Ijesa History Recurs; Obokungbusi Town Hall Undergoing Renovation and Retrofitting 83 Years After By Oladimeji Lasore

There is a concept called historic recurrence. This is when history recurs: through repetitive patterns or coincidences.

A good example in Ijesa people history is the coincedences that is recently noticed in the reigns of H.I.M Oba Oduyomade Aromolaran I and H.I.M Oba Adekunle Aromolaran II. Please note that the recurrence I want to highlight here is not completely identical, but rather the awakenning basis over time and the coincedence or otherwise of the ruling house under which the repetition is taking place.
Ijesa people have always been enterprising, industrious and very assertive and at various times, have been blessed with visionary leaders. Today there is hardly any profession and academic pursuit you will not find Ijesas- males and females, even been pioneers of many of such in Nigeria.

I shall start with pre-independence era of Ijesaland,
in the years when Sir Donald Charles Cameron was the Governor of Colonial Nigeria, Captain J. A. Mackenzie the District Officer for Ife/Ilesa, and Oba Oduyomade Aromolaran I (1920-1942) the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland; history was made when the Osomaloos that were embibed with their habit of visiting at least twice a year to contribute in cash to the developments in Ijesaland metamorphosed into the IJESA IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY- EGBE ATUNLUSE in the 1920's. The society established the great Ilesa Grammar School and the Obokungbusi City Hall in the 1930's during the reign H.I.M Oba Oduyomade Aromolaran I the father of the present day Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland, Oba Dr. Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran II. The bottom line of the pre-independence time of Aromolaran I reign was that the Egbe Atunluse of Ilesa was at the vanguard of self help in the development of Ijesaland.

Among the 82 founding fathers were Pa D. O. Anjorin (popularly called Balogun Yoruba in Ilorin who became the first President), Oginni Famofo, D. M. Anjorin, J. A. Fadugba, Prince Okunade Hastrup, S. A. K. Ilesanmi, J. O. Abiola (later Lejoka) among others.
Egbe Atunluse Ile Ijesa (Ijesa Improvement Society) then about 83 years ago raised the fund and secured the land and established the first secondary school in Ijesaland and a state of the art Obokungbusi Town Hall second only then to the Ibadan Mapo Hall and Atiba Hall of Oyo.

Coincedentally, or under patterns we haven't recognized or can't decipher and even when the situation of 83 years ago has changed, the people have not really changed. Today, under Aromolaran II Obokungbusi City Hall is having a complete metamorphosis as the hall's surrundings beautification, renovation and retrofitting by the Ijesa Forum another rebirth of prominent Ijesa sons that are committed to leaving their foot prints in the sand of Ilesa history .
Two categories of people can be found in the world today. There are those who make things happen and there are those who watch things happen.

Some members of Ijesa Forum that are commiting a whopping sum of 10 million Naira to make this happen at this time are Chief Akinola (the Sawe of Ilesa), Prof. Isaac Adewole, the Minister of Health, MHR Hon. Ajibola Famurewa, Prof. Olayinka, Vice Chancelor University of Ibadan, prof. Olu Odeyemi, Prince Seyi Lufadeju, Asiwaju Fasuyi, Prince Hastrup the Lumobi , Hon. Onigbogi among others.

After about 100 days of construction, renovation and beautification that has already started counting since the 1st of February, 2017, the following changes will be effected on our Obokungbusi City Hall:

1. Car Park with public toilet
2. Recreation centers and corners
3. Children playground/field
4. Presence of selected exotic flowers and plants for beautification and shade.
5. The entire City Hall will wear a new look with provision of toilets for males and females.

It is worthy of note that the architectural design of this historical edifice will be maintained and the The Ancient Wall Clock will be serviced and maintained, though there is plan underway to back the clock up with a modern gigantic electronic digital clock.