ONIDO: DEVELOPMENT OF IDO, PAST AND PRESENT CONTRIBUTIONS

 

ONIDO:  DEVELOPMENT OF IDO, PAST AND PRESENT CONTRIBUTIONS

Ido was founded by Agura, who was in the group that left Ile Ife with Oranmiyan to establish Old Oyo. On getting to the location in the forest, after consulting his Ifa priest he named the place Ido.

Ido is today the headquarters of Ido Local Government. Ido is quite developed and still developing.

Ido houses many government facilities and non-governmental development projects.

New businesses, housing estates, medical facilities and schools dot the town.

This has been made possible by contributions and sacrifices of past monarchs and royal families in Ido.

When the Ibadan West District Council was established 5^th August 1961, with Ido as the headquarters the reigning Onido, Pa Yesufu Ladapo Orobiyi gave his farm land to the council freely. This selfless act  made it possible for the new council to settle down in Ido. The Local Government today stands on the Orobiyi Family land.

Pa Lawani Dare Orobiyi on his part gave his own farmland freely for the establishment of a market for the community. He neither asked for nor received any compensation for the land. He as royalty was more interested in the development of Ido.

When Ido was in need of a Health Facility. The Government proposed a Health Center for Ido. Land was needed for the Center. Pa Raimi Ishola Orobiyi, like his brothers, freely gave out his farmland for the establishment of this all important facility. Again as is inherent in the family, Ishola Orobiyi never asked for compensation. The Ido health center stands on Orobiyi land.

Cocoa farming and produce marketing were the greatest businesses of the era. Farmers of the era were enthused with growing more and more cocoa. Cocoa plantations sprang all around ido. One thing became the issue; finding market for their cocoa.

Pa Yesufu Ladapo, another of the Orobiyi brothers, became the first Produce Buyer in Ido. He bought from the farmers and sold to the exporters in Ibadan.

All the Children of Onido knew about and contributed to the development of trade in Ido especially the Cocoa business.

Pa Alimi Ladapo made a great success of cocoa trade when his father retired from the business.

The trade attracted many visitors and settlers to Ido. Many business enterpreneurs came to do business in Ido and settled there.

Alimi Akinola Olatoye from Dada Pero in the Agura line became Onido in December 1964. His reign also witnessed tremendous development in Ido. Under him, with Benjamin Ishola Orobiyi as secretary, forty acres of land was donated by families to the Bola Ige government for the establishment of NUD School in Ido. The school is one of the biggest in Ido Local government today. The Oladapo and Ishola families donated the largest chunks of land.

Elder Benjamin Ademola Ishola Orobiyi succeeded Akinola. Like his predecessors, his reign was marked by selfless service and massive development.

He ran an all inclusive reign involving both young and old, indigenes and non-indigenes. He maintained a cordial relationship with all villages and peoplesin and around Ido.

Provision of potable water through public and private initiatives were attracted by Onido Orobiyi II. Othe development attracted include Access roads, Ido-Eleiyele road, Office accommodation forFederal Road Safety corps, Upgraded Ido Police station for which land was provided, NSCDC office and petrol stations.

Till today these developments occasioned by the children of Agura are the only visible ones in Ido town.

It lends credence to the Yoruba saying that “Onilu kii fe ko tu”.  A true son of the land would never do anything to ruin the land. A true-born will strive and make sacrifices for the development of the land and people.

Compared with these rulers of Ido the two persons who ruled over Ido can be compared to an army of occupation who came to plunder and pilfer.

No meaningful development took place since Ademola Ishola Orobiyi was deposed. Peace has also eluded the people.

Could it be because they are not “Omo onilu”? Does the fact that they are strangers who bought their ways to the throne have anything to do with their abject failure and nefarious activities?

Gbolagade Babalola seems to have been the worst thing to have ever happened to Onido throne.

A sequel on the activities of Gbolagade Babalola in his tenure as Onido will follow this writeup.