Historical Facts and Position of Isara Remo in Brief

 COUNT DOWN TO AFOTAMODI FESTIVAL DAY 2:

Historical Facts and Position of Isara in Brief

(For sons and daughters of Isara Remo)

Isara is built around a range of hills bounded by beautiful ridges and scenery. The set-up position confers several advantages on the town. Isara is on a knoll. Being on a knoll, it has the best natural advantage of a drainage system which other towns lack.

Isara's western and northern boundaries are Akaka, Ode Remo, and Ipara. It has boundaries with Ago-Iwoye, Ijebu North Local Government. It also has boundaries with the Orile-Oko and Obafemi-Owode Local Governments. Isara can boast of over one hundred and seventy-nine villages. Isara people are seasoned farmers and this is because they have a large span of land stretching over thirty kilometers. In population, Isara comes next to Sagamu even though it is not a federated town.

Isara has about 15 Hotels, 2 Petrol Stations, youth development, Saw-mills, 6 government-owned primary schools, 3 Government-owned secondary schools, Gateway Polytechnic Saapade, one of the 4 state-owned ICT Polytechnics is at Isara Remo, is also state hospital and health centers at Isara Remo among other various establishments.

Isara town was, at a time, the sixth largest town in Ogun state (1963 census) and the second largest in Remo

Zone. It is the largest by land area, the foremost most populous, and the only urban town in Remo North Local Government. It can lay claim to more than 50% of the population and land mass of the area. The statistics are even more confounding in terms of revenue generation.

The Town is situated about 80 kilometers from the economic nerve center of the country, Lagos approximately 50 kilometers from Ibadan, and about 70 kilometers from Ogun State capital Abeokuta, the town is strategically located for both economics and other purposes

The founder of Isara Remo was Adeyemo Ode-Omo-Ooni. The other name ascribed to the same person was Adeyemi Ade-Omo.

Whichever name is adopted, the history of Isara points to the same person. I am making use of Adeyemo OdeOmo, not Adeyemi Ade-Omo, the name refers to the founder of Isara. Adeyemo Ode-Omo was an Ife prince, a descendant of Oni Osikanlu.

He was the founder of Isara Remo, a town north of the Remo division. The historical assertion says that Adeyemo Ode-Omo was a hunter from his youth. He had his hunting exercises first around the areas now known as Modakeke, Ipetumodu, and Edun-Abon.

Adeyemo Ode-Omo as an adept hunter had good kills. To evacuate his kills, he made use of an Ifa priest whose name was Ise-Orunmila. Ise-Orunmila was from the Ilase quarters of Ile Ife. Adeyemo Ode-Omo also made use of another man who was efficient with the use of charms. His name was Ara. Ara was wise and very intelligent. He was popularly known and called Aramfe. The name was abridged to ARA. It was the usual behavior of Adeyemo to ask his Ifa priest to consult with the Ifa about whatever action he was to take. The Ifa responded and the Ifa digits were read and interpreted by Adeyemo.

Whatever the Ifa says, Adeyemo adheres very strictly to the interpretation.

There was a day when Adeyemo Ode-Omo wanted to go hunting. He called his Ifa priest’s attention to his hunting intention. Ise the Ifa priest divined the movement. The Ifa digits were read and interpreted. The message of the Ifa was that Adeyemo Ode-Omo had a long journey before him and this long journey would lead him to a new land where he was going to be the founder.

The small group under the leadership of Adeyemo Ode-Omo trekked towards the present Ibadan area. Ise, the Ifa priest consulted the Ifa periodically for guidance and whatever the Ifa said, they obeyed.

According to the assertion, the movement was circuitous as the trek took the group to the present area of Ore in Ondo State. In the trek, history says that some other people met, and joined the group; hence, there was an increase in the number of people in the adventure. One important man who joined the trek was carrying a god. The name of the god was BIRAKU. History has it that the god was carried to the site of their final settlement which is Isara. BIRAKU is still carried in Isara up till today during the Isara Agemo Festival.

Adeyemo Ode-Omo moved out of Ajalorun’s domain towards the present Oru and Awa. During his occupation around Oru and Awa, he shot an elephant. The elephant died at a place now known as Ilaporu. The King of Ijasi, Ijebu-Ode heard about the killing of the elephant and he pleaded with Adeyemo Ode-Omo to come down and assist him to exterminate the menace of elephants in his domain. Adeyemo Ode-Omo moved towards Ijebu-Ode to assist the King of Ijasi. It was said that he had a temporary settlement called Okerekere Itase which is very close to the present Oko Mayan not far from Okun-Owa. The name Okerekere came out in the movement of Adeyemo Ode-Omo twice. The first Okerekere was Okerekere Itase which was close to Oko Mayan.

The second Okerekere was close to Isara's final settlement of today.

However, the first one was Okerekere Itase and the other one was Okerekere at the present area of Saapade which was the last to the Isara settlement. During Adeyemo’s stay at Okerekere Itase, the King of Ijasi whose name was Osin asked Adeyemo once again to assist him in disorganizing the elephants in his domain. Adeyemo left Okerekere Itase to assist Osin. He killed four elephants and the others left the area for safety's sake. This feat created a mutual relationship between Osin and Adeyemo.

Adeyemo was honored with the title of EKERIN OLU of Ijebuland. There is the assertion that any time Adeyemo visited the Awujale, it was on record that his chair was covered with the skin of a leopard. This was in recognition of his service to Ijebuland in disorganizing the menace of the elephants. The tradition has stopped. After the time he finished his assignment at Ijebu Ode, he came back to his settlement at Okerekere Itase and settled with his people. From here he left his people at Okerekere Itase for Ile Ife. He went to Ile Ife to meet his father. After a brief stay with his father.............

... We will continue from here,

Happy Afotamodi festival in advance to all of us, the sons and daughters of Isara Remo.

Thanks for reading

God bless Isara Remo

Long live our Kabiyesi Alaiyeluwa

Oba Albert Adebose Mayungbe,

Erinsiba III Odemo of Isara Remo

God bless me,

'Lanre Fidelity.