Wole Balogun, Ado-Ekiti
In Ijero-Ekiti, Ekiti Central Local Government Area of Ekiti State, there is a primordial tradition that places the womenfolk at the centre stage of politics, community development, and cultural practices. It is called Abokoaye tradition.
It provides a different narrative the widely held view that women are oppressed by African cultural practice. Just as it is being practiced in rural communities in many parts of Yoruba land, women have been taken active roles in politics, work places and given seats of authority in palaces and other areas.
Abokoaye, though a traditional title given to the king’s favourite wife, encapsulates the exploits and cultural endowments of the wife of the monarch. Abokoaye is a cultural practice that evolved in Ijero-Ekiti right from migration from Ile-Ife now in Osun State.
Also christened Iyekunrin, a name, which combines both feminist and masculine attributes, Abokoaye owns the title because of a masculine role she played during the migration of Ijero from Ile-Ife to Ekiti, leading an advanced team from Iloko in Aramoko Ekiti for temporary settlement.
Abokoaye also had been the only woman that Ajero, her husband and one of the children of Yoruba progenitor, Oduduwa, to migrate from Ile-Ife to several parts of Yoruba land including, Eti-Osa in Lagos, Iloko, Ilede in Ekiti and finally in present Ijero-Ekiti. Since then, Iyekunrin or Abobokaye has become a major feature of the cultural heritage of the people.
Owa Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti, Oba Joseph Ariwajoye Adewole Adebayo, told Daily Sun: “Abokoaye is the king’s favourite wife. Hers is a festival of sacrifice and appeasement to the gods. On the day of such ritual, all Oloris (wives), follow her to do the ritual at the grove. She doesn’t have to be the last or youngest wife of the king she is just the favourite.
“She is also called Eyekunrin or Eyekunafin as she was the woman who left Ile-Ife with Ajero to migrate to Ekiti. She also was the woman who first came to settle here. The first Abokoaye on our migration to Ekiti came with the authority of Ajero in Iloko. Since then, her role as a leader has been replicated in all royal families and the places we have settled.
“Every Owa Ajero, who may come from the three ruling houses of this town, Arojojoye, my family house, Oyiyo and Okerukusoro, once installed, gets an Abokoaye. Even if he has already has 100 wives before being installed he must have an Abokoaye. This is what tradition demands.”
Oba Arojojoye said Ogun is another rich cultural heritage of Ijero-Ekiti: “We have a major festival for Ogun, it is celebrated for 10 days. Usually scheduled to hold on the third or second week of August of every year. We will start this year’s edition on August 10.
“A major feature of the festival is the appeasement of Ogun and the other gods of the land. Esikin and Olorogun are the traditional chiefs who appease Ogun. There are people who by their professions worship Ogun. They include motorists and mechanics, and they join these two chiefs to appease Ogun during the festival.
“We also feature Ijesu, new yam festival as part of the Ogun festival. Chief Saade is a traditional chief who brings the yam from the farm for the Kabiyesi. That day is an important festive day in this town. Ijesu day as a special festival because yam is a chief food in this town and as such we accord it a special celebration.
“Also part of the Ogun is Isagun. It is a festival, which we organise to initiate or baptise the selected heirs or royal children into the royal dynasty of the land. This can be done for both the young, even a day old child and old indigenes of the town. Such heirs will celebrate the festival for three consecutive years before becoming fully integrated into the royal dynasty. Even those who have been married to outsiders can be part of it.
“Egungun festival is also part of Ogun festival masquerades in our culture represent our dead. Yoruba believe that the dead are someone where they see us but we don’t see them. So we pray to them to protect us during the festival and appease them. We believe they come down to us on such festive seasons and they remain with us for seven days.
“According to our traditions, there are three main Egungun families in Ijero-Ekiti, Osun who may number up to millions during the festuval, Ako, which is head of all masquerades and most powerful of all, he is just one and the third Alagbamo, they are masquerade of little kids which are meant for mere entertainment.
“Igoke Olodoye festival precedes Ogun main festival. It is being supervised by Chief Okodoye of Odoye River who starts the ceremony and ritual from a valley in an area in this town called Odoye. His is a festival of rituals, which are meant to rejuvenate and regenerate the town from evils and usher in a new beginning of great fortunes.
“We came from Ile-Ife as and we all know that Ajero is one of the sons of Oduduwa. He occupies a unique place out of the seven children, Ajero is in between; same mother gave birth to Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti, Alara of Aramoko-Ekiti and Orangun of Ile-Ila in Osun State, our mother is called Iwa. Ajero is also in between the children of our mother.
“When we left Ile-lfe we settled first at Eti-Osa now in Lagos, this is why we are praised as Ajero ki osa, omoosun, meaning, ‘Ajero descendants who settles and lives the ocean.’ We had to first go there because our people searched for water of the ocean to cure an ailment.
“Before leaving Ile-Ife, our forefather, Ajero had divined about what would happen during his migration and therefore had a clear foreknowledge of his sojourn. Many of our sons and daughters were the aborigines of Ebute-Metta in Lagos and they are still there now.
“Ifa oracle, the divination god had already revealed where everyone of us would settle down to Ajero. When they did not see the sign divined at the Eti-Osa and Ajose near Aramoko and another town called Iloko. We moved further to Ikede.
“Iloko was hilly, it wasn’t expansive enough. Our advanced team came here and we also moved to Ilede where the soil was very fertile but reptiles like worms, were disturbing our people. They were entering their foods, and water so our people left there to make it a farm settlement instead and eventually moved to this present Ijero-Ekiti.
“As the Kabiyesi, I have to be a father of all, although I am a Methodist. For peace, love and unity to reign I have to be a father for all and allow them to worship their own gods. I also have to honour our traditions by playing my part in all if the cultural practices in the town.
“Civilization has been eroding many of our taboos and because of many strangers coming to us we are demystifying them. They are usually scary. Not roasting yams was part of our taboos but when I was enthroned I asked so that we can demystify that taboo, and we carried out the ritual of appeasement. Now we are allowing roasting of yams, plantain and corns. Corns were banned from being roasted in the town because of the epidemic of measles.
“Alara, Ajero and Orangun lle Ila are all Oduduwa children and we haven’t forgotten our source and this is why we are one. We have the adage, ‘Alara lo logbon, Ajero loni imo, Orangun loni ase’ meaning Alara possesses wisdom, Ajero knowledge and Orangun authority.
“Anytime we celebrate Olojo festival in lle-Ife, it is the three of us that have the right to follow Ooni to Okemogun grove where the ritual is done. When the Ooni dies we have our rites which only three of us perform. When another Ooni is to be installed we also have our rituals.”