Awamaridi Heritage
Omo afotamodi
EXPERIENCE yoruba culture and SAVOUR IT
isara remo ni ile yoruba
BACKGROUND
The synonym of ISARA is AFOTAMODI. Isara descendants are very proud of this name, AFOTAMODI simply means they whose city walls are built and secured with munitions. When you see an Isara indigene and greet him or her thus “Afotamodi k’ ogun ma ba ja ‘lu” he or she asserts pride and joy.
It is asserted that Isara has a genealogical relationship with Ijebu Ode. Isara history says that there is no blood relationship between Isara and Ijebu Ode. The relationship of Isara and Ijebu Ode is the assistance given by Adeyemo Ode-Omo to save Ijebuland from the menace of elephants. Adeyemo Ode-Omo was honoured with the title of “Ekerin Olu” The title compensated his assistance to Ijebuland. The only blood relationship of Isara outside Remo land is with the Ooni of Ile Ife. It is part of the assertion that Odemo has a royal seat at the palace of Ooni of Ile Ife. The seat according to the assertion is personal to the ODEMO and to no other royal person. The Ooni of Ile Ife recognizes the Odemo of Isara. Odemo is coined from Ode-Omo of the Ooni of Ile Ife. The name of the founder of Isara that stands better is Adeyemo Ode-Omo. The relevance is better than that of Adeyemo Ade-Omo.
HISTORY
The name ISARA was coined from events and circumstances. It was asserted that the name ISARA was juxtaposed from the names of ISE and ARA, the close allies of Adeyemo Ode-Omo. This was in the recognition of their priestly assistance to the Adeyemo Ode-Omo community. The letter ‘e’ is removed from the name of ISE and the first two letters were joined to that of ARA, hence, the formation of ISARA. This is where the name of the town - ISARA (from Ise-Ara) - eventually came from, in honor of those great men. After settling in the location, because he was a prince, he became the de facto king of the town and took the title Ode-omo. The title has since been contracted into Odemo and remains the official title of the Oba. Till date, all Obas of Isara have gotten their official emblems and crowns from Ile-Ife.
Adeyemo Ode-Omo had eleven children. The most important among the children were Adeniji, Adeniyi, Adebimpe and Adegoke. After the death of Adeyemo Ode-Omo, Adeniji became the King of the Isara settlement. He was followed by Adeniyi, followed by Adebimpe. After Adebimpe, Poke Bi Owula reigned as the Odemo of Isara. Each of the reigning King was making use of the crown brought from Ile Ife by Adeyemo Ode-Omo, their father. It is on record from write-ups on Isara that Isara was founded in 1471. The accuracy of this date is doubted, though the date is written in the affirmative, Western Education came to Remo in the last decade of the nineteenth century.
LOCATION
Isara western and northern boundaries are Akaka, Ode Remo and Ipara. It has boundaries with Ago-Iwoye, Ijebu North Local Government. It also has boundaries with Orile-Oko and Obafemi-Owode Local Government. However, Isara no doubt is one of the thirty-three Remo traditional towns that came to settle in this division.
GOVERNANCE
The government of the Isara community was very peaceful under the Obaship of the Odemo. The Osugbo was the apex ruling council with the Ogbonis as the members. There were the Erelus but they had no say in the government of the town. The system of government had since been changed through the introduction of politics. The terrestrial powers of the Odemo and that of the Osugbo are still respected by the community. The roles of the Kabiyesi and that of the Osugbo and its members have not been jettisoned because of the new system of government, Today, more power is in the hands of the Chairman of the Local Government than the Kabiyesi on the political side. The traditional set up of the old fathers has not been abandoned the tradition is still respected in the community. Isara created six ruling houses. They are:
1. Igan Ruling House
2. Rokodo Ogunsere Ruling House
3. Erinsiba Ayoledoye Ruling House
4. Otete Ruling House
5. Poke – bi – Owula Ruling House
6. Afonlade Ruling House
In an ancient traditional rotation system, each family takes turns to present its preferred son or candidate to serve as the Odemo of Isara..
• Oloye Wole Soyinka, poet, writer and playwright, winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize for Literature. In his memoir Ake: The Years of Childhood, Chief Soyinka refers to the fact that he is related to the royal family of Isara through his father.
• Oba Samuel Akisanya, (1 August 1898 – 1985) was a Nigerian trade unionist and nationalist based in Lagos, Nigeria during the colonial era. One of the founders of the Nigerian Youth Movement, he was also the Odemo of Isara, an office which he held from 1941 until his death.
