By Bashorun Industreet
When the world seems large and complex, we need to remember that great world ideals all begin in some home neighborhood.
Alèkúsó is a fantastic area in Ibadan, it situated within two prominent local government in Oyo State; Ibadan South West Local Government and Ibadan North West Local Government.
During the Ibadan war with Ijaye, the warlords were the main culprits and the then Ibadan warlord was taken captive. The Ibadan soldiers returned home to regroup, and this time they returned to Ibadan. They completely defeated Ijaye. Then assigned their troops to the main road leading to Ibadan, at which time to be stationed. It is learned that the soldiers spent about three months before leaving the area, where they were arrested at Alékúsó (the place where they were held).
There are many historical events that came out of Alèkúsó, from the naming of the main road after Okunola, the great Raji Busari, the Asukuna, Oriolowo dynasty, Adeojo, Anduleyin masquerade, the logudus, Ojawura pati of Agunleyinju, Akarunadie and many more.
The most captivating event was the man who willingly gave his house as a provision for the founding of Ibadan Grammar School, Pa Okeowo.
Truly, every book is a quotation; and every house is a quotation out of all forests, and mines, and stone quarries; and every man is a quotation from all his. The story of Ibadan Grammar School will be incomplete without Pa Okeowo. Ibadan Grammar School started its journey as a leading Christian secondary school providing light in the darkness of heathenism and underdevelopment on 31st March, 1913 with twelve foundation students
in a mud-built storey building owned by Mr. Samson Okeowo and located at what was then Apampa Road at Alekuso, near Bere Square, Ibadan.
The famous Pa. Samson Okeowo, a distinguished and well-to-do Ijebu immigrant who made Ibadan his home and contributed to its growth in many ways. It is on record that he offered his house at Alekuso as the first home for the first secondary school in Ibadan, the famous Ibadan Grammer School, which has produced many of the illustrious citizens and leaders of this country.
Pa Okeowo was from famous Egunjenmi family; he was himself a successful cocoa farmer and at different times businessman, a politician; he was reported to be the first young man in the Itutaba Oje neighbourhood to own a car. Although a Muslim by birth. Pa Okeowo has distinguished sons and daughters whose descendants continue to make significant input into Ibadan’s development, no wonder his daughter, Aduke Vaughan, a foremost Nigerian educationist and pioneer of quality private schools in Nigeria, Omolewa Nursery and Primary School in Ibadan.
ALÉKÚSÓ AND EGUNGUN
Ará Òrun Kìn-ìn Kin-in literally translates to ‘unpretentiously a resident of heaven’ or ‘truly a native of heaven’. Egungun is predominant in many areas of Ibadan and Alékúsó is not exempted. The Onilu compound in Alèkúsó was said to be blessed the title of Olori Alagbaa,head of the masquerades with the late Chief Ifalere Odegbola Araba Olusese of Ibadan land. Anduleyin Eegun Onilu has a vital contribution to the growth of Ibadan, after the collapse of the first and second Ibadan; Ifa oracle was consulted and that part of the rituals that must be performed involved ushering drummer masquerade into Ibadan and it was Anduleyin Eegun Oniilu was made the historical contribution.
Ojawura pati of Agunleyinju compound. Eegun literarily and ordinarily depict grotesque figures that should be feared, but in our clime, the Yoruba race, in particular Ibadanland, they represent a bevy of beauty and colourful costumes. With drumming and dance, it is believed that these robed performers get possessed by the spirits of the ancestors, as manifested as a single entity.
For Eegun to come out, priests who are trained in ancestral communication, ancestral elevation and funerary rites are assigned to invoke and bring out the ancestors through the pouring of alcoholic drinks with kolanut. They wear elaborate costumes for the masquerade masquerade. Eegun comes out in June of every year, and it spiritually cleanses the community; through the dramatic acting and miming of the robed priests, they demonstrate both ethical and amoral behavior that have occurred since their last visit. In this way, they expose the strengths and weaknesses of the community to encourage behavior more befitting of their descendants.
GEOGRAPHICAL REALM OF ALÉKÚSÓ
The main street of Alékúsó is Okunola street and many other areas and compound of notable Ibadan men and women situated within Alékúsó. Alèkúsó geography will be centred on relative location as absolute location will be captured therein.
Relative location of Alékúsó is the relationship of the place to other places like Bere, Mapo Ayéyé, Oke Are, Orita merin and Gégé. Ogunmola Street is very close to Alékúsó, which is directly facing Mapo Road.
ALÉKÚSÓ LANDMARK
Agbole which is literary known as compound,
The word Agbole is a collection of rooms or apartments occupied by ebi who are related in one way or the other. The ebi include everyone who can be traced to be related by blood, no matter how far removed in time or space. What binds them together is blood relationship which is regarded as stronger than any connection.
The compound is circular in nature, with each entrance of the apartment leading to an open verandah that joins every one of them together. At the center of the compound, the rectangular space there is used for rearing domestic animals like sheep, goats, and chickens. The space, however, diminishes as more people moves into the compound to build houses. Each apartment consists of two or more rooms depending on the number of members of each family. In Alékúsó, we have many compound;Òpá, Olówógbó,Olege, Alátan,Olójó, Alade, Olóyin, Ìtaòpá, Olùwo of Adeojo, Olokuta, Badieku, Akèyo, Onilu of Anduleyin masquerade, Olorin, Gbogbo, Layan, Oriolowo of the neighbourhood compound, Ajele, Sanmori, Ogunola, Olaleye, Ayede, Alago, Olorin, Olosun, Oriyangi, Agunleyinju of ojuwara pati masquerade, Logudu, Ture,Akarunadie( the worshipers of oya), Apayade, Lajumoke, Aniloju, Ajikobi, Akatapa, Adeosun, Ajadi iko, Adefisoye. Many of this compound have produced notable indigenes of Ibadan land..
ALÉKÚSÓ AND NOBILITY
Alèkúsó has a peculiar class for noble people, the likes of late Busari Raji, he was an outstanding politician while he was alive, the late Alfa Ayede, the late baba isale musulumi of Ibadan land, Oota Balogun of Ibadanland, Alhaji Tiamiyu Akano Asukuna, the late balogun of Ibadan, Alhaji Y Ladipo, who was a founding member of Ibadan traders Association,educationist, industrialist, very religious,he was a founding member of Islamic high school. Late Mufu Lanihun is also from Oriolowo compound, he was a distinguished son of the soil while he was alive.
Aduke Vaughan and Pa Okeowo once dominated the area during their days. Mogaji Akin Fagbemi of Agunleyinju compound, he is seasoned scientist with a PhD in Food Biotechnology and several Professional Certificates obtained within and outside.
Mogaji (Dr.) Akin Fagbemi is the Executive Chairman, Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority (OYRTMA), a member of National Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST, Chartered) also Mogaji Adegbola Nurudeen Adewale of Adefisoye Family are notable names from Alékúsó.
THE ART AND ETHICS OF BUSINESS IN ALÉKÚSÓ.
The value of an idea lies in the using of it, the traditions and ways of dealing in businessin major areas of Ibadan is similar to that of Alékúsó, in the book of art and ethics, ırò is said to be ‘If a person plants a hundred yams and claims that he planted two hundred, when he has … In the end she sold firewood in Alekuso. Items being sold at Alékúsó make every detail perfect and limit the number of details to perfect. Books, spiritual items, drums and sekere are the major items of sales at Alékúsó.
Tradition, the purpose of business and the person of the manager, material and spiritual wealth business is often regarded as being aimed simply at providing material
wealth.
At the same time, because it is a profession that human beings undertake and because human beings aim to find fulfillment in their daily work. Alèkúsó business area can be regarded as one way to attain fulillment for those who engage in business within the area
This is expressed in people who make thier business thrive in the area. They are happy to produce and distribute goods and services that respond to the needs of others; Alèkúsó business men and women are happy to go out of their way to help customers and colleagues even when there is no financial benefit to themselves in doing so; people are, at
times, happier to buy things there because the location have attractive core values and
lofty ideals to the items for sales.
Alèkúsó is the home bookshops in Ìbàdàn, it has large number of booksellers than dùgbè.
Notable booksellers are Holy bookshop, Wonsebolatan, AB, Temidire, great Lawal and sons, Femson the ancient buiding of Nigerian educational Supply Company Limited for office store materials.
ALÉKÚSÓ AND OKE ‘BADAN FESTIVAL
Like many areas of Ibadan, Alékúsó and it’s environs are not exempted.
The hills of Ibadan, the Oke’badan festival is one of the many colourful and glamorous festivals celebrated in the city of Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State and the third largest city in Africa. Oke’badan festival is held annually to celebrate the founding of Ibadan and show gratitude to its founders as well; and also to unite the sons and daughters of Ibadan at home and in the diaspora.
🎶Baba to nlo,Jawajawa epon (you are with dangling scrotum)
🎶 Oko Tisa, kiki Shoki ( Teacher penis, full of chalk) and many more.
Truly, Alèkúsó as part of Ibadan confirm the eulogy which says “Ilu Ogunmola, olodogbo keri loju ogun,Ilu Ibikunle alagbala jaya-jaya”
