The Odemo of Isara We Want…

THE ODEMO OF ISARA WE WANT;

AN ARDENT MESSAGE TO ISARA ELDERS, LEADERS, THE OTETE RULING HOUSE, THE KINGMAKERS, YOUTHS AND SONS & DAUGHTERS OF ISARA REMO.

By Saheed Lanre Fidelity

20th June, 2025.

It’s 51 days today, on the 1st of May, 2025, when the news of the passing to the great beyond of my very dear and beloved friend, father and highly revered Isara Remo Monarch, Alayeluwa Oba Albert Adebose Mayungbe, (Erinsiba III) joined his ancestors in playing chess of immortality.

Since then, the community has continued to follow the due process according to the rules of the government and the tradition of the land. From the town crier announcement to the palace social rite, to the traditional rite, and to the obvious, which is moving the market from Oja Oba downward to Ago-Aro, the traditional rites have ended, and other plans are in place.

In all, the mourning period has to be a maximum of three months (90 days). Within this period and until another Odemo emerges, the Regency /town management would be constituted by the Remo Traditional Council, to oversee the affairs and leadership of the community.

Even though we are still in the mourning period; I am of the opinion that for the progress, love and continuity of the development agenda, which was the premium priority before the demise of the last Odemo, I think the mourning period is a good avenue for the next ruling house whose turn it is to present the next Odemo of Isara, to do all the necessary preparation before the government makes the official announcement.

I just hope that we get it right this time around, because going into history, it has always been a long tussle between members of the ruling house whose turn it is to present the candidate to the town and this has not always been in the favour of the town, it has always brought the community progress to about 10steps backwards. 

A very good example is the last period of interregnum we had after the demise of Alaiyeluwa Oba Adebayo Idowu Onadeko, Ogunsere Gbuko II in 2007. The stool was vacant for eleven years until 2018 when the recently transitioned Alaiyeluwa Oba Albert Adebose Mayungbe, Erinsiba III emerged. 

The stool was vacant for a couple of years, and the community progress had to move at a very slow pace, It became a thing of public plea to the next ruling house then during one of the  Afotamodi festivals, to please give the town a king. There were a lot of occurrences of mishaps and deaths.  The situation then was no longer interesting. The youth and the people of the community couldn’t wait any longer, as youth, we protested and the chiefs, community leaders and the ruling house felt our pain… but it was too late for anyone to do anything as at that time we all woke up to the reality because the case was already in court. 

The rest is history though, but the lesson learnt from those periods needs to be put into use now to avoid such occurrences, hopefully.

Truly, as a people; everyone can’t be the kingmakers and not everyone comes from the next ruling house. However, I feel that as a community, we all have roles to play, if we truly love Isara very dearly. It’s part of our responsibilities as patriotic sons and daughters of Isara to be updated with the happenings in our town! If Isara is good, we all shall have a place to be proud of as our hometown,

We all have to give it a good follow-up, pray to God to choose for us and let the next ruling house get it right, be in one accord and unity without going to court before they present to the community a king who would take the mantle from where Erinsiba III left it. 

The next on the agenda;

PROCEDURE TO FILL VACANCIES IN A RULING HOUSE CHIEFTAINCY

According to section 16 (1) of the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State 2021:

“Where a vacancy occurs in a Ruling House Chieftaincy, and a declaration has effect concerning that chieftaincy;

(a) The secretary of the competent council shall announce the name of the ruling house entitled according to customary law to provide a candidate or candidates as the case may be, to fill the vacancy.

(b) Not later than fourteen (14) days after the announcement by the secretary of the competent council, the members of the ruling house, acting by the declaration shall submit the name of a candidate or names of candidates, as the case may be, to the kingmakers…

THE RULING HOUSE TO PRODUCE THE NEXT ODEMO OF ISARA

The next ruling house on the row to produce the next Odemo of Isara according to the declaration made under section 4(2) of the Chiefs Law, 1957 is the Otete Ruling House of Isara Remo. 

The major native law governing the appointment of a new Odemo was first put together in 1957 under the then Premier of the Western Region, Chief (Hon.) Obafemi Awolowo, Western State Chieftaincy Declaration (Ijebu Remo Division). This statutory instrument clearly states the number of the ruling houses entitled to the throne of Odemo and the eligible voters (Chiefs) when such need arises. In reference, “the declaration made under section 4(2) of the Chiefs Law, 1957 of the Customary Law Regulating The Selection to the throne of the Odemo of Isara is hereby reproduced below:

(i) There are six (6) Ruling Houses and the identity of each Ruling House is;

1. Erinsiba - Ayole

2. Poke

3. Igan 

4. Afonlade 

5. Otete 

6. Rokodo - Ogunsere

(ii) The order of rotation is:

1. Igan 

2. Rokodo Ogunsere

3. Erinsiba - Ayole 

4. Otete

5. Poke 

6. Afonlade 

THE OTETE RULING HOUSE

The Otete Ruling house is one of the ruling houses in Isara as recognised by the 1957 gazette. The last king from the ruling house reigned over 150 years ago. 

The last king that came from this ruling house was Oba Oduko Otete II.

Historically, as an ancient town, there have been 37 Odemo of Isara up to the reign of the late Alaiyeluwa Oba Albert Adebose Mayungbe Erinsiba III. 

We’ve had over 25 Odemos that reigned before Oba Sogbajo Poke 1 who joined his ancestors in 1836, among which include, Fadulu Ojokoboye, Rzoshonlu Ayoledoye 1, Agbangodo (Defunct), Oduko Otete II, Mayungbe Ayoledoye II, Ogunmefun Ojokoboye II, Onabajo Poke II, S. Akisanya Afonlade II, Barr. Adeboye Osideinde Igan II, Engr. Adebayo Onadeko Ogunsere Gbuko II, Albert Mayungbe Erinsiba III.

Traditionally, in the olden days, the major requirements of selecting anybody to become a king in Yoruba land were:

1. He must be a verified member of the ruling house

2. Sons of a previous holder of the title

3. He must be chosen (at least by Ifa);

4. He must be powerful (both spiritually and physically)

5. He must be influential among his people.

6. Of the male line; provided that succession may devolve on the female line where there are no qualified candidates of the male line.

Conversely, some of the traditions have changed, For any community that craves true development and progress, such community needs a king who is well educated, financially buoyant and well connected, how impactful they have been to the development of the community, what is their contribution and position towards the betterment of their community, what have they done to merit the number one traditional title in the town. 

What are people saying about them, how have they impacted lives, what’s their human relation with the people and what antecedents do they portray…

The reality is, they want to be a king over the people and the public opinion also matters a lot in the selection process, 

These reasons transfigured the criteria for selecting a king,

Further, these new criteria changed the order of selection, weakened the traditions and traditional institutions, and vested more powers in the kingmakers, who themselves have become gods in the selection process. The Ifa (deity) now acts in a ceremonious capacity.

More so, this development has made the Kingmakers too powerful and unreliable in choosing the new king. The king is chosen by choice, not by merit or capacity, a major reason why most towns in Yoruba land are always going into tussle thus, prolonging the selection process and putting the community development at stake for that period of rulership absence. 

More so, that’s why many kings are incompetent when compared to the kings in the Pre-colonial era just because of the high price they've paid to secure the throne. 

The Position of the Chieftaincy Declaration of 1957 on the Kingmakers and Voting Procedure…

After the family must have voted for a candidate or candidates as the case may be internally in a family meeting, names would be sent to the kingmakers and the selection process continues. 

THE KINGMAKERS

According to the customary law of Isara declared in 1957, there are 12 kingmakers divided into 3 grades 

A. The Osugbos - Four

1. The Oluwo 

2. The Apena 

3. The Olootu Iwarefa

4. The member chosen by and from the Osugbo

B. The Odis - Four

1. The Ogbeni Odi

2. The Ekeji Ogbeni Odi

3. The Asipa Odi

4. The Ekeji Asipa Odi

C. The Emos- Four

1. The Olori Emo

2. The Ekeji Olori Emo 

3. The Asipa Emo

4. The Ekeji Asipa Emo

Isara Remo is an urban town, the largest and of course the headquarters of the Remo North Local Government, the second largest in Remo land coming after Sagamu, a town that boasts over 179 villages, fast developing with the influx of hefty community development projects happening in town recently. 

At this point! 

Isara Remo needs a "Messiah" in human form to take up the mantle with the support of the community because a tree can’t make a forest, it is through Love, Unity and Oneness that we can get it right at this critical stage. 

MY VIEWPOINT:

As one of the youth stakeholders in the community, and by implication as a Great  Ambassador of Isara, this award officially confers on me the responsibility of representing the youths both at home and abroad on what is expected of the next Odemo of Isara land. 

The following are some of the things I feel should be part of the criteria to be considered in choosing candidates for the stool of the highly competitive and revered Odemo of Isara:

(1) He must be a verified member of the ruling House;

(2) He must be well-educated and well-connected;

(3) He must have a genuine love for the Isara people and have to be passionate about the town's development;

(4) He must be ready and willing to converge Isara Remo Economic Submit, by inviting both home and Diaspora Isara indigenes who are captains of industries in their respective fields of endeavour; 

(5) He must seek to move Isara Remo to higher grounds by accepting wise advice from his subjects that revolves around bringing positive change and development to Isara. For instance, the would-be king should help to fast-track:

(a) First True Human Capital Development Programme in Isara Remo

(b) A Radio Station in Isara at least;

(c) A Cinema in Isara Remo                                                                                                                                                  (d) Commercial Banks

(e) A modern mini-stadium for youth and sports 

(f) A Modern Library in Isara 

(g) First Youth Oriented Community driven programmes in Isara Remo and so on.

(6) He must be ready to give a true representation by moving and mingling with other progressive kings and emperors around the world. 

(7) He must be simple and ready to listen to the cries of his people, most especially the weakest among us i.e widows, market women, orphans, the have-nots and so on. 

(8) He must be for all and not for few i.e. he must be ready to be king of Isara land and not king of a section. It’s time to say goodbye to an unhealthy dichotomy that takes us nowhere. 

(9) He must be God-fearing and responsible.

(10) He must be ready to lift dashed hopes.

(11) He must be bold, strong and ready to sacrifice whatever it takes to be a great king.

(12) He should be an Oba who will open up the economic sphere through the promotion of an industrial hub.

Generally, at this point, the soul of Isara Remo is crying for a king who is not motivated by honour, respect and deference received by the office of a king, but one that is motivated by service, and cries of his subjects. Fuelled with passion and love of his people who have persistently waited for the Almighty Messiah soon to be found in their king. 

In summary, I would like to congratulate in advance any person who is lucky enough to emerge as the 38th Odemo of Isara from the long list of princes who are already showing interest and patiently awaiting the government announcement to present candidates.

No doubt, the Otete Ruling House has great, influential, popular, well-educated princes who are qualified for the exalted office of the Odemo of Isara, but my plea in advance is that anyone who is favoured in the first instance should be embraced and supported with love for the continuous development and progress of Isara Remo. 

The youth, elders and leaders of Isara are also enjoined not to keep their eyes off the process If we truly love Isara, we can be keenly interested as observers, not rooting for any choice of candidate but solely for the betterment of Isara. Let’s be liberal and trust the process, give advice and encouragement where needed, more so, a community-set-up committee for amelioration and observation won’t be a bad idea to ensure a peaceful selection devoid of fracas or further litigation that would draw the progress of the community backwards. 

If it gets to court, it can take the community several years before a decision is attained! And this will do the community no benefit.

God will choose for us! 

God bless Isara Remo, 

God bless the sons and daughters of Isara Remo at home and abroad 🙏🙏🙏

Osi Isara A gbe Dede eni,

Ulu Isara e ni boje, Ulu Isara e ni daaru n’agbara Olorun🙏

I am Saheed Olanrewaju Fidelity.