CHOOSING THE OLOSOSO OF OSOSO: THE TRUTH

Family Tree. Source: Prince Bola Obaitan

Ososo is a town in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo state, founded several centuries ago after migrating from the Benin Kingdom through several routes which took the people through Igala Kingdom (now in Kogi State) to Ajaokuta and finally to her present rocky area where they could be protected from vandals and other rampaging invaders of that time.

Ososo comprises of five original quarters namely Ani, Egbetua, Okhe, Ikpena and Oyaosah (the last of which has gone into extinction a very long time ago; to which now leaves only four quarters.

RULERSHIP
Okalagba who eventually created and became the modern ruler, has four sons; namely Daudu, Emawe or Tokurah, Sarki and Imoudu in that order of seniority by a wife called Iya-Ata. When he died, the senior son Daudu became the OyanOsoso (in modern time Olososo title). Before Daudu died Emawe (Tokurah) has already died; and the title passed on to Sarki (the third son).

When Sarki died the kingship passed on to Okogbe-Imoudu who temporarily passed it to his friend, Oniolewa at Kpena, to hold temporarily when the oracle told him that if he stay on, he will not live to bury his mother. He then travelled first to Oyaosah and later to Kabba to wait for his mother – Iya-Ata’s demise. After a few years or several months, his mother died in a mysterious circumstance. He came back immediately and demanded that Omolewa give back the kingship to him as arranged with him but he (Omolewa) refused saying that the British had already sanction his rulership.

However, after Omolewa’s death, the children of these four ruling sons (who are now the ruling four Ugbedu families) contacted the District officer and got their kingship back; and now decided that the children of Tokurah who did not become king or rule before he died should take it.

The children which include Itomo, Adamagbo and Orifa decided to give it to Orifa. After Orifa’s demise in 1937, it became the turn of the Daudu’s in order to start the rotation, but because there was not a single literate person amongst them, they (the ruling families) gave it to Obaitan, Orifa’s son who had a Standard Six and a Teachers’ Training Education. There was rancor and rift from the Daudu’s, but the rift was eventually settled in order for them to have a literate rulership who can interact with District Officer.

Ironically, Obaitan did not complete his life journey naturally as he was killed prematurely in 1967, during the Nigerian Civil War by the Federal troops. There was a lacuna between 1967 till 1985, when Ikpena Quarters went to court to challenge the Bendel State Chieftaincy Declaration Law of 1979, as it affects Ososo, at the High Court, Igarra and then later to the Appeal Court; but they lost.

These four ruling families met and decided that Anselm A. Obaitan who was assumed to be Okuedu’s eldest son should take the title and complete his father’s abruptly cut short reign.

The title or kingship is not from father to son as now being claimed by a section of Tokurah’s children precisely Chief Orifa’s. This title is from brother to brother and therefore rotated amongst the four ruling families (Daudu, Tokurah, Sarki and Imoudu). These four ruling families above will not now allow, accept and/or condone the Orifa’s children to continue to usurp the throne which belong to all of them.

ABUSE OF A PROCESS?
We want to put the records straight and hence inform the enlightened Ososo populace and the entire world, that Dele Obaitan is just parading himself against our customs and traditions. He is not appointed to rule, as the oracle divination or our ancestors never choose him. Emawe (Tokurah) was never a ruler before he died and taking or using his name as a title is sacrilegious with dire consequence to be visited on such person or persons who orchestrated it.

DENIGRATING OTHERS AND ABUSES
It must be noted that almost all the chiefs (they know themselves) who parade themselves as Itokurah off-springs are not what they claim to be and do not acknowledge their parental/grandparents’ background. Those who claim wrongly that Chief Buoro Adamagbo is not Ugbedu, should seek deeply their grandparents’ background. This include Dele himself. We implore him to buy the book written by Patrick Tola Okogbe titled Ososo (EDEEDE/NANA) or seek his late father’s copy to read, and he will find out (written there in black and white) his parental background.

This book was published in 2018, and he will find aspect relating to the biological parentage of his late father before insulting and spreading falsehood on a revered Chief Buoro Adamagbo who made Orifa king and Ikuodu king too. In that book when a copy was given to the late Ichama -his father, he kept mute and never contested the written fact about him.

USAGE OF GOVERNOR’S NAME
It will be wise if Dele Obaitan stop flaunting the Executive Governor’s name to deceive some ignorant Ososo populace. We know that the Governor will not jump to approve a king or rulership, if due process is not followed and the historical background is not revealed to him to study properly which will enable him make an informed decision. Doing otherwise, will bring us back to 1942; and this time, it will be worst and destructive. We are not illiterates as it was then and are now modern and knowledgeable.

Conclusively therefore, the four ruling families aforementioned want the result of the oracle divination of 10th – 11th November, 2023, to be followed and the other custom and traditions in the choice of the Ososo rulership to be adhered to strictly. The general public should know that Dele is not what he is claiming to be and the Governor should be so advised to avoid a total breakdown of law and order, please. It should be made categorically clear that he is not the Head of Ugbedu kindred who crown a king (Olososo) but the Head of Okporikpo kindred.

Signed: