Meet The Monarch: HRM Oba (Engr.) Dr. Isaac Adeyeba Ayeni,
CLICK HERE FOR HIS ZOOM MEETING CALENDAR.
Royal Title : Okin Oloro II
Given Name : AKINLA ERIN-ÌJẸ̀SÀ
Kingdom: ERIN-ÌJẸ̀SÀ KINGDOM
Kingdom coordinates:
Background:HRM Oba Isaac Adeyeba Ayeni was born to late Pa. Hezeekiah Dada Alonge Ayeni of the Ayeni Royal Family of Osefiri Ruling House in Erin-Ijesa and Madam Rebecca Ojukurolola Ayeni (nee Onisipe) of Odofin Chieftaincy House in Erin-Ijesa, both from Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State. He is the youngest of four children. His paternal great grandfather, HRM Oba Akinla Ayeni Okin Oloro, was the 23rd Akinla of Erin-Ijesa whose reign was the longest of all the past Akinlas having ruled the community for 55 years (1884 – 1939). There are three ruling houses in Erin-Ijesa, namely: (1) Osefiri, (2) Ogbagbalawo, and (3) Iyandereketa.
OBA’s BASIC INFORMATION
Birthday: 1964-01-22
Kingdom Coordinates: 07.567850N,04.763450 E
Lineage of the Oba: Osefiri Ruling House
Kingdom Population: 8,111
Member of USA R.O.Y.A.L Since: 2019-03-11
Year of Ascension to Kingship: 2016-03-25
Class of Oba: First Class
Relationship to Oduwawa: Direct Descendant
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Primary School: United Anglican Primary School Erin-Ijesa
Secondary School: Erin Community Grammar School Erin-Ijesa
PERSONAL AND KINGDOM INFORMATION
Personal Achievements:
Oba (Engr.) Dr. Isaac Adeyeba Ayeni joined the then National Assembly (Code of
Conduct Bureau) as a Clerical Assistant in 1981 after his secondary education. He
was later promoted to the post of Clerical Officer. He resigned his appointment in
1982 to further his education.
He had a short stint with Earth Structures Nigeria Limited Lagos as a Site Engineer
from 1988 to1989 having completed the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with
the Federal Capital Development Authority, Abuja, between 1987 and 1988.
Thereafter, he worked with one of Nigeria’s leading construction company (HFP
Engineering Limited, Lagos) as a Structural Engineer and later as Assistant
Manager, Engineering Department, from 1989 to 1992. He later had 24 years’
experience in Oil & Gas industry, with Chevron Nigeria Limited from 1992 to 2016,
where he served as the Marine & Rolling Equipment Superintendent before
retirement to answer the call to serve his people.
He took keen interest in the development of his community. He is the founder
and the Chief Executive Director of Adeyeba Petroleum Limited located along
Ilesa-Akure highway at Erin-Ijesa, dealing with sales of petroleum products.
Kabiyesi has acquired broad based experience within and outside the work place
with core values of integrity, ingenuity, diversity, reliability, trust and
transparency. He is a detailed oriented person with good time management and
works well under pressure. He is professional, resourceful, organized, competent,
proactive, matured, analytical, accountable, flexible, open-minded, friendly and
committed to learn.
His Royal Majesty has numerous professional qualifications and certifications to
his credit, viz:
Interesting facts about his ruler:
Accomplishments for his subject and kingdom:
The past few years on the throne has been both interesting and intriguing. Notwithstanding, the most interesting challenge that we have had to face has been partly internal to us in Erin-Ijesa and partly beyond our control. In all, we give glory to God almighty. The vision that we outlined during my coronation is still intact and on course. We cannot shy away from the fact that we were engulfed with various conflicts traced to leadership tussle leading to my enthronement. So the first assignment was the setting up of Conflict Resolution Committee to bring all parties back to same fold. Though we are only few years on the throne, we have been able to successfully lay the foundation upon which our vision will be realized.
In pursuit of our set vision of re-positioning Akinla of Erin-Ijesa to her rightful position, I submitted a memorandum in August 2016 and made several appearances thereafter to the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Disputed Chieftaincy Declaration & Other Allied Chieftaincy Matters headed by Hon Justice Abdulrazak Babatunde Abdulkareem, which was set up by Osun State Government on July 19 2016, in respect of injustice done to the position of Akinla of Erin-Ijesa in Osun State Council of Obas as well as Ijesa North Traditional Council. The Commission was charged to critically look into the challenges confronting chieftaincy matters in Osun State by helping to find a lasting solution to the same. My position was backed up by the rejoinder of HIM Oba (Dr) Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran, the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland and that of HRM Engr Enoch Ademola Adeyemi, the Owa-Ooye of Imesi-Ile (who was the President of Ijesa North Traditional Council at that time). The Judicial Commission of Inquiry received 169 memoranda and 713 rejoinders and has since submitted her report on the 19th of December 2017; though Osun State Government is yet to act on the report till date. While submitting its report, the Commission posited that the unwieldy size of Osun State’s Council of Obas and Chiefs was a result of unregulated promotions and lack of proper process of inclusion into the Council; and thereafter propose a standing tribunal for chieftaincy matters.
In respect of our concern towards the development of our rich cultural heritage, we succeeded in building a befitting palace for the “Lowabisi”, the chief priest of Iro Traditional Festival of Erin-Ijesa, the first of its kind in the history of Erin-Ijesa, and we successfully installed the new chief priest (the position that was vacant before my installation). I also engaged Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in a bid to ensure that our Iro Traditional Festival is widely recognized as one of the foremost traditional festivals in Yoruba land. Towards this effort, the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture via their letter reference number FMCT/ECS/006/T3 dated 13th of February 2017 has directed that Iro Traditional Festival of Erin-Ijesa be included in the Calendar of Festivals in Nigeria, while Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) will market and promote this festival.
Working towards our vision on youth empowerment, we also allocated land to Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) for building a cultural village in Erin-Ijesa to create employment opportunity for our teeming youths. This is one of the NTDC tourism empowerment projects in the four geo-political zones of Nigeria. NTDC will supply working tools and equipment to the center and carry out capacity building training for artists to produce various souvenir locally that can be sold to tourist visiting Olumirin Waterfalls at Erin-Ijesa. When this pilot project is completed, our youth will be able to make use of their creativity to bring bread and butter to their tables instead on focusing on looking for white collar jobs only. They could organize themselves into groups and even export items produced. We are expecting that the pilot project will take off soon. Towards getting a befitting palace for Akinla, we have completed the perimeter and topographical survey plan of Akinla’s palace, and the architect have produced the sketch design of the proposed elegant and ultramodern palace building for the Akinla of Erin-Ijesa that will cost approximately N300 million. We are at the point where we need money to produce detailed drawings.
We will set up a fundraising committee who will be charged with launching of appeal fund for the palace project. As part of our efforts towards market development, we have opened a new market at the junction of Erin-Ijesa on the expressway named “Oja Anaye” to give opportunity to our farmers to sell their farm products to travelers on the expressway daily. This is to complement the ancient Itadogun market, also known as Ejigbomekun market, which is at the center of the town. We have also reopened the “Oja Oba” within the town which is a daily market. Fulfilling our dream of placing Erin-Ijesa on a world pedestal, we got consultant to develop website for Erin-Ijesa to showcase who we are to the whole world, thus putting Erin-Ijesa on the world’s super-highway; the first of its kind in Ijesaland and among top 15 of towns in Yoruba land. The website (www.erin-ijesa.com) has been live since October 2016. We have been appealing to the government, both at the State and Federal level, to complete and commission the 20-bed hospital started about 30 years ago during the administration of Governor Bola Ige. Construction of 1.5 kilometers access road leading to Olumirin Waterfalls Erin-Ijesa from the center of the town which was kicked-off by the administration Governor Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola in November 2017 is still ongoing. We introduced Oba Adeyeba Ayeni Inter-Street Football Competition in December 2018. This is a means of engaging the youth during Christmas period and to foster friendship among the youths. Through this grassroot football competition, we can discover some talents for national football teams or various football clubs within and outside the country. One successful discovery is a big addition to Erin-Ijesa’s economy.
Kingdom Vision:
Kingdom History:
The history of Erin-Ijesa is inter-twined with religious activities of Oduduwa dynasty which led to the dispel and eventual exodus of Akinla the Princess of Oduduwa and her alter egos from Ile-Ife on account of family disputes as to who rightly should be the custodian of the age long traditional Iro, a significant symbol of Yoruba goddess of fertility and procreation. This dispute led to the exodus of Princess Akinla and her allies into the forest region to not only eke a living but carve out a niche for her supporters away from Ile Ife. In those days, the Yoruba society was not strictly patrilineal. Hence, female children had equal rights of inheritance as their male counterparts and Akinla enjoyed all privileges derivable from her being a descendant of Oduduwa. Erin-Ijesa is one of the earliest towns in Ijesa land. The great Akinla was the only daughter, eldest child and a princess of Oduduwa, father of the Yorubas, who left Ile-Ife in the 12th century during the tumultuous years that witnessed the dispersal of all heirs and heiresses of Oduduwa.
The history of Erin-Ijesa had its roots in trado-religious affinity with Iro, the Yoruba goddess of fertility and procreation as a result of a dispute which arose within the Oduduwa dynasty as to who should take custody of this important religious effigy and emblem called Iro, which was used by Oduduwa to pray for his children. This was at a time that Oduduwa, due to old age no longer administered his kingdom physically. During this acrimony, Princess Akinla claimed exclusive right to the custody, being the only daughter and eldest child of Oduduwa. The resultant squabble forced her to depart Ile-Ife with a group of loyalists to a place where she could live in relative calm and serenity. She was accompanied by her husband, Olule, who can be described as the Duke of Edingbugh. While a version of the oral history says the group proceeded straight to Erin-Itadogun (now Erin-Ijesa) from Ile-Ife, the other version says the group first stayed briefly at a place called Igbo-Oja, which can be found today at Iperindo/Odo area in the present day Atakunmosa East Local Government Area of State of Osun. After few days at “Igbo-Oja”, they discovered they could not settle there permanently as there was scarcity of water. Hence, they continued the search northwards to find a better place that they could settle and particularly a place that would have easy access to water. After a long period of search, they discovered a ceaseless waterfall from the hills that presented an aerie and fearful picture initially to the search group; and they described it as ‘Olumirin or Oluwa miran’, meaning another goddess, because the people marvelled at this type of mystery. They eventually settled there, worshipping it as another goddess apart from Iro. It is believed that the waterfall brings protection, rain, purity of mind and soul, and freedom from diseases. Princess Akinla and her group journeyed for seventeen (17) days through thick forest and mountainous areas from the day they started off in Ile-Ife in search of new settlement to find the new abode of waterfalls called Olumirin. That was why that new place of abode was named “Erin-Itadogun”, that is, the place of the seventeenth day journey, coined from Yoruba words, irin Itadogun (seventeenth day trek). Erin-Itadogun, which is today known as Erin-Ijesa, was founded circa 1140AD. It was also known as ‘Ikinla’, possibly so named after the Ile-Ife princess. Sometimes in 18th century, it was referred to as “Erin-Odo”, meaning settlement of the Erin people in the plain. This was the name by which it was known until 1972 when the name was changed to Erin-Ijesa in order to differentiate her from other Erin towns. It is important to note that some of the followers of Akinla later left her to establish their own individual settlements. Hence, there are other towns today which took their names after the Akinla’s Erin, such as: Erin-Ile, Erin-Papa, Erin-Moje, Erin-Osun, and so on. It is pertinent to say that the migration of Akinla and her retinue out of Ile-Ife was not an isolated case. It was part of the general movement which involved Akinla’s brothers and sixteen crowned kings of Yoruba land who established their individual kingdoms. Before the dispersal from Ile-Ife, all the brothers took a decision to accord respect and recognition to Akinla as the eldest daughter of their father, Oduduwa. Thus, they fondly referred to her as ‘Yeye Aye'(mother of all), hence the saying: “E soni digun b’Erin ja, Erin ni yeye oni” meaning ‘no one plans or wages war against Erin, the mother of all’. Akinla and her group continued the worship of Iro, which they regarded as the goddess of fertility and the soul of the Yoruba nation and its fruitfulness, with Lowabisi as the chief priest. Lowabisi worshipped Iro on behalf of Akinla as Oduduwa himself used to worship it at Ile-Ife. This is still being done today on an annual basis with pomp and pageantry in Erin-Ijesa and in certain quarters in Ile-Ife where they worship the Iro without the original symbol (image/effigy) which is now in Erin-Ijesa. There is this myth that when the ‘ijiregeji’ drum is beaten during Iro worship, it is heard in certain quarters at Ile-Ife. The centrality of the Akinla to Iro worship and custodianship further enhanced the mythical significance of Iro’s mystery and authority and perhaps too, the place of Akinla among Yoruba Obas and other children of Oduduwa. The efficacy, invulnerability and inviolate nature of Iro also earned Princess Akinla the respect and honour from her brothers, all children of Oduduwa.
No newly elected Akinla of Erin-Ijesa or Owa Obokun of Ijesaland can enter the palace without first undergoing the ‘Iro’ traditional festivities and purifications. History had it that any of these two kings who refused to go through the initiations had short reigns of no more than three months. Two recent ‘Iro’ traditional cleansings/purifications happened in May 1982 for the present Owa Obokun of Ijesaland and April 2017 for the present Akinla of Erin-Ijesa. After Princess Akinla had settled down at Erin-Itadogun (now Erin-Ijesa), she got married to Olule and bore three sons who ruled in succession after the death of Princess Akinla. The first child was Osefiri Agbojukori who inherited the crown brought to Erin-Ijesa from the Royal throne of Oduduwa at Ile-Ife by Princess Akinla, followed by Ogbagbalawo and Iyandereketa in that order. They all wore the crown of their mother, which by pure tradition was inherited directly from Oduduwa, because both male and female children of Oduduwa had the right to wear crowns. Princess Akinla died at Erin-Ijesa and her tomb is still at “Ereja Square” in Erin-Ijesa today. The exact spot where she was buried is called “Idi Odua” which is one of the important shrines at Erin-Ijesa today. I should mention that because of an historical incident of the past which I may not necessarily disclose here, the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland must not see that tomb; and anytime the Owa comes to Erin-Ijesa, he must willy-nilly use a veil to cover his face while passing through that spot so that he might not catch a glimpse of the tomb of his sister, Princess Akinla. The above narrated history shows that not only is the Akinla of Erin-Ijesa a direct descendant of the Royal throne of Oduduwa at Ile-Ife, but that the Akinla has been a crown wearing Oba from time immemorial. This fact was confirmed in modern times, when the Akinla’s name was listed as No. 7 amongst 67 Obas entitled to wear beaded crown in the Old Oyo State in 1977, in the Chiefs Law (Cap 19) The Chiefs (Wearing of Beaded Crown) Order, 1977 – ANEXTURE-1. Those Obas listed ahead of Akinla were the Ooni of Ife, the Alaafin of Oyo, the Owa-Obokun of Ijesaland, the Orangun of Ila, the Eleruwa of Eruwa and the Owa-Oye of Imesi-Ile. The status of Akinla gave him the privilege and honor to sit with Owa-Obokun of Ijesaland in the then Ijesaland Traditional Council, to approve the wearing of beaded crowns to Ogboni (now Elegboro) of Ijebu-Jesa, Apetu (now Ajalaiye) of Ipetu-Ijesa, Elerinmo of Erinmo-Ijesa, Alua of Erin-Oke, Akeji of Ikeji-Arakeji and Aloko (now Owaloko) of Iloko-Ijesa among others.
Source of Information: Auto-biography