoṣo mọ́" i.e “I will only support two, I will not support one”), each Odu must be paired.

For example, after pairing the main Odu, we get the following (see graphic for the main Odu signature).

Èjì Ogbè (also called Ògbè Méjì): 00000000

Ògúndá Méjì : 00010001

Ìrẹtẹ̀ Méjì : 00100010

Ìrosùn Méjì : 00110011

Òtúrá Méjì : 01000100

Ọ̀sẹ́ Méjì : 01010101

Èdí Méjì : 01100110

Ọ̀bàrà Méjì : 01110111

Ọ̀ṣá Meji: 10001000

Ìwòrì Méjì : 10011001

Ọ̀fún Méjì : 10101010

Ìká Méjì :10111011

Ọ̀wọ́nrín Méjì :11001100

Òtúrúpọ̀n Méjì :11011101

Ọ̀kànràn Méjì :11101110

Ọ̀yẹ̀kú Méjì : 11111111

The other 240 minor Odus are derived from the main 16 Odus. 

For example (note: the binary notation and the marks are read from right to left).

Ogbè-Ògúndá : 0001-0000

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Ọ̀yẹ̀kú-Ìrẹtẹ̀ : 0010-1111

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Computers also speak in binary and binary numbers can be converted to decimal, hexadecimal, octal etc.

Without getting into too much maths, below are the decimal values of the 16 main Odu:

00000000 = 00

00010001 = 17

00100010 = 34

00110011 = 51

01000100 = 68

01010101 = 85

01100110 = 102

01110111 = 119

10001000 = 136

10011001 = 153

10101010 = 170

10111011 = 187

11001100 = 204

11011101 = 221

11101110 = 238

11111111 = 255

Below is a computer machine code that adds the numbers from 1 to 10 together and prints out the result:

i.e. 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 = 55

0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1  0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1  0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

In Ifa, the patterns of bits above translate to...

ọ̀wọ́nrín-ọ̀sá     èjì-ogbè               èjì-ogbè

ọ̀wọ́nrín-ọ̀sá     ogbè-ọ̀sá            ogbè-ọ̀sá

ọ̀wọ́nrín-méjì    ogbè-ọ̀sá            ogbè-ọtúrá

ọ̀fùn-ọ̀sá           ogbè-òtúrùpọ̀n   ogbè-ọtúrá

ọtúrá-méjì         ogbe-ọtúrá          ogbè-ògúndá

ìrẹtẹ̀-ọ̀wọ́nrín   ogbè-ọ̀sá             èjì-ogbè

ìrẹtẹ̀-ọ̀sá           ogbè-ọ̀sá             ogbè-ọ̀sá

ọ̀sá-ogbè          ogbè-ọtúrá          èjì-ogbè

èdì-ọtúrá           èjì-ogbè               èjì-ogbè

This was how programmers used to write computer programs before high level programming languages like Fortran and Lisp were created in 1957 and 1958 respectively.

For programmers, entering these patterns manually was a laborious, tedious and error-prone task. Even for a seasoned programmer, it could get dizzy and nauseating after assembling a couple of these patterns.

However, a competent Ifá priest can commit to memory 256 of these patterns without breaking a sweat and able to recite close to 4,000 Ifá verses by heart!

Effectively, the meaning of the 1s and 0s in the code above is as follows:

1. Store the number 0 in memory location 0.

2. Store the number 1 in memory location 1.

3. Store the value of memory location 1 in  memory location 2.

4. Subtract the number 11 from the value in memory location 2.

5. If the value in memory location 2 is the number 0 continue with instruction 9.

6. Add the value of memory location 1 to memory location 0.

7. Add the number 1 to the value of memory location 1.

8. Continue with instruction 3.

9. Output the value of memory location 0.

Using names in place of numbers for memory and instruction locations, we can do the following:

Set the value of "total" to 0.

Set the value of "count" to 1.

[loop]

Set the value of "compare" to the "count" value.

Subtract 11 from the value of "compare" .

If "compare" is zero, continue at [end].

Add "count" to the value of "total".

Add 1 to the value of "count".

Continue at [loop].

[end]

Output "total".

In a modern programming language like Python, we can write the following:

total = 0

count = 1

while count <= 10:

total = total + count

count = count + 1

print total

In 2017, I wrote series of programming tutorials on this wall using the Python programming language. In the coming days, I will translate the posts into Yoruba so stay tuned.

Ire o.

The Story Of Attah Ameh Oboni - the Nigerian King who Chose Suicide Instead of Bowing to the Queen of England

Attah Ameh Oboni was a revered Igala King.

At a particular meeting held in Kaduna which consisted of all paramount traditional rulers in Nigeria and which had the queen of England in attendance, Attah Ameh was asked to remove his cap to greet the Queen of England as others had done.

Though he refused until they said he should leave the meeting if he would not remove his cap. But Attah was not like others, or was he?

It was a taboo for Attah to remove his cap in the public. The entire hall where they were staying was occupied by bees from the cap of Attah Ameh Oboni which he removed in order to greet the Queen.

The Queen of England as well as other rulers in the meeting ran helter-skelter except the friendly Oba of Benin who was asked by Attah Ameh to go out before he removed his cap. The hall became empty as some were stung by the bees and the meeting ended.

According to history, Attah Ameh Oboni was asked to be arrested and handcuffed by the security people, which they did, but the handcuffs fell off his hands.

He was later locked up in a room on the instruction of the Northern rulers and guarded by the security personnel but only to find out later by the personnel that he had left the room. Yes, when the security were taking him to be locked up, he told his driver, Amanabo of blessed memory, to take the car and be going to Idah while the security locked him in the room.

He then warned Amanabo not to look back until he felt a cool breeze in the car. Though Amanabo argued a little that he cannot leave the Attah there but later obeyed and started driving back to Idah from Kaduna.

After some time, he felt the cool breeze in the car, and Attah Ameh was sitted inside the car.

The incident in the meeting made many traditional rulers which were mostly northerners to be angry especially making kings run in such a manner because of bees.

This became one important sin, and it was like “one sin too many”.

The queen of Englnad was also not happy and they (the Queen and northern leaders) started looking for a way to remove Attah Ameh from the throne since he was getting tougher and uncontrollable like others, as well as searching for an obedient replacement.

Igala has various cultural festivals, one of which is Ocho. Ocho is celebrated before farming starts, and it is the time that Attah Igala prays to God for sufficient rainfall, bountiful harvest, success in hunting. It is celebrated in the bush and the venue is called Ere-ocho, where the Attah will hunt until he kills a Buffalo or a strong animal. The community in Idah where Ocho takes place is called Ogo-Efa. He performs a little sacrifice to the ancestors using a fowl in the process, and this was to find out if there will blessings or problems in the land after the Ocho.

Before this time, the enemies at home (among the Igala people), especially those having connections with the leaders of the northern region, were working hard to get any evidence either true or false which can be used to remove him from the throne. The blood of the animal used as sacrifice at Ocho ground now became what the enemies would use against him.

Petition was written by these two Igala people to the Queen and some other Northern leaders that Attah Ameh was sacrificing humans during the Ocho festivals. Since they were looking for any means to displace him with, judgment was quickly passed that he must be dethroned, even when investigations were not yet concluded.

In addition, all the Igala cultural festivals including the Ocho were immediately banned and this remained for almost 63 years until Governor Yahaya Bello unbanned them based on the appeal of the present Attah Igala.

Already, before this time, the Oba of Benin who had such friction with the British had already been dethroned and banished from Benin. So, Attah Ameh Oboni knew that at that point, no matter what spiritual approach applied, it can only postpone the evil day as his enemies will never relent until he was removed by them.

The result of the blood sample which was taken from the Ocho venue and taken to University of Ibadan for analysis had arrived and it was proved that it was the blood of an animal and not human. Sadly, the revered King, Attah Ameh had passed on before the result was brought.

But Attah Ameh, being very sure that he was wrongly accused and framed up by his enemies, especially those from Igala who wrote the petition against him marking the beginning of his planned dethronement, made some pronouncements before his death.

He was allegedly quoted to have said that ” the person who wrote the petition against him would have that hand dried up, and that the leader of the gang or petitioners would be buried three times”. And they all came to pass.

While the hand dried as said, the other was buried as stated, first was the leg, second was his hand and the third was himself, all buried at various times at different locations.

In addition, as this information of his dethronement was given to him in a meeting from where he was supposed to go back to Idah and prepare to leave the throne, he stopped on the way in another Igala land called Dekina.

That was where he committed suicide.

Before taking his life, he was allegedly quoted to have said that the town, Dekina will be popular but its development will not be as much as its popularity.

He was also quoted to have said that because Igala was the genesis of his ordeal, there will be disunity among the Igala people until the reign of his own blood (son) as Attah, and all Igalas irrespective of their locations will be reunited again.

I think from the reconnection and reunification of Igala people across Nigeria and beyond which has been going on and still going on under the reign of his son, Agabaidu Idakwo Ameh Oboni II, the present Attah Igala, that pronouncement of reunification of Igala people is also coming through.