Ushen Abalaye Ajina Isara by Saheed 'Lanre Fidelity

HAPPY AFOTAMODI FESTIVAL -  DAY 4

For sons and daughters of Isara Remo.

- By Saheed 'Lanre Fidelity

Thursday, 30th September, 2021

Today, Let's take a critical review on Isara history, some key facts we need to know about our Forebear, OBA ADEYEMO ODEMO the first Odemo of Isara and the ANCIENT TIME IGI USHEN ABALAYE @AJINA ISARA

Even before I was born, a lot of people have authored many books on the history of Isara Remo, most of which were cooked stories of ASA'RA the one that they usually tell us while we were growing up. 

There is nothing like ASARA!

Isara Afotamodi Kogun ma wolu, is an ancient town fortified by rocks, a fortress impenetrable to enemies by invasion from time immemorial.

Adeyemo Odemo was an hunter who hunted for Wild animals like Elephant and bigger ones in these category. 

An evidence to this fact is the history of the elephant disturbing the people of Ijebu  which his service was requested and he humbly left Okere kerewe Itase to respond to their requests. He was highly appreciated and that exercise made them to confer on Adeyemo Odemo the title of "EKERIN-OLU" of Ijebu and he was usually honored whenever the successive Odemo of Isara visit Ijebu Ode by placing a leopard skin on Adeyemo's sit. 

This traditional honour was evidenced in 1938 when the likes of our late baba Aladura, Baba-Oba Joseph Osideinde and the people of Isara paid an historical visit to the palace of Awujale of Ijebu Ode, during the reign of Oba Folagbade II.

So I don't think it's possible for an hunter who hunted for Wild Animals like Elephant to be hunting for and hawk (Asa) no! Eni Iwaju niwa niSara, ao ni dero Eyin. 

The author of that Asara history was just trying to package that history by leveraging on the fact that the founder of Isara was an hunter and a great one in Remo land from Iremo quarters in Ile-Ife balancing it with Isara... But no!

Ise'Ara was the source of our Isara and today we will know what brought about Ise and Ara.

The following points are factual ones which sons and daughters of Isara should know about Isara:

1. The first King in Isara was OBA Adeyemo Ode-Omo-Ooni

Atamatase, Ara Ilaporu,

Ara Okere-kere Itase

Ekerin-Olu Ijebu

Ode omo Oduduwa Olofin

Omo Odu Olofin Ajalaiye

Ajalorun lati Ile Ife... Etc

2. He left ile ife for hunting purpose and took along with him an Ifa priest from Ilase quarters of Ile Ife by the name of ISE'. Adeyemo also made use of a wise man known as ARA who was skilled in local mystical arts. (juju). 

Its also in History that he also come to Isara along with IBA a great Masquerade man in history... Till date, they still hail IBA thus, egugun Ko de Ile yii ri, Iba lo mu egugun wo igbo IREMO.

3. He was from the Oshinkanlu Royal dynasty in Ile-Ife and his mother "Otuseunwon" was the daughter of Obameri the Balogun of Ile-Ife.

After he had found a suitable place to settle down with his people basically upon what Ifa had earlier instructed him that he would hunt to settle down and found a community of his own, He went back home to Ile Ife after his first settlement at the first Okere-kerewe Itase to tell his father how suitable and favorable his adventure was. 

When he was about to return to his new settlement, he was fortified by his father and his chiefs with kingship paraphernalia and with the instruction that he should restrict hunting profession to his new settlement and be crowned as king. 

He returned to his mother who asked him, what has your father gave you?, "kini baba re mu ko o? He responded thus ":Ade- lomu- komi pelu awon nkan oso oba. 

The mother thereafter instructed that 4 masquerades should be made to the memory of his  visit and for the establishment of the new settlement.

Those masquerades were made with the assistance of IBA. 

this history was evident to this day among those Egungun worshippers that " Egun-gun ko de Ile yii ri, Iba lo mu Egun wo Igbo Remo". Automatically it's good as saying, Isara is the first town in Remo where Egungun was displayed. The four masquerades still exist in ISARA today and one of them is in our family house at Lokowo compound at Idi-Ape Isara Remo. That is Eegun YAYA BILU JESHA but that's  a story for another day.

4. Adeyemo with the help of ISE and ARA did a great work before we have this Jerusalem of ours. During their sojourn before they settle to where we are today, they had settled down at two previous settlements. 

5. Before they left ILE IFE they picked an USHEN SEED (ESO USHEN) from the appeased oracle of IDI ISHEN ELEGBARA, that all people of Ile Ife are worshipping. 

One of This seed was planted by one of this aforementioned men at IPARA market side.

We have our own IGI USHEN ABALAYE at AJINA-MAJAGO in Isara, its a tree of ages, going to about 600years ago according to research. 

Isara is one of the first towns that settled in this Remo kingdom. This aged long tree still exists at  Ajina today and it was about to fall fee years ago but the Oloritun of Ajina Chief Mudhill Dolamu action with the people of Ajina community in Isara made move to keep the ancient tree back to the position of good portion.

That tree was used to denote ISE'ARA memory. To mark their grave side so that they can be forever in our memory because that very spot was the grave site where the men were buried long time ago.

The name ISARA is named after Ise and Ara to honour the great assistance rendered to our forebear Adeyemo Odemo. 

This Afotamodi festival or at other time, when you get to Isara, kindly pay a visit to the father of all trees in Isara, it is located at the centre of Majago-Ajina Isara Remo.

Let me dedicate this beautiful and factual history to one of the great man of all time Isara has produced, I never met him though, but I met his legacies! He was the Odemo of Isara that never was, but one of his sons, Alaiyeluwa Oba Adeboye Osideinde made his dream came through. I have been to his grave side to pay respect to him for a great work done to project the position of Isara in Remo land as the first Remo town to exist.

History will remember you forever baba Aladura. May your should continue to rest in peace baba. 

Please let's be proud of Isara wherever we are, let's make it proud and project it's beauty for the world to see, nobody can do that for us, 

It's we the sons and daughters of Isara that can project Isara and bring it to the lime-light just like Odemo Akisanya has done for Isara.

Happy 52nd Afotamodi Festival to son's and daughters of Isara Remo. 

Aseyi S'amodun,

Osi Isara A gbe wa ooo

God bless Isara Afotamodi K'ogun Ma Wolu

God bless the sons and daughters of Isara

Long may you reign baba wa,

Odemo of Isara,

Oba Albert Adebose Mayungbe

Erinsiba III.

God bless me,

Saheed 'Lanre Fidelity.

Note:

Feel free to share for knowledge purpose,  but acknowledgement is advised.