Oba Ajigiteri II
Oba Taiwo Aribisiala is the current Oba of Ijebu-Jesa, within limits of available records is the 23rd Oba of Ijebu-Jesa. Oba Taiwo Aribisala was born in Ijebu-Jesa to the Ajigiteri ruling house on the father side and to the Ida-Ekun/Atobatele ruling house on the mother side. His father was late Aribisala, son of Aoko of the Ajigiteri ruling house; his mother was late Madam Fanuju Aribisala, one of the daughters of Oba Atobatele I.
He attended St Matthew’s Primary School, Ijebu-Jesa. He did a stint as a pupil teacher at St, John’s School, Ilare Quarters, Ile-Ife, during which time he passed the Old Junior Cambridge as an external student after only two years. He also did a stint at St Luke’s Teacher’s College, Ibadan and came out in 1951.
Thereafter, by home studies and as external student, passed in succession, the GCE Ordinary and Advanced Levels, and the LL.B Degree of the University of London. He proceeded to the United Kingdom in December 1959 to obtain the professional qualification of B.L. of Lincoln’s Inn, London. He returned to Nigeria in September 1962, enrolled at the Supreme Court of Nigeria and became engaged in private practice from 1962 to 1996. In legal practice, he specialised in land, chieftaincy and insurance matters. He was External Solicitor to the Federal Ministry of Finance (Insurance Division) for 17 years; External Solicitor to many insurance companies and to the then National Bank of Nigeria.
He is an awardee of many honours including those from the Nigeria Bar Association, the Methodist Church of Nigeria and the Anglican Youth Fellowship.
Following his selection as Oba-elect by the Ijebu-Jesa kingmakers, the Government of Osun State approved his appointment as the Oba of Ijebu-Jesa on 5th July 1996. His installation was carried out in the church by anointing at St Matthew’s Church Ijebu-Jesa on 5th September 1996; the following day, 6th September, the traditional installation took place at the Palace shrine in Ijebu-Jesa. The installations of past Obas of Ijebu-Jesa were done in Ilesha. As a crown oba since 1976, the new Oba of Ijebu-Jesa had to be installed and crowned in his domain.
Since the ascension of the current Oba, a number of developments of historical significance have taken place.
The installation of the Oba of Ijebu-Jesa now takes place at Ijebu-Jesa and no longer at Ilesha. To many historians, this is the original custom. Furthermore as a beaded crown Oba, his installation must be be done in his domain.
The Oba now bears the name and title of ‘Elegboro of Ijebu-Jesa’ and no longer ‘Ogboni of Ijebu-Jesa’. This is the product of a total consensus of all the stakeholders in Ijebu-Jesa (the Oba, ruling houses, the chiefs and the people) as well as approvals by the Oriade Chieftaincy Committee and the Osun State Council of Obas. Finally, the Government of Osun State by its letter dated 13th May 1999 approved the change of title.
Ijebu-Jesa is witnessing peace and rapid socio-economic progress with trade, commerce and small-scale industries booming, influx of traders, businessmen and investors. These are in addition to the establishment of more cooperative societies. The central market which hitherto held every other day now holds every day.
Expansion of agricultural practices and production of cash and food crops such as cocoa, kolanuts, oil palm, oranges, plantains, mangoes, sugar cane, yams, rice, maize and cassava. It is noteworthy that the Federal Government-sponsored cassava growing/industry have taken root in Ijebu-Jesa under the leadership of the Elegboro.
The Osun State Government has cited a Technical College in Ijebu-Jesa. A Federal Government approved private Polytechnic, ‘Interlink Polytechnic’; Ijebu-Jesa is scheduled to take-off this year.
Increase in the number of quarters in the town from four to twelve each headed by a Chief ‘Loogun’. Previously Looguns were male only. The Elegboro has introduced the innovation of women as Loogun-Obirin as quarterheads alongside their men counterparts. Thus a quarter now has two Looguns – Loogun Okunrin and Loogun Obirin. Another administrative step is the introduction and installation of Village Heads as Baales in the over twenty-three surrounding villages which together with Ijebu-Jesa constitute Egboroland. This step has led to the effective admlnistration and mobilisation of the people for rapid expansion and development.
The otherwise semi-passive populace of Ijebu-Jesa has been mobilised and have become active in every sphere including participating in politics – the need to contest and vote at elections on the platform of political parties of one’s choice. Thus, in both the 1999 and 2003 General Elections, Ijebu-Jesa recorded the highest votes in Oriade Local Government Area and indeed Ijesha-North. These mobilisations as well as the efforts of the individual politicians and their parties have paid off. Chief (Col.) Wole Ogunsemi from Ijebu-Jesa is the Honourable Member representing Oriade in the Osun State House of Assembly since 2003, while Dr Sola Oladeinde was appointed the Honourable Commissioner for Commerce, Industry & Cooperatives in 2003 and re-appointed in 2005. Both have been rendering great and wonderful service to the state.
Finally, the old palace has been reconstructed and changed into a modern and befitting palace by the Palace Reconstruction Committee headed by the Elegboro. The adjoining monumental Town Hall has also been redecorated and refurbished by the Ijebu-Jesa Unions’ Conference headed by Prince Tunde Olashore.
Source: 50 Years of Ijebu-Jesa Social Club (IJSC) in IJebu-Jesa History. A 50th Anniversary Publication of IJSC Edited By: Professor Akin 'Femi Fajola & Dele Ogunyemi First Published 2005