Ijebu-Jesa
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Ijebu-jesa is the capital of Oriade Local Government area in Osun State of Nigeria.
It is an Ancient urban city with connections to Ekiti State on one side, Ondo State on another and it has a border with the famous Ilesa the surrounding towns area IWOYE-JESA, ILOKO-JESA, ERE-JESA, IJEDA-JESA and ESA-OKE.
This urban city has a private polytechnic approved by the national board for technical education (NBTE) Nigeria (INTERLINK POLYTECHNIC IJEBU JESA) and also serves as the main route to the Osun State College of Technology in ESA-OKE.
IJEBU-JESA which hitherto before now was known and called IJEBU EGBORO is the ancient historic city in the east of Osun State, Nigeria and occupies a strategic position in IJESA DYNASTY. In IJESA DYNASTY, it is the next most important town politically and in term of history . Her Oba is the next to the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland.
The town is situated eight kilometers north of Ilesa and about 128 kilometers east of Ibadan. It lies approximately on latitude 7.45 degrees north within the rain forest belt and so offers opportunity for farming on a large scale and other good job propositions. The people are the core of IJESA and are noted for their dogged industrialism, security and hospitality.
Ijebu jesa was founded by OBA AGIGIRI EGBOROGANLADA (first ONIJEBU EGBORO) - a son of OODUA OLOFIN AIYE and was also an elder brother to OWA OBOKUN AJIBOGUN.
AGIGIRI is interpreted as "the one that makes a battle or war waves hot" (A de k’ogun gbona girigiri)”. AJIBOGUN is interpreted as "the one that was born during battle/war time (Ade ba ogun). Both Agigiri and Ajibogun were brought up by their grandmother known as IJASIN at ILODE in Ile Ife and were mistaken for twin brothers because of the love and bond between them.
Legends have it that AGIGIRI and AJIBOGUN were very close during their lifetime. When their father was getting old, he lost his sight due to old age. The Ifa worshippers consulted the oracle and it was revealed that he would regain his sight if certain ingredients including sea-water and the pod of palm kernels could be procured. After the cousel, AGIGIRI and his brother AJIBOGUN embarked on the brave journey in search of the sea-water (OMI OKUN) that will heal their father's blindness and took a path that went through IJEBU-ODE and got it from ELEKE near EPE where the AWUJALE of IJEBU DYNASTY then OBANITA worshipped the sea god annually, the brothers collected the water and went back to the Palace in Ile-Ife. Their father was treated and he regained his sight.
Founding of Ijebu-Jesa
On their return, they found that all their other brothers had left Ile-Ife to found and establish their different kingdoms, Ajibogun and Agigiri followed suit, they are accompanied by a large entourage including fifty specially selected people. Historians are divided on the routes taken, One of such routes described took them from Oniyangi in Ile-Ife, through many places like Ita Ijero, Ile-Ido, Igbadae, Igbo Owaluse on Iwara road, after many years they came to Ibokun. Other historians gave scanty account of their route, they wrote that the two brothers departed Ile-Ife with their beaded crowns near Ilowa. Ajibogun and his entourage passed through Ipole and finally settled in Ilesha while Agigiri and his entourage journeyed from Ibokun and finally settled in Ijebu Jesa under the shade of a large tree with big shady leaves (ewe ti o gboro) this tree was later recognised as 'Iroko Oja'. He named the settlement Egboro, other historians claimed he named the settlement Ijebu in reference to the role played by Agigiri and Ajibogun in fetching sea water for the restoration of their father's sight: A jo lo bu omi okun, Ajo'bu, through long time usage, coinage and twisting of tongues, the words later came to be known and called Ijebu, because Ijebu lies within Ijeshaland, it came to be known as Ijebu-Jesa.
Traditional local administration
In Yorubaland as soon as a town is established, a traditional local administration is put in place; The Oba and his chiefs who would be helping the Oba would be chosen, women are not left out as some of them are made chiefs who are members of the Oba's cabinet.
The Traditional Ruler in Ijebu-Jesa is called the Elegboro Of Ijebu-Jesa. The current Monarch is Oba (Engr.) Moses Oluwafemi Agunsoye, Abikehin Ekun, Agunsoye II[citation needed]
The Traditional Setting There are five ruling houses in Ijebu Jesa:[citation needed]
i. Ajifolokun ii. Ajigiteri iii. Ida-Ekun/Atobatele iv. Nibayo/Laguna v. Ogbaruku/Akoko-ahun
Within limits of available records 23 Obas have reigned:[citation needed]
1. Agigiri 2. Ida-Ekun. 3. Edun-Ide 4. Ajigiteri 5. Ayapaki-Efon 6. Oriasinwi 7. Ajifolokun 8. Ogbaruku (Kiriji war-time) 9. Ariyanloye 10. Agunsoye 11. Ariabon 12. Atobatele 13. Erinfolajura 14. Arojojoye I 15. Abon 16. Amolese 17. Laguna 18. Arojojoye II 19. Ajifolokun Palmer (1974–1996) 20. Barrister Aribisala Ajigiteri (1996-2017) 21. Oba (Engr.) Moses Oluwafemi Agunsoye, Abikehin Ekun, Agunsoye II (2017-till date)
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