Kunle Adelabu & Wale Jagun
-As schools celebrate 25th Anniversary
It was a beautiful performance when the students of the Kith & Kin Educational Schools (KKES) reconstructed the origin of Ikorodu Kingdom through a stage play to commemorate the school’s 25th year anniversary.
The play, titled, ‘Ikorodu Oga’, was written and directed by Prince Adeolu Owolabi, with many some aspects of it disputed some of the aspects of the age – long source of Ikorodu people, especially, the generally acceptable version that Sekumade (a brother to the Oga, the progenitor of Ikorodu) is not the eldest but a younger brother to Oga.
This was also confirmed by the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, His Royal Majesty, Oba Kabir Adewale Shotobi, when the revered monarch mounted the stage to launch the book.
The students’ display which the Chief Learning Officer, Asipa Kaoli Olatunji Olusanya describe as the educational institution’s way of arousing their consciousness and make them contribute meaningfully to the development of the society, was thoroughly enjoyed by guests and parents that filled the Ikorodu Ultra – Modern Town Hall to its capacity on Friday, July 29, 2022.
The drama was witnessed by His Royal Majesties, Oba (Engr.) Kabir Adewale Shotobi, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu and Oba (Engr.) Bashir Sotonwa, the Sekumade of Ipakodo. Joining the royal fathers to enjoy the evening are Olori Kudirat Shotobi, wife of the Ayangbure, Aremo Adeniyi Ogunsanya, the Aremo of Ikorodu, Asiwaju Steve Adewale Anifowoshe, the Asiwaju of Ikorodu Kingdom, Sir (Otunba) Ayodele Elesho, Agbaakin of Ikorodu, Otunba Ogbara, High Chief Zaccheous Odusoga, Olisa of Ikorodu, High Chief Akeem Oreagba, the Olumale Eleuku among many others.
The anniversary also provided guests and students the opportunity to see the transformation of the school in the last 25 years through photographs of students’ activities, awards, structures, teachers engagements and past administrators of the educational institution among other, at the exhibition that was just at the hall entrance.
Asipa Kaoli Olatunji Kaoli, the KKES Founder & Chief Learning Officer (CLO), speaking said that the drama that was staged in commemoration of the school anniversary by the students is part of the school’s attempts to give them total education.
“This is beyond what we learnt in the professional curriculum. Total education requires that one start to identify with his identity and culture. Education is the tool to culture and that is where we derive cultural and social values”, Asipa Kaoli said.
“To that extent, we are celebrating our 25th anniversary and promoting Ikorodu by finding somebody that can write authentic story about Ikorodu Oga which our students staged today.
“You will see that it ignites their brains and open them up to things that they don’t know and now that they acting it before kings and chiefs, it makes it more relevant to our culture and the environment.
“Going forward, it makes them to know how to apply the knowledge and they become wiser and that is how a society can move forward”, Kith & Kin CLO said.
The educationist said that the real goal of education is for students to have adequate understanding of their culture and especially language if development is to be achieved.
He also said that the presentation is necessary to rebrand the history of Ikorodu and make it something that can turn into tourism and made it a tourism
“The Japanese, Chinese and other oriental countries everything that they do is premise on their culture and they are exceling and doing very well. They learn with their mother tongues and the language is much clearer to them and the meaning is more apparent them. To apply it is easier than learning in foreign culture and language”, he said.
“I only want to implore that we must learn our culture. The real goal of education should be to teach in mother’s tongue. The process of explanation and narration becomes more internalize. I think that this is the beginning of that.
“Another thing that we want people to take from here is that Ikorodu history and culture can be repackaged and rebranded to make it tourism friendly. People should not be scared when they hear about Ikorodu and that is the beginning of what we are doing here today”, Asipa Kaoli said.
“I hope that in years to come, Ikorodu would blend into the metropolitan city that it should be and make people be at ease and home with our culture.
“I deliberately and consciously brought this here for parents to see what children can do. If you teach children, you will be surprised at what they can do. As they are rehearsing, they are at the same time taking their NECO, WAEC and finals examinations. Children have a very absorbic capacity. They can learn languages because they that brain that can absorb.
“My plea is that we should go back to our identities and bring out storyline from them. That was time that we had Herbert Ogunde, Oloko, Duro Ladipo and stories like ‘Ogbo Ode ninu Igbo Irumole’ and things like that. Things like these makes education interesting, relevant and applicable to our lives rather than reading a book that is not talking about ice, frozen areas and beers which are not relevant to us”, he pleaded.
The Ayangbure of Ikorodu, His Royal Majesty, Oba Kabir Shotobi, in his royal remarks said that Sekumade, Oladepo and others are his younger brothers, while commending students of Kith & Kin for the outstanding performance.
“We thank the children of Aworo (Itunmoja people) for their efforts in reconstructing the history of Akarigbo children. Sekumade is my younger brother, so also is Oladepo, Anoko Ogbonyari and others. We are all children of same father”, Oba Shotobi said.
“I commend the students of Kith & Kin for writing a book and staging a drama on Ikorodu history in marking their school’s 25th anniversary. I congratulate you all.
“I thank Owolabi, the author of the book which students of Kith & Kin just acted.
“I don’t think that they spent more than three months to learn their roles in the drama and they were able to get themselves together and give us outstanding display. It shows that all of us are very intelligent”, Ayangbure commended the KKES students.
“Though some of the details were omitted in the drama but if you are able to get a copy of the book, it will be of great help for better understanding.
The royal father charge guests and parents at the event to get copies of the book for adequate knowledge about Ikorodu.
“I am going to launch the book on behalf of myself and the chairman of the occasion and I also enjoin everyone here to do same. If you cherish what these students’ display today, I think that you should cherish the further research and improvement on the book which is very historical”, Oba Shotobi said.
“Once we have the book, it would give us in-depth idea of the historical development about Ikorodu and it would take care of speculations.
Oba Shotobi also liken his emergence as the Ayangbure of Ikorodu to that of the Lasunwon who succeed Oga, who the play said went back to Orile Offin after settled down with Oga in Ikorodu to take the position of Odofin and later returned to emerged as the Ayangbure of Ikorodu.
“As tradition will have it, Eledua (God) played important roles in how I emerged as the Ayangbure of Ikorodu. After my sojourn from Ikorodu to Lagos, thereafter, I sojourned abroad and after returning back to Nigeria, I lived at Ishagamu for 25 years and returned to Ikorodu and became the Odofin. When the time comes, the Kingmakers in Ikorodu and my family made me the Ayangbure”, Oba Shotobi said.
“By next week Tuesday (August 2), it would be seven years that I have been on the throne. This time seven years ago, I was in Ipebi (place of seclusion before coronation). It was on August 2nd that I left Ipebi and I can count the 25th anniversary of KKES in which drama about ‘Ikorodu Oga’ is staged as part of the activities in celebrating my 7th years anniversary on the throne.
Ayangbure thanked the Chief Learning Officer of KKES, royal families
“I thank Asipa (Asipa Kaoli Olusanya), members of the Rademo Ruling House led by Aremo (Adeniyi) Ogunsanya who has been very supportive of Lasunwon Ruling House. He stood by me and till tomorrow, he is still supporting me. Asiwaju of Ikorodu (High Chief Steve Adewale Anifowoshe) who is from the Lasunwon and also the Otunba Adegorunshen which is the compound that I emerge from as the Ayangburen of Ikorodu and also thank other chiefs that are here”, he said.
“You are all here celebrating me and the Kith & Kin on its 25th anniversary. We are all going to gathered next year and years after to celebrate”, Oba Shotobi prayed.
The Chairman of the occasion, High Chief Adewunmi Ogunsanya, the Odofin of Ikorodu and Chairman, MultiChoice Nigeria, who was represented by the Asiwaju of Ikorodu Asiwaju (Otunba) Steve Adewale Anifowoshe, also congratulated KKES on its anniversary.
Otunba Ayodele Elesho, KJW, the Agbaakin of Ikorodu Kingdom and former Commissioner for Information in Lagos State, also commended the school for what he termed impressive performance.
“This programme is very interesting. As a matter of fact, the proprietor didn’t discuss the details of what to happen, but on getting here, I was highly impressed”, he said.
“You would recall that I was Commissioner for information, Culture and Sports and anything that comes with culture, I am always interested in them. This is about the origin of Ikorodu. So, for the younger ones that are not aware of the history, this is an opportunity for them to know how Ikorodu was established by our ancestors.
“I commend the proprietor for it and I congratulate the students and teachers for doing a very good job”, Otunba Elesho said.
