Why Ooni, Olugbo must give peace a chance —Oba Lebi, Olofun of Ode-Irele

The Olofun of Ode-Irele Kingdom, Oba Olanrewaju Lebi is a former permanent secretary at the presidency. His rise to the throne in 1994 followed the confidence his community reposed in him. The monarch speaks with MONICA TAIWO and TUNDE BUSARI.

 

What were you doing before you became the king?

I was working with the Federal civil service at the Presidency. I served in the United States for about six and a half years; I returned to the country and went back to the Presidency where I worked for a very long time. It was from there that I was virtually forced back to Irele to sit on the throne.

 

Was there usual contest before you emerged the Olofun?

I didn’t contest. I did something; I don’t know if that was the reason they felt I should be the king. When Babangida also set up the committee to create more local governments, I was appointed the secretary. At that time, we had only one local government in this area, called Ikale Local Government at Okitipupa. Then it occurred to me that we needed a local government here. Godwin Kanu was the chairman of that commission. One day he called me and said he was impressed by the way I did my work. I thanked him and took advantage of that, so during the long break at the Dodan Barracks where I worked, I walked up to him and said, sir, do you know that my area needs a Local Government. He asked where, I said Irele, he wanted to know where Irele is, I told him around Okitipupa. He then asked me to bring the map of Nigeria to him after break. I did. At the end of it, he gave us a local government. Maybe that is why Irele people felt I am useful.

 

Can you tell us the history of Ode Irele and the people?

Ode irele is made up of so many people but the crown we wear is from Ugbo. Ode-Irele people were mostly from Ugbo. Although we have some Benins among us, they said our great ancestor was known as Olumesokun. They said when they sent Oranmiyan to Benin, after the Ogiso dynasty there was a civil war in Benin, the Ogiso then called him sky king like  the Olugbo calls  himself sky king. When Oranmiyan was coming he picked some of his loyal brothers including Olumesokun, our own great ancestor on the journey to Benin. From there Olumesokun travelled to this place and married our own great mother Wobiletan, the daughter of Olugbo of Ugbo. She gave birth to Sagboju and Oyewusi.

 

We can now draw a link in the history of Irele, Ile Ife and Ugbo. Now there is this controversy between Ile Ife and Ugbo. You must have heard about it sir. What is your take on it?

Olugbo was the first person in Ife, long before Oduduwa who came from Southern Sudan. Whether anybody likes it or not, that is my belief.

 

Did you mean Mecca?

No, he came from the Upper Nile. He came to Ife and met Olugbo there. After the Noah’s flood, the ark built by Noah; the technology with which he built the ship was greater than the one we have now. Some people from another planet helped Noah to build the ark. After building the ark people were still continuing in sin. They started to defecate inside the ark until it was filled with filth and something hit them with leprosy until one of them went into the ark and fell into the defecation and was healed. When the others saw him, they were surprised; they asked how he became healed, he told them he fell into the mess they all created in the ark and immediately, all of them started falling into their defecation and they were healed. After this, they all brought sponge and cleaned the ark. When it was clean, God instructed Noah to put every living thing even maggot, lizards rats every living thing even sand inside the ark. In fact, Adams coffin was in the ark and it set to sail. It went on and on and landed in this present day Turkey. And God sent these people from another planet to repopulate the earth. God sent them to pick people from the ark and plant them in strategic places. They planted Krishina in India, Buddha in China, Confucius in China and Olugbo in Ife. Although Olugbo told me he descended from the sky, I told him it wasn’t true. He was lowered from the ark onto Oke Oranfe. Oranfe was half man, half spirit. Olugbo was there, they were the first Oba of Ife until it came to the time of Obatala; who was a young boy of eight years. He was made the Oba of Ife. The young boy was just playing about drinking palm wine. Oduduwa had come down from mount Oranfe looking at what was happening down, he felt they were living carefree life, so he attacked and overran them. These were the Ilaje (Ugbo) people and they ran away to Okegbo; this present Okegbo (near Ife but in Ondo State). They were living there without food and they would go back to Ife and harass the market women in the evening to take their food and return to Okegbo. They always went to the market in the evening then. The Ife people then used to refer to them as spirits. When the Ife people saw them, they would shout that spirit had come and run away leaving their wares. And the Ugbo people would carry their food and run away.

 

Why were the Ugbos called spirits, do they not look like human beings?

They did this for a long time and the people of Ife consulted Ifa through Agbomiregun and they were told that the people were not spirits but human beings. They then asked how they could conquer them. He told them that one of them must make a sacrifice so that their secret will be revealed. When the people were told the solution, Moremi Ajasoro a beautiful woman offered herself. Ifa oracle told them that when the supposed spirits come to raid she must not run away. When the Ugbo people came again, Moremi did as she was told. After parking the food they needed, they saw a woman who sat there and took her away with them to Okegbo. The Oba saw her and married her because she was a beautiful woman. She was living in the palace with the king. Olugbo’s secret was revealed by Moremi.  She would watch how the Ugbo people prepared for the attack. She saw everything and after sometime she ran back to Ife. At the time she was captured and taken away they crossed River Esimirin; still in Ife today; Moremi vowed that if she could go and come back anything that first met her she would sacrifice to the river. When she got back to Ife, there was so much noise, Moremi has returned and Oluorogbo her son came out to meet her. So she had to sacrifice Oluorogbo to the Esimirin river. Olugho claimed that she had children in Ugbo but I don’t know about that. I know only of Oluorogbo. She then revealed the secret she learnt that the raiders are human beings and not spirits and that was how Ife people were able to conquer the Ugbo people.

 

What then happened to the Ugbos left in Oke-Igbo?

They consulted Ifa and were asked to move far away near the sea to settle down; that they would find certain artifacts there as a sign of where they would settle. Egbonibe, that is Ilaje and it is the meaning of Ugbo and that is where they are now. There is something I read in the paper they said that Ibo people were living at Ife; that is untrue. From Anthropological studies there are two Negros in Nigeria, you have the Bantu Negros and the Sudanese Negros. The Bantu Negros are the Ibos from the Eastern region the Sudanese Negroes are the Yorubas and Hausa people. The Bantu Negroes when they wanted to make their musical instruments they used leaves because they lived in the jungle; I am not saying this to despise anybody; they have a lot of wood, they carved wood and made their music …. Po pop o pop o. that is their musical instrument but the Sudanese Negroes, because they are shepherds, they used animal skins for their musical instruments……. gbungbun gbungbungbun . the Yorubas and Hausas are the ones who use animal skins for their musical instruments. I cannot believe that Ibo people were living at Ife.

 

Have you any advice for the two traditional rulers?

For me, communication is key on the issue.  We should learn how to handle issues without compounding them. For now they both should let this issue lie low. Time will take care of it.