The Ipebi Royal Palace is a place where any Oba-elect of Ikorodu undergoes tutelage for three lunar months. The Akolemobasi is the Head of the Otugorushen Royal family of Ikorodu and the custodian of Ipebi Palace. In going down memory this piece tries to re-live the significance of Ipebi which dates back in time to the 16th century when the institution of monarchy was established in Ikorodu.
When an Oba is elected by the Iwarefa, the new oba cannot be taken to Lisa's house, neither can he be taken to Aro's house. He has to be brought to Akolemobasi - the traditional custodian of the Ipebi Royal Palace and the location of the origin of the Akolemobasi is Isele Ward of Ikorodu.
Going by chronicled history of Ikorodu, the first Otungorushen, was a cousin to the first Oloja of Ikorodu. Though he was older than the Oloja, the whole town agreed that the lot had fallen on him to perform the spiritual cleansing and other rites for three lunar months on his cousin who was about to be crowned the Oloja of Ikorodu.
The first Otugorushen went ahead to perform the rites on the first Oloja at Ipebi; establishing a long tradition that has survived the vagaries of times until 1929 when the real Opebi was burnt down in the heat of fracas triggered by members of the family of the new Oloja - Adenaike Alagbe.
In the beginning, the first Ipebi acknowledged in history was a mud house with thatch roof and when the rampaging aggrieved members of the new Oloja torched it - everything was razed to the ground. The fact of history must be emphasized here: Ipebi did not collapse but burnt down in the thick of the fracas of 1929.
A court case ensued, but Oloja Adenaike Alagbe won. He reigned for several years. He would be remembered in history as the last Oloja and the first Ayangburen of Ikorodu.
For quite a long time, nobody looked in the direction of the burnt Ipebi to re-build it. Nobody wants to invest in re-building the burnt Ipebi - where an Oba-elect only stays for just three lunar months.
By 1951 when Oba Alagbe joined his ancestors, there was no Ipebi for the new Oba, Samuel Ladega. The Akolemobasi family had to provide a make-shift Ipebi. The father of the incumbent Akolemobasi Alhaji Mustapha Lawal and Head of the Otugorushen Royal family of Ikorodu and the custodian of Ipebi Palace had to convert his room and parlour apartment in the vicinity of the burnt Ipebi to be used as a make-shift Ipebi where Oba Ladega went through the customary tutelage.
In 1970, there arose a need for Ipebi for the new Oba-elect, Salaudeen Oyefusi when his predecessor, Oba Samuel Ladega joined his ancestors. The newly enthroned Oba had to go to Ipebi after the Iwarefa had picked him as the next Ayangbure. This time around the house of a female member of the family the 'Iya Alakan's’ which was adjacent to the apartment of the Akolemobasi, Alhaji Mustapha Lawal was used as yet another make-shift Ipebi for the new Oba-elect of Ikorodu. It was a collective decision that the house Iya Alakan who was also a descendant of the Otugorushen Royal Family, be used as the Ipebi for Oyefusi.
The Ipebi is right in the middle of Ipebi lane in Ikorodu and all the houses in the vicinity belongs to the direct descendants of Otugorushen Royal family.
The history of Otugorushen Royal Family is closely knitted to the origin of Ipebi. The first Otugorushen according to history was Odueko. His son, Afolu had eight children - seven female and one male. "The male child was named Sonmolu the great grandfather of the incumbent Akolemobasi, Alhaji Nosirudeen Adeyinka Lawal.
• Odueko performed Ipebi rites on three Olojas
• Afolu, his son and successor performed four Olojas
• Sonmolu performed on three Olojas
• Shobowale (great grandfather of the incumbent Akolemobasi peformed on
two Olojas up to Adenaike Alagbe before the Ipebi got burnt)
When Ladega became the Oba-elect, Alhaji Mustapha Lawal (father of the incumbent Akolemobasi) became the head of the Otugorushen family and performed the Ipebi rites on the new Oba. He went on to perform the rites on Ladega’s successor, Oba Salaudeen Oyefusi.
After the coronation of Oyefusi," Akolemobasi, the entire family in 1986, decided it was high time the Ipebi that was burnt down in 1929 was rebuilt.
The foundation was laid on the site of the original Ipebi that was burnt down and work commenced in earnest. It was built up to the decking level. "After the death of Akolemobasi, Alhaji Mustapha Lawal the family continued the re-construction works within their financial capabilities by adding an extension and erecting the pillars to the building. But due to paucity of funds, the building project came to halt.
When Oba Oyefusi joined his ancestors 2014 it became imperative for the Adegorushen family, the custodian of Ipebi to provide one for Kabir Shotobi, the new Oba-elect of Ikorodu.
The family met and mapped out a strategy on the way forward to getting an Ipebi ready for the new Oba. It was decided that this time around, the family was going to move away from the era of using make-shift Ipebi as was done for both Oba Ladega who used the apartment of Alhaji Mustapha Lawal as Ipebi and Oba Oyefusi who used the apartment of Iya Alakan, the younger sister of Akolemobasi, Alhaji Mustapha Lawal as Ipebi. A letter was written to the State Government which prompted the government to call for hearing from representatives of the two ruling houses - Lasunwon and Rademo. Notable and prominent individuals of Ikorodu origin amongst whom was Chief B.O Benson were present at the meeting. The Government made it known at the meeting that it had just completed a magnificent and ultra-modern palace for the Ayangbure of Ikorodu and therefore the government was not in a position to embark on building a new structure in Ikorodu. The completion works on the IPEBI was delegated to the Local Government as solution the Ipebi issue and as agreed by the two ruling houses.
A letter was written to the Olisa of Ikorodu, Chief Zacheaus Odusoga copies of which were sent to the Local Government; the Lasunwon Royal Family as well as Rademo Royal Family. Thereafter, series of meetings were held but nothing concrete came out of the meetings.
When all hopes seem lost, Lasunwon Ruling Family wrote to the Otugorushen Royal family of Ikorodu and the custodian of Ipebi Palace, requesting to have a meeting with its representatives. At the meeting, representatives of Lasunwon family expressed interest in completing the Ipebi Palace building from where the Otugorushen Royal family had stopped on the project. They also asked to know how much it would cost to complete the building. As the head of the Adegorushen family, Alhaji Nosirudeen Adeyinka Lawal made consultations with elders in his family and came up with the idea of not getting trapped - if for instance, a submission was made for N5 million only to discover that the money could not finish the project – the family would have found itself in an embarrassing situation.
With the mandate to negotiate on behalf of his family, Alhaji Nosirudeen Lawal, the Akolemobasi, with members of the Lasunwon family. His position was clear- “we don’t want cash; all we want is support in kind. The Otugorushen family presented the drawing of the building project with a free hand to go ahead and complete the building from where the family stopped.
Today, in Ikorodu, stands a modern royal IPEBI first used by Oba Shotobi, the 19th monarch in the annals of traditional rulership in Ikorodu
(c) 'Deniyi Benson 2021
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