ONIDO: THINGS THE OLUBADAN NEEDS TO CONSIDER

 

 

ONIDO: THINGS THE OLUBADAN NEEDS TO CONSIDER

As the overall arbiter in matters relating to chieftaincy in Ibadan Land, the Olubadan-in-Council is saddled with appointment or otherwise of lesser Obas and Chiefs in the land.

As the body sits over the matter of the Onido of ido, certain historical and sociological facts are sacred.

Ido was founded by Agura, who was in the group that left Ile Ife with Oranmiyan to establish Old Oyo. On getting to the location in the forest, after consulting his Ifa priest he named the place Ido.

Ido is today the headquarters of Ido Local Government. Ido is quite developed and still developing.

Ido houses many government facilities and non-governmental development projects.

New businesses, housing estates, medical facilities and schools dot the town.

This has been made possible by contributions and sacrifices of past monarchs and royal families in Ido.

When the Ibadan West District Council was established 5th August 1961, with Ido as the headquarters the reigning Onido, Pa Yesufu Ladapo Orobiyi gave his farm land to the council freely. This selfless act  made it possible for the new council to settle down in Ido. The Local Government today stands on the Orobiyi Family land.

Pa Lawani Dare Orobiyi on his part gave his own farmland freely for the establishment of a market for the community. He neither asked for nor received any compensation for the land. He as royalty was more interested in the development of Ido.

When Ido was in need of a Health Facility. The Government proposed a Health Center for Ido. Land was needed for the Center. Pa Raimi Ishola Orobiyi, like his brothers, freely gave out his farmland for the establishment of this all important facility. Again as is inherent in the family, Ishola Orobiyi never asked for compensation. The Ido health center stands on Orobiyi land.

Cocoa farming and produce marketing were the greatest businesses of the era. Farmers of the era were enthused with growing more and more cocoa. Cocoa plantations sprang all around ido. One thing became the issue; finding market for their cocoa.

Pa Yesufu Ladapo, another of the Orobiyi brothers, became the first Produce Buyer in Ido. He bought from the farmers and sold to the exporters in Ibadan.

All the Children of Onido knew about and contributed to the development of trade in Ido especially the Cocoa business.

Pa Alimi Ladapo made a great success of cocoa trade when his father retired from the business.

The trade attracted many visitors and settlers to Ido. Many business enterpreneurs came to do business in Ido and settled there.

Alimi Akinola Olatoye from Dada Pero in the Agura line became Onido in December 1964. His reign also witnessed tremendous development in Ido. Under him, with Benjamin Ishola Orobiyi as secretary, forty acres of land was donated by families to the Bola Ige government for the establishment of NUD School in Ido. The school is one of the biggest in Ido Local government today. The Oladapo and Ishola families donated the largest chunks of land.

Elder Benjamin Ademola Ishola Orobiyi succeeded Akinola. Like his predecessors, his reign was marked by selfless service and massive development.

He ran an all inclusive reign involving both young and old, indigenes and non-indigenes. He maintained a cordial relationship with all villages and peoplesin and around Ido.

Provision of potable water through public and private initiatives were attracted by Onido Orobiyi II. Othe development attracted include Access roads, Ido-Eleiyele road, Office accommodation forFederal Road Safety corps, Upgraded Ido Police station for which land was provided, NSCDC office and petrol stations.

After the children of Agura, occupiers of the  throne have caused great havoc on the land.

The land has witnessed many more heinous crimes.

Some of the illegal activities by the recently suspended Onido include, but not limited to, the following.

LAND GRABBING: Gbolagade  Babalola used his fraudulently acquired position as Onido to acquire land belonging to many families and villages in and around Ido. He used money and influence, coupled with threats and violence to silence the rightful owners. The coveted land were sold to prospectors and developpers.

ILLEGAL MINING: Gbolagade has over the years been involved with activities of illegal miners in the area. He gave them cover and sheltered them in his house at Ilaji. He thus desecrated the throne of Onido by using his position to foster illegality and crime. This gross abuse of office did not go unnoticed by people but they were helpless until the government got wind of the danger Gbolagade had been exposing the life of people to.

HARBORING OF KILLER HERDSMEN: A few years back when some killer herdsmen were driven away from neighboring Ibarapa land, Gbolagade provided refuge for the fleeing Fulani criminals. He created a Kara for them at Ilaju to stay and cover for their illicit business. The murderous guests terrorized their host communities. Rape of innocent girls and women was rampant. Men and youngsters were mugged and attacked by the Fulani men. People dared not move around after six PM.

THUGGERY AND VIOLENCE: Gbolagade has a group of thugs he kept that engage in various nefarious activities including drug abuse and peddling. They terrorize the environment and the people were helpless. They extort money and valuables from markets, transport owners and drivers and others in the name of the suspended Onido.