Former Okitipupa Council Boss, Mrs. Morenike Onunkun Alaka gets centenary award as Ilutitun Moribodo kingdom turn 100 years.
The Centenary Ceremony which started yesterday at Ilutitun Ikale Voice reliably gathered will last for three days.
According to the Ex – Council Chair, Alaka, Ilutitun was officially founded in 1920.
She said, “My beloved town, Ilutitun was officially founded in 1920. We are celebrating the 100 years of its existence 27-29, November, 2020”
“Today and among others, I was awarded an Eminent Community Leader of the Order of Ilutitun Moribodo Kingdom. Mo dupe pe mo ri anu gba. Thank you Ilututun! Moribodo Kingdom.”
Meanwhile, history stated that there was two major causes why discussion started throughout the scattered Osooro villages from 1916 to come together in one place as one.
History have it that several war emanated between Ikuyinminu, bamido and Negwo.
It was during the turbulent period that the idea of pulling all the settlements together under ikuyinminu the Rebuja started. Ikuyinminu backed the move to establish this large centre where where all the villages would come together under Negwo to report Ikuyinminu and the Ijamas of killings twins and of Ikuyinminu as being an accomplice to the murder of kotan.
By 1920 when Christianity had reached Osooroland, most of the villages and hamlets started to receive the gospel. There was one Catechist A.B Babayemi, at Itebu-Manuwa who used to visit the settlements at Osooro. Later, the Catechiest moved to Igo Aduwo village from where he went round to worship at different villages in Osooro on Sunday.
A.B Babayemi reawakened the thinking of the Osooros on the need to unite and settle in one place. He felt that, in the first place, if the people were united and settle in one place, it would be difficult to oppress them; secondly, that the various churches in it would be one and easier to administer. Many settlements accepted Babayemi’s suggestions, the discussion of which was already current among them and supported by the Rebuja Ikuyinminu.
The first problem that faced them was where the new settlement would be. When this was resolved and after series of consultations, it was decided that the centre of the new settlement should be where the lands of Egure Oloja, Igo- Aduwo and Agrifon have a common boundary.
During this period, the shape of the town is another problem. It was Babayemi’s view that the quarters i.e, the villages that agreed to live together should be in rows. Straight lines were made to form streets. The people disagreed with him. They rather wanted the quarters in sectoral form.
Their argument was that certain rituals had to be performed at the centre of the town with “Ekitan Tree”. The ritual was for the “Ehi” which the people believed must be at the centre of a settlement. “Ibe ti do Ehi, E ti do Ulu’ but Babayemi wanted his church at the centre of the town. A compromise was reached. Ehi was allowed to be at the centre of the town because a very small piece of land was needed for it, and Babayemi was permitted also to build his church very close to the centre also. The position of Ehi is claimed to be a place between Oja-Ale, NEPA’s transformer and Oloto road.
Most quarters in Ilutitun today have this spot as a on boundary. Ehi was later removed for two reasons. When the state government wanted to tar the road in 1950’s, the Europeans who came did not consult anybody before they removed part of it. Later, when electricity came, the transformer was built on the remaining part of the land.
In 1920, the following quarters – Agrifon, Egure Oloja, Igo Aduwo, Sugbon, Okerisa, Iju-Odo, Iju-Oke, Ira, Ilado, etc formed the present day ILUTITUN. It is interesting to know that the name to be given to the new settlement caused a controversy also. Some wanted to call it “Ilu Eeju or Iluparapo”. But, Cathecist A.B Babayemi suggested the name Ilutitun and it was accepted by the people. He then established his church close to the centre of the settlement that same day and called it “Ebenezer Church ” meaning ” Titi de ihin ni Oluwa ran me lowo”.
For more about Ilutitun, Read: https://ikalevoice.com.ng/ilutitun-moribodo-kingdom-iju-odo-igbotako-iju-oke-erekiti-ode-aye-snippets/
