Draft:Ilamo, Ekiti

Ilamo is an autonomous community in Ikole West of Ikole Local government areas of Nigeria Local Council ) in Ekiti State Ekiti State of Nigeria, in West Africa. The Postal code of the area is 370.

Ilamo is a homogenous society populated by Ekiti people of the South West (Nigeria). The Religion of the people are mainly Christian and Islamic religious while a percentage of the people are Traditional worshippers.

In literary terms, Ilamo is a town revealed by the dream of its founder, Omorankusua during his travail journey to their ancestral root Ifẹ following a Obaship tussle in the 9th century.

The land of Ilamo covers the Ojuju Rock and its environs with Ilamo sharing land borders with Usin, Asin, Isaba villages and the mother- town Ikole .

The Ilamo people first settled at Osan, Oke-Ilamo along with the Ojuju Deity Groove within the vicinity of Itajuju (Ojuju rock). It grew by leaps and bounds to a leading populous village in Ikole.

However, Ilamo settlement was devastated and destroyed by Ibadan wars of 1850 and the relics of ruin of the big settlement at Oke-Ilamo are still vivid at the ancient location today.

During the war, Ilamo later settled with the then Isaba village at Ojinsaba as neighbours but did not integrate with Isaba. Ilamo maintained it's identity as an independent village in Ikole District and all cultural and festivals were done separately.

With the attainment of autonomy and enthronement of Alamo Adebayo in 2003, Ilamo moved from Isaba to settle at its own community virgin land along Ikole-Ire Road sharing border with Asin-Ekiti at Ona-Orioke. At present, the Ilamo Settlement is heralded by Alamo of Ilamo's ultra mordern palace complex and series of mordern building & structures.

Early History & Traditional Rites

a. The First Alamo and Founder of Ilamo Ekiti, Omorankusua was a junior brother of Elekole (Akinsale) who came with him to settle at Ikole on coronation from Ifẹ in the 9th Century and both of them lived together at Aofin Ikole for a period of time.

b. However, there arose a personal Obaship tussle between both brothers and the Elekole Akinsale decided to send him back to their father, the Ooni of Ife so that Omorankusua might be given his own beaded-crown to rule over its own separate village.

c. The name of Ilamo is a place revealed by the dream confirming royalty and settlement of Ilamo to its founder, Omorankusua at the pinnacle of Ojuju rock (Itajuju) while on his way to Ile-Ife to see the List of rulers of Ife#Aggregated lis their father on Obaship tussle with his brother, Elekole Akinsale.

d. At Ifẹ, he was installed as an Oba by their father Ooni of Ife and given the title Alamo in reference to his dream of royal revelation. He was equally given his own beaded-crown, the staff of office and formation people to establish his kingdom at Ilamo-Ekiti comprising the Itajuju and its environs.

e. To avert the compromise of brotherhood with the Elekole Akinsale on his return, Alamo Omorankusa was given specific roles as follows:-

i. Installation Rites: The Alamo was made the traditional consenting authority to the appointment of Elekole and to conduct the proclamation and direct the installation rites Paragraph 28, Intelligence Report on Ikole District 1936 by Mr. T.V Bovell Jones on method of selection of Elekole, provides that " if Ifa (Oracle) proved favourable, the selected man was taken to a place called Ilamo situated about three miles from Ikole and near the village of Usin, here certain ceremonies and sacrifices were performed for the Orisa called Ojuju and the candidate was informed that he has been chosen as Elekole"..

ii. Coronation oath: The two brothers were not to see each other anymore after installation of the Elekole. This custom was dropped by concensus between Elekole and Alamo in 2004 to allow the two monarchs attend common meetings and exchange visits.

iii. Inheritance: When an Elekole dies, the Alamo is formally informed and the last beaded-crown along with other royal paraphernalia of the deceased Oba are given to the Alamo as his inheritance. The Alamo wears both inherited and acquired beaded-crowns by virtue of his office.

iv. Unrestricted Access To Beaded-Crown/Royal Paraphernalia: Historically, the Elekole and the Alamo exclusively enjoyed the statuses of Obaship and the unrestricted rights to wear beaded-crown and other royal paraphernalia as given to them by their father Ooni from Ifẹ in Ikole.

Governance and Legal Autonomy of Ilamo Ekiti

The Intelligence Report of Ikole District of Ekiti Division of Ondo province 1936 by Mr. T.V Bovell Jones under the villages or town council, paragraph 21 to 24, acknowledged Ilamo as one of the villages under the mother-town Ikole Ekiti. Specifically, paragraph 24 of the Report stated that Ilamo people comprised of the survivals of a village of that name, which was destroyed in the 1850 Ibadan wars.

With these background and the historical significance, the royalty title of Alamo of Ilamo-Ekiti was granted legal autonomy vide the Alamo Chieftaincy Declaration published in Ekiti State Gazette Notice No 5 of 2002.

The sole Ruling Home at Ilamo is Ajaka-Omilodi while the front high chiefs are; Eleise, Odofin, Elemese, Aremo, Sajowa and Olomudowa.

List Of some previous rulers who reigned At Ilamo

a. Omorankusua (Founder) b. Apaberewonuaofin c. Arugbajoye d. Ajakaiye e. Omilodi f. Yalumo g. Ogogu h. Agbemoroti i. Adurosakin j. Awoseyila (1896–1993) k. Adebayo from 2003

It was during the reign of Alamo-Yalumo in 19th century that Ilamo settlement was raided by Ibadan war. The survivors didn't know all the names of Obas that reigned at Ilamo before the war.

PRESENT ALAMO OF ILAMO EKITI

The current ruler , Oba Adebayo Paul Awoseyila I was appointed the traditional ruler as the Alamo of Ilamo Ekiti on 26th March, 2003 and was presented the staff of office by His Excellency Ayo Fayose on 18th November 2004 and has continued to lead his people to date as the direct heir of his predecessor in office, Oba Awoseyila Adurosakin II.

He was born on 1st January, 1945. He obtained Bachelor of Science in Economics at the University of Ibadan in 1971 and Masters of Science Degree in Economics at the University of Lagos in 1981.

He took up a career with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) after his graduation in 1971. He is well versed in economic and financial analysis and produced highly rated essays & journals in the field of economics and banking. He rose progressively in his career with CBN and retired as a Director in September, 1999.

After retirement, he had a brief three-year stint in politics as Special Assistant to the Hon. Minister of Education, Professor Babalola Borishade from April 2000 to March 2003.

He became a Jerusalem Pilgrim (JP) in 2003 and holds patronship of many societies in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).

He became a member of the prestigious Honorary Fellowship of the Institute of Internal Auditors of Nigeria in 2011 and was appointed as Justice of the peace(JP) by the Ekiti State Government in March, 2012.

Economy

The Ilamo people are mainly farmers of food crops such as yams, cocoyams, cassava, plantain/bananas and cash crops such as cocoa, kolanuts, palm products and timber.

Ilamo has some agricultural-based industries - the Palo Garri Industry, Grace Benson Palm oil Processing Plant and four timber sawmills Viz: Gammar Sawmill, Engineer Sawmill, Seun Okere Sawmill and a large scope for granite quarry at the community owned Ojuju rock being exploited by some companies.

Other infrastructures at Ilamo include Mictoria Memorial Hospital, a well-equipped diagnostic and medical-care Centre. Several Primary and Secondary Schools and many denominational Christian churches which includes the Anglican Church of Epiphany, Catholic Church of Presentation, Cherubim and Seraphim (Nigerian church), Living Faith Church Worldwide and a Mosque.

Geography & Climate

The dry season in Ilamo Ekiti is hot, muggy, and partially cloudy whereas the wet season is warm, oppressive, and overcast. The temperature rarely falls below 56°F or rises over 95°F throughout the year, often ranging from 62°F to 90°F.

With an average daily high temperature of 88°F, the hot season lasts for 2.6 months, from January 23 to April 9. With an average high of 89°F and low of 70°F, March is the warmest month of the year in Ilamo-Ekiti.

With an average daily maximum temperature below 81°F, the chilly season lasts for 3.9 months, from June 19 to October 16. With an average low of 67°F and high of 79°F, August is the coldest month of the year in Ilamo-Ekiti.