Trash, grime litter burial site of four Alaafins of Oyo

An important place which students of African history would like to see is one which hosts the burial site of four Alaafins of Oyo when Igboho was the capital of the defunct Oyo Empire. What is left of the place known as Igbo Oba is a disappointment. TUNDE BUSARI reports.

From whichever route a visitor enters Igboho, the headquarters of Orelope Local Government Council of Oyo State, the name ‘Igbo Oba’ (King’s Forest) has no replica. The visitor is assured of a safe access to the forest which is the resting place for four Alaafins who ruled the defunct Oyo Empire for cumulative 65 years. The identities of the said Alaafins whose remains were interred in the forest are Alaafin Ofiran, Alaafin Orompoto, Alaafin Ajiboyede and Alaafin Abipa.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that it was during the reign of Alaafin Abipa that Oyo migrated down south to where it is now known as Oyo-Ile. The Igbo Oba has long enjoyed status of a reserved forest held sacred by the people of Igboho and beyond. It was a tropical jungle featuring long thick trees which provided sufficient shade for the four tombs sitting at different spots inside the serene space.

A recent visit, however, was a discovery of the most unexpected sight, in terms of the state of the potential tourism site. The current harmattan season has opened the forest up such that one could see virtually every object inside it, thereby making it an alternative route to people in need of shortcut to link adjoining quarters.

One Akeem Ayanlere who spoke to our correspondent while passing through the forest, said he grew up to see people using Igbo Oba as a regular route, noting that he did not see his action as a taboo or crime for that reason. The somehow reserved 21-year-old acknowledged the pre-eminence of the site as next to the palace but confirmed the defilement of the forest as a public place to which the people have unfettered access day and night without molestation.

“There is no time of the day people don’t pass through here. That has always been my observation. Today alone, I have passed through here for about five times because my house is in the next street. Instead of me to take a long route, this place comes naturally as the best to save time and energy. Can you believe that I have never thought of the question you just asked me about the appropriateness or otherwise of turning this place into walkway? I think if tomorrow the government decides to do something about it, people would stop passing through here. That is what I think is the solution to passing through Igbo Oba,” he said.

Aside that distortion of function, Igbo-Oba has also been turned into a waste dump  where refuse from far and near is emptied to demystify the essence of that site as resting place for the past Alaafins. As refuse is deposited, so are some people taking positions and openly defecating near the tombs. A young boy found in that act refused to answer a question posed to him by our correspondent. His attitude, however, showed a boy who had no other place to answer the call of nature aside the forest.

Ayanlere offered further insight: “If you had come in the early morning, you would have seen many people bending down everywhere here. It is not a big deal because there are some houses which don’t have toilets. We are used to it and nobody has come out to stop those people from defecating here.”

It was learnt that the death of a certain old man who was engaged to look after the site contributed to the loss of control witnessed in the place. The man was said to have been financially encouraged by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, whom, it was learnt, considered the burial site as a responsibility he must take in honour of the memory of his predecessors.

The Adebayo Alao-Akala administration between 2007 and 2011 was also said to have initiated a plan to develop the forest to an important tourists’ destination in Oyo State, considering the historic significance of the site. Some relaxation spots reportedly built for that purpose are still in the forest but in a state of disuse.

“That is one of the tragedies of politics. Politicians, especially from different parties don’t like to continue works of previous administration. If former Governor Alao-Akala had won his second term in 2011,he would have changed the face of that place and made it another internally-generated revenue site for the state,” an Ibadan-based Igboho indigene who did not want his name in print told our correspondent.

A tourism enthusiast, Mr Dotun Oladele also expressed worry at the state of the site, lamenting the loss of revenue which government could have since realised from it. Oladele gave a credit mark to Oba Adeyemi for keeping faith with his predecessors by showing interest in their tombs in Igboho, which is the former capital of the Oyo Empire.

The well-travelled Oladele called on the incumbent governor, Seyi Makinde to look in the direction of the forest with a view to taking it up from where former Governor Alao-Akala stopped, saying that effort would expand revenue generation base of the state.

“It is not right that every state government runs to Abuja every month for allocation. It is high time states developed other sources of revenue to meet the expectations of the electorate. Governor Seyi Makinde has this site available for such development to international standard. I am using this medium to appeal to him to do something for the memory of the past Alaafins sleeping here,” he said.

Equally agitated was the Ona Olubode of Igboho, Oba AbduRasheed Adetoyese Jayeola who did not hide his disappointment at the current state of Igbo Oba. Like Oladele, Oba Jayeola also called on the Oyo State government to come and develop the site to boost social life in the place.

The blunt traditional ruler said tourists should not be restricted to Ibadan and its environs as only tourism destinations in the state, adding that the government stands to reap better profits through the development of other identified sites scattered over the state. He recalled his visit to Dubai where he toured some places of interest and returned with a wish for same development in his home state.

“I want to tell you that there is no validity in argument that Igboho is too far. The essence of tourism is to take tourists to long distance to afford them opportunities to see geography of their host states. You cannot stay in Ibadan alone and enjoy such opportunity. In the United Arab Emirate we travelled for about three hours from one site to another. We enjoyed ourselves by seeing different places and different things we could not have seen in one place.

“I am urging the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to come to Igboho and raise the standard of this place. It is long overdue. Tourists would love to see the resting place of four Alaafin of Oyo. The history of Oyo Empire is known in every part of the world. Showing the exact place which they have read in textbooks would complete their knowledge of history. I am saying this with every sense of assurance that when Igbo Oba is fully developed the government would not regret doing so,” he stated.