Don’t re-write history of Igbomina, Yoruba association warns

The National President, Egbe Omo Ibile Igbomina, Timothy Adebayo, says any attempt to re-write the history of the Igbomina or Yoruba race by any person or groups will be resisted.
Adebayo, the leader of the cultural association, gave the warning on Thursday in Ilorin at a news conference.
According to him, there is no place in the entire Igbomina land known as Gbomina-Ekiti Kingdom.
Adebayo warned that any attempt to re-write the history of the race by any person or groups will be resisted and disallowed.
The group was reacting to report in a national daily wherein one Oba Rufus Olarewaju Ajayi allegedly claimed to be the Oba Gbaja Arolagbade II, the Oba of Gbomina-Ekiti Kingdom.
Adebayo said: “In the said publication, Olarewaju Ajayi claimed that he is the Oba of Gbomina-Ekiti Kingdom.
“He purportedly gave the historical narration of Igbomina people albeit disjointedly and full of lies and fabrications.
“He also attempted a revolutionist history of the Yoruba race where he claimed Yoruba is the official language in the Garden of Eden.
“He concluded by saying that the has created a ‘Gbomina Ekiti Development Fund’ for which the sum of N2.5 billion has been deposited for provision of road network in his imaginary Gbomina-Ekiti Kingdom.”
The group’s national president said there used to be Igbomina-Ekiti division before the Local Government reform of 1976.
Adebayo explained that Igbomina land was made up of three Local Governments in Kwara State and two Local Government Areas in Osun State.
He said: “With the creation of more Local Government Areas, the Ekiti block of Kwara now has Ekiti and Oke-Ero LGAs while Igbomina Kwara has three as aforementioned.
“By the 2004 Local Government amendment laws of Kwara State, each of these Local Governments now has their separate Traditional Councils; though, they still maintain their cultural linkage and identity.
“In Igbomina land, both Kwara and Osun, as at today have seven first class Obas namely; the Orangun of Illa, Olupo of Ajase-Ipo, Elese of Igbaja, Olomu of Omu-Aran, Orangun of Oke-Illa, the Olupako of Share and the Olusin of Isanlu-Isin.”
The group, however, urged the police to arrest and prosecute, Ajayi, in a court of competent jurisdiction.
According to Adebayo, this will protect the larger society from falling victims of people using traditional institution and impersonating kings and dynasties.
Adebayo said: “We want to categorically refute that there is nothing like ‘Gbomina Ekiti Development Fund’ and we call on the law enforcement agencies to investigate the claim of Olarewaju Ajayi.”