Iwo indigenes can become Ooni, says Oluwo

The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, on Sunday led some chiefs and prominent indigenes of the town to Ile Ife.

The monarch and his subjects traced their origin to Lafogido Ruling House, which is one of the four ruling houses which has been producing the Ooni of Ife,

Oba Akanbi, who was received at the Owodo Royal Compound, Okerewe by the elders of the royal house, said he was happy that he was able to trace his origin back to Ile Ife which is believed to be the cradle of mankind.

The Iwo monarch, while speaking to journalists at the house located at the back of the Ooni’s Palace, added that it had  been established now that indigenes of Iwo could come to Ife and contest to be the Ooni anytime the stool  becomes vacant,

According to him, Ife princes can also go to Iwo and aspire to ascend the throne of Oluwo.

Oba Akanbi said Oranmiyan, one of the sons of Oduduwa, did a similar thing about 1,500 years ago when he traced his origin to Ile Ife.

The Oluwo said his ancestor, Luwo Gbagida, a woman, ruled in Ile Ife as the 16th Ooni and he ( Oluwo) is the 16th monarch on the throne in Iwo and he was crowned on January 16, 2016.

He stated that Gbagida  fought a war and won and was also the first road engineer, who paved roads with potsherds.

Oba Akanbi said, “All the ruling houses today are one. Osinkola, Ogboru,  Giesi and Lafogido Ruling Houses are all from the same father, the same source.  Iwo  is also from the same source as this ruling house ( Lafogido). Iwo  has a ruling house here in Ife, so it means that Ife princes  can come to Iwo anytime and even aspire to be on the stool and also Iwo princes  too can come to Ife and still want to do the same ( become the Ooni).

“The last time this kind of historical event happened was  about 1,500 years ago and it was made possible then by Oranmiyan. He came back to his father’s house. He became the king and  by the grace of God, we will see what the future holds for us in this regard.

“It is not that you will just make up a story because we did not make up a story to be here today. The mother of Iwo is Luwo  Gbagida but we are all the same, I want you to know that Ife and Iwo are from the same father.”

Oluwo said he was part of the ruling house and would be involved in anything members of the family in Ile Ife were doing to further prove that he was a bona fide member of the family.

The monarch said, Adekola Telu, the son of Luwo Gbagida ( female Ooni), had about 1,000 years ago migrated from Ooni’s Palace in Ile  Ife with a crown he never wore to establish an empire in the land of the parrots where Iwo was presently located now.

“Luwo Gbagida was not just an Ooni that went down in history without achieving anything. She was the first one to construct roads. She also fought a war and she came back, she was a very dynamic woman, no woman even in the history of Nigeria has ever attained that feat. Luwo Gbagida was a very great woman.” he added.

One of the prominent indigenes of Iwo town, Chief Abiola Ogundokun, said he was happy to be part of the Iwo people tracing their origin to Ile Ife.