The Ondo people are ancient forest-hunters, artistic brass-makers and agriculturalist unique Yoruboid-speaking people that forms a sub-group of the larger Yoruba ethnic group of West Africa, particularly in Nigeria and the Republic of Benin. Ondo who are one of the largest subgroups of the Yoruba people are found in the southwestern part of Nigerian State of Ondo.
Ondo women in their special occasion dress, courtesy vivimadecreationz
The Ondo kingdom which resides in Ondo State is found in the modern Akure and Obokun Local Government Areas form its boundary in the North while Ilaje/Eseodo Local Government Areas form its boundary in the South. In the East, it terminates at Owena River, which is in the Ifedore Local Government Area and in the West, the kingdom stretches as far as the Ooni River. In the Southern part, the land, which borders on the creek area of Ilaje-Eseodo is low-lying but rises gradually towards the North. Ondo is about 300 kilometers northeast of Lagos. It is situated in a forest region of Nigeria. According to 2006 Population Census data, the number of Ondo people in Ondo state is about 3,440,000.
Ondo women dancers
Historically, Ondo people are a mixture of Yoruba Oyo migrants who traces their origin to Ile Ife and aboriginal Idoko, Ifore and Oka people. However, the history of the origin of Ondo kingdom has been very controversial, as there are three different versions that purport to explain the origin of the people. The controversy is due to the fact that there were no written documents at that period. Thus, diverse accounts were given about her origin. Consequent upon the above, much of what is known about the period was legendary. Currently three leading schools of thought about Ondo origin is known. A first tradition, celebrated to this day claims that Ondo was founded by a wife of Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba who had migrated from Mesopotamia (Persia) to Ile-Ife. Oduduwa's wife, Pupupu, gave birth to twins, which were regarded as unlucky and resulted in her exile with her twins. She moved southward until she came to the current location of Ondo City.
Ondo men in their traditional yoruba dress with neck scarf (awe)
Pupupu became the first ruler of the Ondo Kingdom in the 15th century and her descendants wear the crown today. The celebrated Yoruba Historian and clergyman Samuel Johnson in his renowned work: "The History of the Yoruba" published in 1921, accounts a similar story but he averred that Pupupu was the wife of Ajaka, the grandson of Oduduwa. According to Johnson (1921) "The custom of killing twins prevailed all over the country in early times; it has died out all over the greater part of it so long ago, that no one can say precisely when or by whom a stop was put to it. But it happened once upon a time when the practice still prevailed that one of the wives of the Alafin (King Ajaka) gave birth to twins, and the King was loth to destroy them, he thereupon
gave orders that they should be removed — with the mother — to a remote part of the kingdom and there to remain and be regarded as dead.
Ondo people playing armpit drums at Ogun festival in Ole Oluji in Ondo State, Nigeria. Circa 1982. Courtesy Alan Denney
So she left with a large number of friends and retinue to the site of the present Ode Ondo, then sparsely peopled by a tribe named Idoko, and there settled, hence the term " Ondo," signifying the
" Settlers." The people of the district knowing who the strangers were, yielded them ready obedience, and the strangers became rulers of the district. Probably it was from this time infanticide received its death blow — in Yoruba Proper at least. It is said to linger still at Akure and the adjacent regions, but as a rule, in ancient times, whatever the custom set or discountenanced at the Metropohs, the effect thereof was rapidly felt all over the country.
The Ondos are sometimes classed among the Ekitis but that is hardly correct ; although lying at the border of the Ekitis, they are really a mixture of Qyos and Idokos, and their sympathy is
with all." (Johnson, 1921).
In the second version recorded by renowned Bini (Edo) historian Egharevba; he traced the origin of the Ondo people to Benin kingdom. He noted that during the reign of Oba Esigie of Benin (AD 1504) Aruaran, the King’s brother who threatened the throne of Benin was captured alive. He later committed suicide after an unsuccessful attempt to escape. The rest of his people were banished from Benin City. Iyase Osemwugbe, a loyalist to Aruaran decided to avenge the death of his master and the humiliation meted on Udo troops by the Benin troops. He launched an attack on Benin Kingdom but he was unsuccessful. A few of them managed to escape to the western side of Benin. The Udo troops were pursued until they surrendered. Osemwugbe surrendered and pleaded for mercy. Esigie pardoned them but they were banished. Thus the group came to be referred to as Emwa n’Udo (the Udo renegades) in Benin. Egharevba further claimed that Ondo was the contracted form of Emwa n’Udo while Osemawe was the corrupted version of Osemwugbe. The Benin historian supported his claim with the fact that Benin and Ondo people share numerous cultural heritages especially religious and ethical practices. Ondo people rejected the above versions outright on the ground that the first ruler of Ondo land was Oba Pupupu whom documented and authenticated history has been identified as one of the twin daughters of Oduduwa of Ile-Ife, who was the father of Yoruba race.
Odno men blowing a horn
In the third version, which is also accepted by all Ondo people and was narrated to J. K. Olupona in his 1992 study "Kingship, Religion and Rituals in a Nigerian Community: A Phenomenological Study of Ondo Yoruba Festivals," it was claimed that one of Oduduwa’s wives gave birth to a set of twins in Ile-Ife. This, according to Yoruba beliefs was an abomination: "Ese omo re" (what type of strange children are these?) Because the mother of the twins was Oduduwa’s favourite wife, her life and those of the set of twins were saved. However, Oduduwa sent them out of the palace with slaves under the guidance of Ija, a hunter. They arrived at “Igbo-Ijamo” (the forest discovered by Ija) near Ile-Ife and they stayed there for sometime. Thus part of the “oriki” (praise names) of the Ondo people include: "Ara Ita jamo. E ki m’ogun, omo alade igbo, iye mu ago ude m’emun," (A native of Ita Jamo, e ki m’ogun, son of the Prince of the forest who drinks palm-wine from a brass cup.) On the realization that “Igbo Jamo” was unsafe, they continued with their journey until they got to Epe, a place not far from the present Ondo town where Yangede welcomed them.
The new comers were in Epe for many years until a hunter was sent to look for a more suitable and permanent place for the dwelling of the people. As the hunter went about in the bush, he sighted some smoke and went towards its direction. He met Ekiri, one of the autochthons of the land. Then the hunter went back to Epe and informed the people that he had discovered a suitable place of abode. In order to find the prospect of the new place, Ifa oracle was consulted and the oracle instructed that the new comers should take along a yam stake (edo) as their walking stick. As they move along wherever the stick does not poke the ground, the people should settle. They moved from Epe and proceeded on their journey according to the instructions of Ifa and arrived at the present day police headquarters in Ondo, the stake did not poke the ground.
Chief Abdul-Ganiyu "Gani" Oyesola Fawehinmi, (22 April 1938 - 5 September 2009), Ondo man, was a Nigerian author, publisher, philanthropist, social critic, human and civil rights lawyer, politician and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
In utter amazement, the people exclaimed “Edo du do!” which means in Ondo dialect “the yam stake could not enter the ground”. Hence the people settled there and the name Ondo was coined from Edo du do. In fact up till today, Ondo is still being referred as Edo do by some indigenous Ondo people. Further, Edo (yam stake) is up to the present day, a very significant component of the cultural inputs in yam farming in Ondo land. On arrival at Ondo, the new comers met three groups of indigenes spread throughout the land. They are Ifore, Idoko and Oka. Having recognized the royal characteristic of the new comers, these indigenous inhabitants conceded the authority to rule over the territory to the new arrivals without any struggle. Pupupu, Oduduwa’s twin daughter became the first ruler in Ondo. Gradually, the three original inhabitants imbibed the culture of the new arrivals.
Ondo people of Ile Oluji, Ondo State. Circa 1982. Courtesy Alan Denney
However, Idoko still keeps its ward, Oke-Idoko with a similar political structure as that of Ondo. From the above legend, it could be inferred that Ondo people descended from Oduduwa, the father of the Yoruba people. It cannot be disputed that Osemawe originated from the expression Ese omo re. This version of the origin was accepted as the true origin of Ondo. The Egharevba’s account should be brushed aside with a wave of the hand as it lacks credibility since no archaeological, cultural, historical, social or political practices can be found to substantiate his claim.
Drumming is a very significant part of Ondo social and religious life. It is a hereditary occupation in all Yoruba towns, Ondo itself inclusive. Ondo traditions are kept alive through their skill. The drummers are referred to as aayan.
Omotola Jalade Ekeinde (oh – m oh – t oh – l ah, born Omotola Jalade; 7 February 1978) is a Nigerian actress, singer, philanthropist and former model of an Ondo descent from Lagos, Nigeria. Since her Nollywood film debut in 1995, the leading actress has appeared in 300 films, selling millions of video copies. After receiving numerous high-profile awards, launching a music career, and amassing an enviable fan base, the press has revered the Screen Nation 'Best Actress' as The African Magic. She is the first African celebrity to receive over 1 million likes on her Facebook page.
Cowries abound in Ondoland even though its a forest belt. It is said that before the introduction of the European currency, the medium of exchange in Ondo was the cowry shells, oho eyo. Cowries are still being used in many parts ofOndo today for ritual purposes. The improvised bank of old in Ondo was the pot as there were no banks in those days. The people used to save their cowries (money) by putting them in pots and burying them in secret places especially in banana plantations. In fact, it has been reported that such savings have discovered years after the demise of the owner.
Ondo structure is characterized by the manner in which succession to rights is traced not exclusively or even predominantly in the male line but in both male and female lines. Educated Ondo today adopt the personal of the father or paternal grandfather as their own surname, and intend that this surname shall be borne by their agnatic descendants in the English fashion. But, traditionally, the Ondo man is saluted with oriki (praise names) of as many of the ancestors from whom his descent is recognized, whether in male or female line.
Ondo man with his typical Ondo facial tribal mark
All Ondo bear the same facial mark-a single stroke on each cheek; some body markings are given in the male line only-e.g. The three cuts across the right breast of the agnatic descendants of the Osemawe. Food taboos are associated not so much with descent groups as with deities. A man traditionally worshipped a deity discovered for him Ifa divination and not necessarily associated with a descent group.
Chinwe Ifeoma Chukwuogo-Roy MBE, Ondo woman, is a celebrated visual artist who was born in Ondo Nigeria, and spent much of her young life in Ikom on the Cameroon border before moving back to the family home at Umubele in Awka. She lived in Britain since 1975. Her paintings, prints and sculptures are predominantly figurative, in the genres of portraiture, still-life, landscape and narrative subjects. She won international attention in 2002 for being only one of two Nigerian artists (the other being Ben Enwonwu) to have been allowed to paint official portraits of Queen Elizabeth II.
Geographical Location
The Ondo kingdom, which is located in the tropical rain forest belt of Nigeria, occupies an area on latitude 706’ in the North and longitude 4050’ in the East. The modern Akure and Obokun Local Government Areas form its boundary in the North while Ilaje/Eseodo Local Government Areas form its boundary in the South. In the East, it terminates at Owena River, which is in the Ifedore Local Government Area and in the West, the kingdom stretches as far as the Ooni River.
Ondo city
In the Southern part, the land, which borders on the creek area of Ilaje-Eseodo is low-lying but rises gradually towards the North. Ode Ondo is about 290 metres above sea level. The majority of the people reside in Ode-Ondo, the capital of the kingdom. Ondo is located in the damp tropic within the tropical rain forest and the southeasterly wind blows through the region throughout the better part of the year.
The cooler dry continental air from the north abounds during the months of December, January and February of the year. There are many valuable timbers in the forest such as iroko, mahogany, opepe, afara, obeche, and olofun to mention just a few. The big forest reserve occupies over 1000 square kilometres. Almost 23 x 105 cubic metres of timber are harvested annually. Indeed Ondo people are great farmers. They cultivate food crops such as yams, cassava, maize, cocoyam, rice and beans. Ondo elders believe that no land can be useless to farmers, hence the proverb: Ale ye san koko, de san koko, a mu gbe ’gbado. The farmland that is neither suitable for cocoa nor cocoyam farming, will be used to plant corn. The most important cash crop is cocoa, which covers a massive portion of land. Other cash crops are rubber, coffee, kolanuts and palm produce. These collectively constitute the people’s means of economic support. It is not surprising that because of the importance of cocoa in Ondo culture, our elders coined many proverbs on cocoa. Below are a few of such proverbs:
(i) Koko so igi d’eniyan. (Cocoa elevates wood to the status of a human being).
(ii) Koko e da luu, onen lu li koko, lu gbese. (Cocoa prevents one from beating him (a cocoa farmer), for whoever beats a cocoa farmer beats debt (incurs a huge debt).
(iii) Aisan buuku s’onen ye nen koko. (A terrible disease besets someone who does not possess cocoa farm.)
Language
Ondo people speaks a unique South-East Yoruba (SEY) dialect of Yoruba language that belongs to the larger Niger Congo phylum. Apart from Ondo, SEY is spoken in Okitipupa, Ilaje, Ọwọ, Ikarẹ, Ṣagamu, and parts of Ijẹbu.
South-East Yoruba was probably associated with the expansion of the Benin Empire after c. 1450 AD. In contrast to NWY (North-West Yoruba dialect), lineage and descent are largely multilineal and cognatic, and the division of titles into war and civil is unknown. Linguistically, SEY has retained the /gh/ and /gw/ contrast, while it has lowered the nasal vowels /ịn/ and /ụn/ to /ẹn/ and /ọn/, respectively. SEY has collapsed the second and third person plural pronominal forms; thus, àn án wá can mean either 'you (pl.) came' or 'they came' in SEY dialects, whereas NWY for example has ẹ wá 'you (pl.) came' and wọ́n wá 'they came', respectively. The emergence of a plural of respect may have prevented coalescence of the two in NWY dialects.
History Of Ondo Kingdom
Sitting among the thickly forested planes that characterize southwestern Nigeria are the towns and communities that make up the Ondo Kingdom. Located some 300kilometres to the north-east of Lagos, Nigeria's economic nerve centre and 45 kilometres west of Akure, the Ondo State capital, the Kingdom is easily reached by road from all parts of the country. The Ondo people are one of the largest Yoruba subgroups, situated in the eastern part of the Yoruba speaking area of Nigeria. The weather elements that characterize the region are those typifying the rainforest region of Sub-Sahara Africa.
Ondo people celebrating Ekimogun day
The descent of Ondo people, as well as the geography of the Kingdom does not reflect any significant deviation from those of other towns and communities peopled by the Yoruba of south-westernNigeria, who are virtually agreed on the common paternity of Oduduwa. However there exists still, as in most historical collections, about three separate accounts that explain the origin of the Ondo people. While the people of the Kingdom, almost in unison rejected a version that links its origin to the Old Benin Kingdom in present day Edo State, as being the invention of its proponents, there seems to be some level of convergence on the other two accounts which trace the origin of the people to Ife and Oyo respectively. While an outright invention of any historical account, as attributed to the BeninKingdom version, may be unlikely, the symmetry of the more widely held versions of the origin of the people are herein reflected with the major dissonance being in the origin from either Oyo or Ife. But on a broad outlook, the two accounts seem to point towards the same direction, as those in Oyo originally migrated from Ife, the ultimate source of all Yoruba.
Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba was one of the sons of Lamurudu, who was believed to have migrated from Mecca, Saudi Arabia, after some sectarian disagreement. He held the title of Olofin Adimula before he left Mecca. This perhaps explains why most Yoruba Obas are still referred to by that title to date. Oranmiyan, one of the sixteen sons of Oduduwa who left Ile-Ife, probably out of sheer ambition or mere adventure, was the first Alaafin of Oyo and the father of Oluaso, who gave birth to Pupupu, the first paramount ruler of Ondo Kingdom.
Ondo Cultural troupe
Pupupu, a female, was one of the twin children of Oba Oluaso, who was said to have reigned in Oyo in the 15th Century. The other twin, a male, was named Orere. Twin birth in those days was considered an abomination and a strange phenomenon, esemawe, as a historical source interpreted it. Conventionally, the twins and their mother were instantly put to death, to prevent the imminent bad omen which was believed to be synonymous with their arrival. But because Olu, the mother of the children was one of the favourites of the King, her life and those of the twins were spared. They were however with an entourage of slaves under the guidance of a hunter called Ija, sent out of the palace with a beaded crown and an Akoko tree, signifying their royalty. Those were to accord them the dignity and the reverence due to royalty. Again, their father against the tradition of multi tribal marks of Oyo, incised two long tribal marks, one on each side of the cheek. Oluaso was apparently conscious of the fact that he may not set his eyes on the children for a long time, hence those facial marks were incised on them, so that they would be recognizable any time they were seen or if they came back home. This explains the origin of the tribal marks of Ondo to date.
The group wandered through the forest till they got to a place called Epin, near Gbere, whose inhabitants were referred to as Ibariba. They were well received and catered for until the death of Oba Oluaso in 1497. They headed back to Oyo when the succeeding king did not treat them fairly, but Onigbogi, the reigning king had to send them back to a virgin land compassed about by Ife, Ijesa, Ekiti, Ado(Benin) and Ijebu communities. They later got to Igbo Ijamo (the forest discovered by Ija). The group apparently stayed in this place for some time. Eventually they found lgbo Ijamo unsafe and therefore continued their journey eastward, until they finally got to a place called Epe, not far from the present Ondo town.
His Royal Majesty, (HRM), Dr. Oba Ademefun Adesimbo Kiladejo, the 44th Osemawe, the paramount ruler of Ondo Kingdom,
They were in Epe for many years and as they journeyed on, they passed through a hill which is today known as Oke Agunla and one of the communities that make up the present day Ondo Kingdom. From this hill, they spotted some smoke and headed in its direction. There they met a man called Ekiri one of the original inhabitants of the area. The Ifa oracle, as was the usual practice then, was consulted on the prospects of the newly found location. The oracle instructed them to take along with them a yam stake (edo), as their walking stick. They were to poke the stick into the ground as they went along their way, and wherever the stick didn't bond with the land, they were to settle.
The group left Epe and proceeded as instructed by the oracle until they got to a place where the yam stake did not penetrate the ground. The group chorused in surprise Edo du do, (The yam stake would not stick in). According to oral history, the word Ondo is a contraction of the sentence "Edo du do". When the group arrived in Ondo, they met the Ifore, the Idoko and the Oka people. These indigenous inhabitants recognized the royalty of the new arrivals and readily ceded to them the authority to rule over the territory. And in due course, the original inhabitants of Ondo were assimilated into the culture of the new comers. It remains a reference point however that the Idoko and Ifore settlers still maintain a kind of separate political structure which is akin, in many respects, to that of the larger Ondo community. As time went on, the people spread to form other settlements like lgbindo, lgbado, llu-nla, Odigbo, Ajue. Igunsin, etc.
By and large, the Ondo people still regard Epe, a relatively small town, seven miles from Ondo, on the Oke-lgbo road, as their original town (Orisun), from where they migrated to their present location. Up until now, many Ondo festival and rituals have Epe as their source. Pilgrimages are sometimes made to Epe for some of the festivals. Historical account also has it that at the demise of the Osemawe, his head was usually buried in Epe while the remaining part of his body was in Ondo.
Beautiful Ondo lady
It is also worthy of note that a historical account holds that the twin brother of Pupupu, actually settled down in Ile-Oluji and became its first traditional ruler. This may also explain the close link between Ondo and Ile-Oluji, who are actually descendants from siblings of same parentage.
Ondo State, Nigeria was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. It originally included what is now Ekiti State, which was split off in 1996. Akure is the state capital.
The state contains eighteen Local Government Areas, the major ones being Akoko, Akure, Okitipupa, Ondo, and Owo. The majority of the state's citizens live in urban centers. The big government universities in Ondo state are the Federal University of Technology Akure, Akure and the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba/Akoko.
The Ondo Kingdom retained independence from other regional powers until the 19th century when pressure from expanded European contact and crisis in Yorubaland caused political crisis. With the expansion of the Atlantic slave trade and large scale population displacement in Yorubaland, the political life of the Ondo Kingdom changed. Prior to the 19th Century, Ondo was unusual in the region for their council system and or the relatively open land tenure principles. The council system rotated leadership amongst houses and there was some significant political status given to women, who had their own council which consulted with the men's council (a role disputed by others). The Ondo land tenure principle was that all land was property of the king, but that any man could farm it as long as he obtained permission from the leader of the nearest community. However, with increasing pressure related to population movement in Yorubaland and increasing relevance of the slave trade, much of this changed. Political and economic power changed from hereditary lineage and access to land holdings to focused primarily on slaveholdings. The result was large scale conflict in the Ondo Kingdom from 1845 until 1872, a period with rapid regime change, wars with other regional powers, significant violence, and change of the capital city three times. During this period, worship of Orisha spread widely, leading to human sacrifice (often of slaves) in order to try and end the disorder.
Juju music maestro, King Sunny Ade whose real nameSamuel Adeniyi Adegeye is of Ondo descent
When Christian missionaries started to enter Yorubaland in the later half of the 19th century, Ondo was considered a large, forest-based kingdom. However, missionaries largely focused on the other areas in and around Yorubaland rather than Ondo. This may have been because some missionaries thought that the Ondo were socially lower than other Yoruba tribes, perhaps because their custom of concubinage was unacceptable in the Christian tradition. However, in 1870, John Hawley Glover, the administrator of the British Lagos Colony began focusing efforts on the kingdom of Ondo, largely to create alternative trade routes to Lagos. In 1872, Glover helped negotiate a peace treaty between Ondo and Ife who had been hostile for a number of years which allowed expanded trade between Lagos and Ondo. Missionary operations began in 1875 throughout the Ondo Kingdom.
The Osemawe of Ondo made an agreement on 20 February 1889 with the Governor of the British Lagos Colony by which free trade was guaranteed between Ondo and the colony, and disputes would be referred to an arbitrator appointed by the governor for resolution. In 1899 an order in council was issued to extend the Lagos protectorate over Yoruba land, making Ondo formally subject to the British crown.
During the political turmoil of Nigeria in the early 1980s, Ondo was the site of large scale political violence and members of the royal lineage were killed.
The kingdom survived under colonial rule and subsequent independence, and the coronation of the 44th Osemawe, Oba Victor Adesimbo Ademefun Kiladejo, on 29 December 2008 was a major event, attended by many dignitaries
The ethnic composition of Ondo State is largely from the Yoruba subgroups of the Akoko, Akure, Ikale, Ilaje, Ondo, and Owo peoples. Ijaw minority (such as Apoi and Arogbo) and Ilaje populations inhabit the coastal areas; while a sizable number of the Ondo State people who speak a variant of the Yoruba language similar to Ife dialect reside in Oke-Igbo. These people are also Yorubas.
Ondo State Cultural Troupe
Ondo State contains the largest number of public schools in Nigeria - over 880 primary schools and 190 secondary schools.
Local Government Areas
Ondo State consists of eighteen Local Government Areas. They are:
Akoko North-East headquarters in Ikare
Akoko North-West
Akoko South-East
Akoko South-West
Akure North
Akure South
Ese Odo
Idanre
Ifedore
Ilaje
Ile Oluji/Okeigbo[2]
Irele
Odigbo
Okitipupa
Ondo East
Ondo West
Ose
Owo
The largest town is Akure.
Ondo Wars
The excesses of Oba Arilekolasi (1861-1866) laid the foundation for the two phases of Ondo civil wars. According to Olupona, Arilekolasi conceded a lot of power to the palace slaves, to the extent that the latter harassed the people for no just cause. As a result of these excesses Arilekolasi was poisoned. However, he pronounced a curse on Ondo people namely that their lands would remain deserted. He requested one of his slaves to avenge his death. Shortly after the Oba’s death, Kulajolu, the slave, left the palace to establish a rival state in Igbodan, from where he waged many
wars on Ondo. A good number of Ondo citizens ran away from their homes and took refuge in surrounding villages such as Ajue, Igbado and Erinla, while majority of the people fled to Oke-Opa where they established an interim government. During this chaotic period, the reigning Oba committed suicide at Igbado for fear of being taken captive by the invaders. This, according to an informant, gave rise to the Ondo proverb: Ogun e e ko Ondo aio ho, this means that it is forbidden for Ondo to be taken captive by war. When the next Oba, Ayibikitiwodi (1873-1876) was installed, he sent a delegate under the leadership of Chief Ogedengbe to make a peace treaty with Kulajolu. To pacify him, the Oba conferred on him an Eghae high chieftaincy title, which he accepted. Kulajolu became high Chief Odunwo, the third ranking chief to the Oba in Ondo traditional system. He was however attacked by another popular slave, named Ago who drove him out of Ondo to Erinla where he died. As a result of the previous years of unrest in Ondo, the throne became very
weak and was susceptible to another civil war under the reign of the next Osemawe, Afaidunjoye (the one who came to the throne at an unpleasant time). Ago, the second slave who had earlier on rescued Ondo from Kulajolu, began another disruptive war against Ondo. He took advantage of the weakness of Ondo to launch an attack on them with the help of Ife and Ilesa. His army was camped at Oke-Igbo and attacked only from Aise. The nub of his troop that came from Ife made up the first colonists of Oke-Igbo. That is why, despite the fact that Oke-Igbo is a major town in Ondo State, less than nine kilometres from Ondo, it remains culturally an Ife town, in spite of its
geopolitical location, which falls within Ondo.
The Ago versus Ondo battle, which claimed many lives from both sides ended up in a fiasco. Ago fled to Ile-Oluji, nine kilometres away from Ondo. At Ile-Oluji, Ago had a quarrel with Osokun, one of his soldiers. He was ousted out of Ile-Oluji with the help of the Ile-Oluji people and the combined group of dissidents from Ilesa, Oke-Igbo and the forces of Ondo. He was finally captured at Oke-Igbo where he was thrown into the Ooni River.
The above civil wars in Ondo together with Yoruba wars paved way for the British influence on Ondo. As a result of these civil wars, many people fled the town making the governance of Ondo extremely weak and vulnerable. Consequently the British had little or no resistance gaining access through Ondo into the hinterland to establish trade links and to set up administrative machineries.
Ondo State Chief Judge, Hon Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi Speaker, Ondo House of Assembly, Rt Hon Samuel Adesina, Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
Traditionally, Ondo people have always sustained their economy from two major occupations: farming and trading which incidentally correspond to the division of labour between male farmers and female traders. The mainstay of Ondo’s economy is agriculture. There are two seasons in the year, the dry season and rainy season. These seasons correspond with the planting and harvesting periods. The Ondo people have two types of farmland. They have small parcels of land, which is usually within a walking distance where yams, corn, cassava, beans and vegetables are planted. This parcel of land is called oko etili or igo. The other farmland is located far from the town where mainly cash crops are cultivated. As earlier pointed out, the major cash crops are cocoa, kolanut, palm oil and rubber. The people build hamlets in the farm where they can stay for a week or more depending on the quantity and pressure of work to be done.
As the villages and hamlets developed, more people were accommodated and people were able to stay longer on their farms. Some rich farmers built houses with corrugated iron roofs. A chief was usually appointed by the Oba to supervise the farm areas. Such a chief would then become the “Oloja”, the head of the area. Here again, a micro-sociopolitical set up is established to govern the community. Such hamlets are usually named after the founder of the area. With this development of distant farmland, the inhabitants only return to Ode-Ondo during traditional festivals or Christian or Muslim festivals. The farmers depend on cooperative ventures during which an individual may engage the assistance of his close friends or age grades on the farm. He in turn will offer the same assistance to those who have assisted him. This cooperative effort expressed in the form of labour exchange is referred to as owe. A Yoruba proverb expresses this cooperative venture succinctly: Oni loni nje, eni a be l’owe, (Today is the day for the one who has accepted to help on farm work). Ondo farmers believe that they get a lot of work done through participating in this cooperative enterprise. After the cultivation of the farmland, a portion of it is usually divided among the farmer’s wives who are not engaged in trading activities on which they will cultivate less labour-intensive crops like pepper, cassava and vegetables. Each wife takes care of the planting and weeding. However, it is not unusual for Ondo women to cultivate cash crops especially on farmlands inherited from their parents. The crops are usually reserved for family consumption. Nevertheless, the wives are the sole marketers of the excess crops from their husbands’ farm while the head of the family sells the cash crops. As earlier mentioned, the second mainstay of Ondo economy is trade, which is carried out by women. Among the articles of trade are aso oke (woven material), iyon (coral beads) and mats. These articles are sold in the market, “Oja” or “Ugele”. The practice of women in trade has become religious, social functions and of economic significance.
Brass making: Another very important profession is brassmaking, (ude). This profession is peculiar to Ifore, one of the original groups of Ondo settlers. These people were specialists in brass production. It was acknowledged that they had the best guild system in Ondo. No wonder then one of the Ondo praise names (oriki) refers to their beginning: E kim’ogun, omo alade igbo, iye m’agogo ude m’omi. E kim’ogun, the son of the forest king, who drinks water with a brass cup. The Ifore people were very proud of their achievements in brass work. In fact archaeological excavations carried out supported this claim. Nevertheless, few references to this antique craft are still found in Ondo ritual context. For example, Ondo people regard it as a taboo for anyone to wear a brass necklace or bangle during the festival of Oramfe. However, modern professions such as carpentry, tailoring, driving and barbing have replaced these traditional guild groups. They all have similar modus of operandi, most especially in their cultic devotion to Ogun, the most popular deity in Ondo kingdom.
Ondo Women in Trade
Women generally have peculiar instincts, especially when examining issues relating to social and economics matters. Such instincts could be seen in their attitudinal behaviours exhibited in trading and cultural practices. The Ondo women, like others across the World also possess social and economic instincts which are put into play to promote the socio/economic development of their town. This is evident in the level of activities in which they are involved. However, one major area where the contributions of Ondo women to the development of their homeland can easily grasped has to do with the practical demonstration of certain norms, belief and customs which are instilled on their children.
Ondo woman
Owing to the importance attached to the role of Ondo women in the economy of the town, the title of a paramount female chief is instituted. The title is known, as earlier mentioned, as “Lobun” which means owner of the market. Most of the villages and hamlets in Ondo governance started as farming settlements or market places. Johnson pointed out that the principal market of the town is always in the centre of the town and in front of the house of the chief ruler.
Ondo lady, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde. Today, beyond her show business accomplishments, she is also applauded for her remarkable humanitarian efforts. Over the years, Omotola has been a pioneer in the Nollywood film industry, successfully becoming the most watched actress in Africa. In 2013, she was honoured in Time Magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world alongside Michelle Obama, Beyonce and Kate Middleton.
This ruler is without an exception and hence the term “Oloja” (the one who has the market) is used as a generic term or title for all chief rulers of towns, be he a King or a “Bale”. It appears Ondo is an exception since the market is far from the palace center. Nevertheless, this does not rule out the fact that the market is an institution in Ondo Kingship structure. As earlier pointed out, the mere fact that an important institution is brought under the leadership of a woman, shows that Ondo kingdom recognizes the role of women in the social and economic development of the town. This institution of making a woman the “Lobun” i.e. one that has jurisdiction over the markets, portrays a significant distinction between Ondo and the rest of Yorubaland.
Celebrated Ondo painter Chukwuogo-Roy first gained international fame for painting the official Golden Jubilee portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, commissioned by The Commonwealth Secretariat. The full-length portrait was unveiled at a ceremony at Marlborough House by former Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon on Commonwealth Day, 2002
The Lobun does not operate alone. A cabinet of female chiefs supports her. Their duties are (i) maintenance of order in the town’s market places and (ii) performance of the ritual purification of the market when the need arises. Ondo has four types of markets namely: (i) the daily market called ugele which is held from morning till evening (ii) the evening market called ugele ale and (iii) two periodic markets which are held at four or eight day intervals, to which Odojomu belongs. The articles of trade have been mentioned earlier on. Lamb and Holmes observed that “until recently, Ijebu-Ode and Ondo were important weaving towns, today, the craft survives on a much more reduced scale in Ijebu-Ode but has virtually disappeared in Ondo”5. This disappearance could be adduced to the fact that Ondo people are great coca farmers owing to its lucrative nature. Ondo traders are said to have traded with the Portuguese as early as the 16th century. It is recorded that during the Portuguese trading activities on the West African Coast, the sailor bought some “four hundred manilas of yam for the cargo” from the captain of Rio dos Forcados and the Lisa.
Ondo women
In addition to the above trading activities of Ondo people, they are also engaged in many other occupations though these are restricted to men only and in most cases limited to specific ancestries.
It is worthy of note to see that women have been making valuable contributions to the development of Ondo since the creation of the town over 500 years ago. In fact, the story of Ondo cannot be completed without mentioning Oba Pupupu, a woman and the first Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom who reign between 1510-1530 A.D. Besides, the record laid by this legendary female Monarch, there was also the history of a woman warrior called Yeye Taagba whose traditional herbalist medicinal prowess was said to have played significant role in retention of the present Ondo Kingdom from the hands of external aggressors who were troubling the town during her time. There is also the history of "Yeye Gbanejoke", a prominent successful businesswoman mogul, slave trade merchant and the first ever richest Ondo woman in the history of Ondo Kingdom who acquired the vast majority of Ondo landscape and till today her generation enjoys the most recognized popular and famous family title name as Gbanejoke (omo gbesokun).
Notwithstanding, the achievements of these three legends recognized above, the present generation of women in Ondo have been making meaningful contributions to the development of the Kingdom. While some have excelled in their chosen profession and has brought honour to the town through this, some have ventured into businesses and other areas commonly dominated by the men to make their presence felt. Again, another area where the industrious instincts of the Ondo women are further demonstrated is in their desire to own properties like their male counterparts. It is therefore not an exaggeration to assert that women in Ondo Kingdom have at least three out of every ten houses in the town. Therefore, when viewed against this background, it is not an understatement to say that women have made some positive contributions to the social-economic development of the town which is visible and could simply be described as an enduring legacy.
usually starts from home, for instance in the training of the female child. An Ondo woman would ensure that attitudes such as cleanliness, hard-work, and patience among others are imposed in the minds of their female children to prepare them for the future roles of house wives. Hence, before getting married, an Ondo girl is usually given some tasks to carry out at home such as sweeping, cleaning, cooking and fetching of water among other domestic chores. Besides, she is also tutored on some social and cultural values like greetings, dressings and paying respect to elders to mention a few. In the same vein, the male children are also given training in some cultural and social values to prepare them for future challenges as husbands. However, within the context of what has been written above, one particular attribute for which Ondo women are noted for is the role they play in the education of their children.
Ondo woman
It is a common practice to note that greater percentages of Ondo women are willing to sell their possessions for the simple reason of educating their children than owing material things. They would always be heard singing “ere omo mi o, ma je na le o” (meaning I will invest on my children to enjoy in my old age). Perhaps, this is responsible for the high level of educational attainment and socialization for which the people of Ondo people are noted. In the same vein, early childhood training, the Ondo children are exposed to by their mothers could be responsible for the low rate of juvenile delinquencies in the town and hence the relative peace pervading therein despite the rapid changes in its social and economic status. Before the advent of civilization, it is generally regarded as an abomination for an Ondo person to get convicted and sent to prison. Anyone who has the misfortune of being convicted would be ostracized by the people who would want to have any interaction with such persons. The situation was so serious to the extent that a convicted person may find it difficult to integrate within the environment even after serving his/her jail term. He or she may sometimes find it difficult to marry or bestowed with position of authority in the town.
Those were the time when the values system was held in highest esteem and mothers were actively involved in the activities that would help to mould the character of their children. Hence mothers in Ondo Kingdom then were playing significant, legislative, executive and judicial roles in the family. In fact the past children who grew up in Ondo whether male or female usually dread the presence of their mothers than their fathers because of what they regard as highhandedness on the part of their mothers who would spare no time to spank them if they failed to understand the message passed across which were transmitted then through the use of one of the crudest and easiest ways of training that was the use of the senses (i.e. eyes, legs, fingers and hands) and sometimes through folklore and tales. In fact, it is generally believed among the Ondos in the past that a true son and daughter of the town who in local palace are called Omoloore Ondo literally interpreted as a well behaved Ondo sons or daughters should not be involved in any matter that could tarnish the name of his/her family by going to prison. Mothers in Ondo are always in vanguard of those who would always ensure that their children are not involved in any crime that would bring the family name into disrepute. I would however not dissipate much energy on the olden days method adopted by Ondo women for training of their children but would rather concentrate on the subject matter of this discourse by identifying the various contributions made by some women of Ondo extraction to the development of their biological home.
Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Ondo lady. In early 2013, Omotola made her US television debut in VH1's scripted series, Hit the Floor. On 2 November 2013, she spoke at the 2013 edition of the WISE Summit, held in Doha, Qatar.
Political system
The system of government in Ondo Kingdom is a rather an interesting one. The focus is centralized on the election of a divine kingship. The king’s status is a hereditary one and it rotates among five genealogies namely Arilekolasi, Jisomosun, Aroworayi, Jilo and Fidipote. The king’s authority is partly derived through the legendary fore-parent, that is, Oba Pupupu who was the daughter of Oduduwa, the founder of the Yoruba race. According to Olupona, the three indigenous ethnic groups, namely Ifore, Idoko and Oka people surrendered to the newcomers without any fight. It was also noted “all rights and privileges pertaining to the territory were readily ceded to the newcomers”. This surrender was re-enacted by the Oloja of Ifore to the Osemawe of Ondo during which the Oloja made a pledge. In return, the Osemawe conceded to the Oloja of Idoko the control of that portion of the land i.e. Idoko ward. The Osemawe as a king wears a beaded-crown, which to him, in common with some other Yoruba kings, is the most valued possession because it is a symbol of his link with Oduduwa. According to a Yoruba myth, Oduduwa gave beaded crowns to his children as they departed from Ile-Ife to their various kingdoms. Hence, the possession of these beaded crowns from Oduduwa signifies authority and seniority among the many Yoruba Obas who reign today. The sacred staff of office (opa oye) is an innovation put forward by the colonial government. A staff of office was presented to the Osemawe as a symbol of the government’s acknowledgement and sanction of his rule.
Ondo people celebrating Ekimogun day
According to Olupona, the Osemawe governs through the institution of chieftaincy that is organized hierarchically. The first hierarchy is the council of five senior chiefs who are referred to as Eghae (the Oba’s council). These high chiefs are in order of seniority Lisa, Jomu, Odunwo, Sasere and Adaja and of course, the Osemawe as the overall head. They are usually referred to as Eghaafa mefa, because they are six in number; the Osemawe inclusive.
Each of these chiefs has both ritual and social functions to perform on behalf of the Oba. They are paired up for these purposes. The first pair is Lisa and Jomu and Sasere and Adaja is another group. The big umbrella (abuada oba) is the most visible indicator of the Oba’s presence. These high chiefs wear coral beads on their wrists and ankles. The most important symbol of authority of an Eghae is the sacred drum called Ugbaji. This drum is symbolic in the sense that during any ritual performed in the house of the chief, the drum will be marked with white and red chalk, after which a prayer is offered, the Oba’s as well as the particular chief. The Eghae dances to the tune of ugbaji during any celebration that signifies the authority and power he possesses.
Eghae is the highest chieftaincy title any Ondo citizen can possibly attain and can only be attained if he has previously taken a less dignifying chieftaincy title. Lisa is the second in command to the Osemawe out of the five Eghae chiefs. The position of Jomu is a hereditary one and it is the third in rank to the Oba. The Eghae are responsible to the Oba and they, (including the Oba himself) constitute the legislative council, which has the power to either enact or repeal laws. They can be likened to the “Judicial Committee of the House of Lords”
His Royal Majesty, (HRM), Dr. Oba Ademefun Adesimbo Kiladejo, the 44th Osemawe, the paramount ruler of Ondo Kingdom,
The Ekule, who number seven, are the next grade of chiefs, lower in rank than the Eghae. They are grouped in the following order: Odofin, Arogbo, Logbosere, Odofindi, Sagwe, Sara and Olotu-Omoba. The first four are deputies to the Eghae chiefs. They are responsible to Eghae and also perform other functions for the kingdom. These include serving as treasurer and recorder, heading the lower court that takes care of smaller judicial cases and taking charge of palace stewards. Each of these lesser chiefs is assigned specific duties to perform. The details of these duties will not be discussed in this study. It suffices to note however that the activities of the chiefs are well coordinated for effective governance.
The last group of secular chief is Elegbe. These are the lowest chieftaincy titled citizens. They are fifteen in number; they are responsible for the security of the town, and for maintaining law and order.
High chief and Lisa of Ondo kingdom
The “Alaworo” priest chiefs are the next group of leaders in Ondo. These are largely heads of local, pre-Oduduwa groups who are now in a position of “ritual superiority” over the newcomers. The members in this group are Oloja Oke-Idoko; Ekiri of Ifore, Sora and Akunnara. Sora and Akunnara are 0ramfe priests. All these titles are hereditary and candidates are elected from the family concerned. It is noteworthy that women feature prominently in the social and economic development of Ondo kingdom. There are for example, female chiefs referred to as “Opoji”. They are hierarchical too like their male counterpart