Òkè-Ìlá
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Òkè-Ìlá is a city in Ọṣun State, Nigeria.
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[edit] Location and physiography
Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún (often abbreviated as Òkè-Ìlá) is an ancient city in southwestern Nigeria that was capital of an ancient Igbomina-Yoruba city-state of the same name. Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún is located at , at an elevation of 1863 ft,[1] on one of the several hills adjoining the eastern flanks of the Oke-Ila Ridge, a part of the Yoruba Hills. Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún’s sister city (and sister kingdom) Ìlá Òràngún is located about 7.5 miles (12 km) to the northeast, separated by the north-trending ridges and gorges.
[edit] Ancient history
[edit] Unified city-state
Before the dispute and split several centuries ago, the present Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún and Ìlá Òràngún constituted the original united kingdom, a city-state founded, Ìlá-Yàrà, by Oduduwa's fourth son (according to legend), named Fagbamila and nicknamed Òràngún.
A dispute (said to be a succession dispute in one account, or a relocation site dispute by another account) centering around two brother-princes (Àpàkíìmò, the older and Arútú Olúòkun, the younger) and their supporters, led to a split of the Ila-Yara city-state and the eventual emigration of both factions from the Ila-Yara site.
[edit] Factional histories
Oral history of Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún kingdom claims (contrary to the version common in Ìlá), that the dispute arose from the selection of a new site to move the kingdom to. Unfortunately, the Ifa oracle acknowledged as suitable both soil samples from the site selected by the Ìlá-Yàrà kingdom's official delegates commissioned by Òràngún Àpàkíìmò, as well as the site selected by the unofficial delegates commissioned by the kingdom's youth led by Àpàkíìmò's younger brother, Prince Arútú Olúòkun. The kingdom's royal council insisted on the site selected by the kingdom's official delegates while the young people argued the advantages of the site selected by the delegates they commissioned. The younger prince, Arútú Olúòkun's faction led a migration of his faction out of Ìlá-Yàrà and founded Ìlá-Magbon. Thereafter, (according to oral history of Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún kingdom), the official Ìlá-Yàrà kingdom under Òràngún Àpàkíìmò, migrated to their preferred site. The faction of the older prince, Àpàkíìmò who was the last Òràngún at Ìlá-Yàrà, founded Igbóhùn, which is the modern Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún. When earthworm pests subsequently bothered Prince Arútú faction's settlement at Ila-Magbon, Prince Arútú Olúòkun elected to "sink into the ground", because he was unable to travel when told by the Ifa oracle that they had to move to the Ila-Odo site which is the location of the modern Ìlá Òràngún, where the "Òrèrè" staff was first stuck into the ground. Oral history of Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún kingdom also claims (again contrary to the version common in Ìlá), that Òfínní, an Òràngún deposed from the (the older prince) Òràngún Àpàkíìmò;'s kingdom at Igbóhùn was the first Òràngún officially installed by the youth's faction after their exit from Ìlá-Yàrà.
[edit] Migrations, relocations, settlements, refugees
Since the migration from Ìlá-Yàrà, the Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún kingdom had settled at various locations, the most notable being Igbohun, Okiri, Iladun, Omi-Ọṣun (along the Omi-Ọṣun river), and the present site (Oke-Ila), which oral history claims is partly superimposed on the original Igbohun site, and has twice been previously occupied and abandoned.
The original population of the Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún kingdom has over the centuries been joined by waves of migrations from other parts of Yorubaland, as well as refugees of various conflicts in the near and distant parts of Igbominaland. An example of additions to the original population are the Ọba'lúmọ̀ of Ìsèdó group who were also of the earlier Òbà diaspora. An example of historical refugees that were hosted by the Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún kingdom, but have subsequently returned to their homelands are the Rore (or Irore), the Arandun and the Ora-Igbomina kingdoms. (It is conceivable that the Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún kingdom itself had similarly been temporary guests as war-refugees of their neighbouring kingdoms, just like their sister-kingdom Ìlá Òràngún were for 15 years refugees at Omupo during the wars with Ibadan).
The new waves of migrations that stayed on in Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún can usually be identified from traditional orature which usually make nostalgic references to their original homeland.
[edit] Local government capital status
Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún is currently capital of Ifedayo Local Government Area of Ọṣun State. The Ifedayo LGA (local government area) Secretariat is located on the northern outskirts of the town. The administration of the two major towns and the several smaller towns and villages is conducted from the Ifedayo LGA Secretariat.
[edit] People, culture and tourist attractions
Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún has a population estimated (2005) to be 35,000 (suspectedly an under-estimation).
The people of Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún kingdom speak a distinctive dialect of the Yoruba language called Igbomina (or Ogbonna). The people are mostly agrarian but have a significant number of artisans, traders, hunters of wild game, school-teachers and other professionals.
Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún is famous for the energetic dancing and acrobatic skills of its Elewe, the region's primary Egungun, a dancing masqurade ensemble representing the ancestors during various traditional festivals. The Egungun Elewe is unique to the Igbomina Yoruba subgroup. There are other less popular but unique and peculiar Egungun in the kingdom.
Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún is notable for the adventurous and breathtaking Ayikunugba Waterfalls situated in a cliffed gorge, and its associated caves and "mythical" underground passages, which is located southwest of the town, along the north trending ridge-and-gorge series of the Oke-Ila Ridge complex, as well as the Oke Lanfo Peak located southeast of Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún. The ridges and gorges consist of the geologically defined Oke-Ila Quartzites, a series of metamorphic rocks of Pan-African age ( about 550 million years old).
The current Orangun of Oke-Ila Orangun in Ifedayo Local Government area of Osun State is His Royal Majesty, Oba Adedokun Adeniyi Abolarin. He was installed on December 8, 2006. His Royal Majesty is a lawyer/attorney licensed to practice law in the Supreme Court of Nigeria, and he holds a masters degree in International Relations from Obafemi Awolowo University (formerly University of Ife), and a professional law degree from the same university.
Until his installation, Oba Abolarin was the principal partner of Dokun Abolarin & Co., a firm of Solicitors and Legal Consultants, which had served as Company Secretary to various corporations.
[edit] Educational institutions
Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún has several primary and secondary schools most of which are privately owned. The premier secondary institution is the Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún Grammar School. The first primary schools are the Seventh-day Adventist Day School situated at the foot of a peak on the west edge of the city, and the Baptist Day School situated at the foot of the hill on which the old city is located.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Baptist Church were the first churches and now have multiple churches in the city. Other churches include the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), the Apostolic Church, the Christ Apostolic Church, the Cherubim & Seraphim Church, the Aladura Church of the Lord, and many others. The city has a central masjid and other minor mosques. The percentage of adherents of traditional religions is decreasing but there are worshipers of the major Yoruba traditional religions like Sango, Ogun, and Egungun.
Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún's town hall adjoins the palace of the Òràngún, the paramount king of the kingdom. It is named Apakimo Town Hall, in honor of the king that led a rival exodus from Ila-Yara, the original unified kingdom that became the sister kingdoms of Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún and Ìlá Òràngún.
[edit] Position relative to other cities and towns
Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún is about 120 miles (190 km) directly west of the confluence of the Rivers Niger and Benue at Lokoja and about 28 miles (45 km) northeast of Osogbo the capital of Osun State. It is about 150 miles (240 km) northeast of Lagos with Ibadan at about midway between. It is about 100 miles (160 km) southeast of the ancient city of Oyo (Oyo-Ile) and about 80 miles (130 km) east of modern Oyo (Ago d'Oyo). It is 40 miles (65km) northeast of the ancient city of Ile-Ife, about 60 miles (95km) southeast of the ancient Yoruba city of Ilorin and about 120 miles (190 km) northwest of Benin City (more correctly Bini or Ibini) capital of the Benin/Edo Empire.
[edit] References
- ^ FallingRain.com Gazeteer. Retrieved February 18, 2007
