IKEJI-ILE IJESA: THE SHOULD BE CAPITAL OF THE PROPOSED IJESA STATE!

IKEJI-ILE IJESA: THE SHOULD BE CAPITAL OF THE PROPOSED IJESA STATE!

Ikeji Ile Ijesa is an ancient small but developing town on the mountain top in Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State. It is about 40 kilometres to South-East of Ilesa, Located on Latitude 7.4667° N and 4.9167° E. It is also known as Ikeji Ori-Oke because it is situated on an inter-mountain plateau, entirely surrounded by hills of various altitudes; the hills are numerous, sometimes magnificent, giving the town its picturesque look. Ikeji Ile Ijesa is blessed with clear and fast flowing streams. Ikeji Ile Ijesa is a boundary from between Osun and Ekiti States.

In the days of inter-tribal wars in Yorubaland, during the reign of Owa-Obokun Atakumosa 1, there were incessant military incursions of the powerful Oba Ehengbuda (1578-1608) of Benin Kingdom into Ijesaland, then Owa-Obokun Atakumosa consulted the Ifa Oracle who advised that Owa-Obokun should send one of his bravest and most valiant sons to go towards the East and establish a military outpost “on the eastern flank of his kingdom, at a point where the man sent would meet the rain. There he would settle to stem the tide of the incessant incursions into Ijesaland.

Owa-Obokun found such a valiant son in Adetemi, who after receiving his father’s royal blessing moved with his entourage eastwards until he reached Isodu where the rain fell. In accordance with the injunctions of his father and Ifa priest, he settled where he met the rain (ni bi ti o ko eji) and renamed the place Ikeji, i.e. “iko eji”- meaning that we met the rain. “Eji” means Rain in Yoruba language.

Adetemi and his militant men successfully repelled the incursions of the Binis and secured the boundary of Ijesaland with the Ekiti at River Owena. That was how Ikeji’s rugged topography was used to the advantage of Ijesa military. From that time, the whole of Ijesa army would not go into combat against an enemy without a warrior from Ikeji firing first shot in order to ensure victory.

According to history which was not highlighted plainly, Ijesaland would have been subjugated to Benin Kingdom if the then Owa-Obokun heeded not to the advice of Ifa by creating the Ikeji fortress. It means without Ikeji and its warriors, Ijesaland of today would be under Binis’ hegemony.

Therefore, I cannot but conclude that Ikeji was the backbone of the existing Ijesaland and the heartbeat of the present Ijesaland. So, I will use this medium to call on Owa-Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland to change the Capital of the proposed Ijesa State to Ikeji Ile Ijesa, the heartbeat of Ijesaland and not Ilesa, being the most cosmopolitan and most populated of the Ijesa towns. *Smiles*

© Oluwatomilola K. Boyinde,

Ijesaland Renaissance Initiative,

Ijesaland@yahoo.com