THE OKA-EGIESAN (OKAIJESAN), DIVERSE STORIES ONE HISTORY
By Prince Kelly Udebhulu
THE OKAIJESAN, OTHERWISE, REFERS TO AS HEAD OF ENIGIES IN ESAN LAND presides over meeting, conference and gathering of Enigies of Esan.This review is not meant to undermine any story or the Royal SEAT but to make diverse stories become a singular story. Some contemporary historians, writers, personalities and columnists tend to associate different or diverse facts and stories to make the real history straight, hence, my reason to put this Review before audience and readers to achieving a singular line of story and history behind the Title. There are sizeable groups of FOUR with the beliefs below, READ CAREFULLY AND PUT THE STORY STRAIGHT FOR OUR CHILDREN TO MEET.
( STORY)
…When Oba Adolor passed on, Oba Ovonramwen was installed as the Oba of Benin in 1888, but not without a fight from his brother, Prince OROKHORO. Prince Orokhoro lost and ran first to Evbohimwin and then to Orhodua in Ishan/Esan land. His mother was also an Ishan/Esan. He was busy raising an army in Ishan/Esan when the British army struck in 1897. These were some of the factors responsible for the defeat of the Benin army by the British army in 1897 . To punish Evbohimwin and the Enogie for supporting rebellious Edo Princes, Erhumwunse (Eromosele), the Enogie of Irrua, the son of Enogie ISIDAHOME 1, the son of Enogie OGBEIDE, who commited suicide for ordering the death of a pregnant woman between 1830 and 1847, was made OKA-EGIESAN by Oba Ovonramwen in 1895. He was given ADA, the Sword of Office. He therefore became OGIE ADA. This elevated him far and beyond the Enogie of Evbohimwin….By Professor Ademola Iyi-Eweka
(ANOTHER STORY)
…The history is traced to the glorious reign of Ikhihibhojere the lawgiver (a onetime Onojie of Irrua). According to history, the then Oba of Benin, Oba Akenzua I, invited all the Enigie in Esanland to his palace for a meeting. They all went in their sumptuous arrays of costumes and long retinue of servants. They prided themselves around the Oba's palace until the clout of their personal rivalry was overtly displayed. The Oba's Uko (courtier) invited them to eat their meals and the controversy as to who was the senior among them arose. Ikhibhojiere (the then Onojie of Irrua) who was the least and youngest among the Enigie was calm throughout their row and watched the kings from a corner of the palace where he quietly sat. He was invited by the palace courtier or Uko to share the meal among them. He did this successfully and peace was restored. When the Enigie were arraigned before Oba Akenzua I, there was quarrel again especially when the question as to who should break the kolanut arose amongst them. The kings rose against each other and began to quarrel bitterly. At that point, Oba Akenzua I became displeased by what he considered as unnecessary rivalry. The Oba then requested to know who shared their meals. They answered that it was Ikhibhojiere, the Ogirrua of Irrua.It was there and then that Oba Akenzua I asked Ikhibhojiere to break the kolanut and share among them. After this, Ikhibhojiere was made the head of all the Enigie in Esan land by the then Oba of Benin, Oba Akenzua I when he made him the Okaijesan of Eastland. The Oba of Benin again declared that in the gathering of the enigie of Esanland, the Okaijesan should be the one to bless and break the kolanut (except where the Binis gathered)… By Godwins Oriafoh, Reporter Esannnow
(ANOTHER STORY)
…Irrua was not necessarily the first Kingdom...they became so by default...in 1723 when Oba Akenzua I summoned all the Esan Enijies for a dialogue in Benin, the Enijies could not agree on who was the eldest when it was time to eat and break kola-nuts...they argued and shouted for awhile but Ojuruwa stayed clear of these arguments because he was obviously one of the youngest...after much shouting and argument, the Oba decided to give him the honor of breaking the kola nuts and ignored the other Enijies...hence conferred on him the Okaijesan of Esan land...that's how they became the number Kingdom...and that's why an Irrua man will always break kola nuts in the absence of a Benin man before any other Esan man...FORUMIST Michael Shunfay Okojie
ANOTHER STORY)
Another School of Thoughts put the story that when the Enigies of Esan gathered, hundreds years past, the Enogie of Evbohimwin, who was the señior then, pitifully and humbly held the bowl of water for the Enogie of Irrua to wash his hands, thereby, sold otherwise, passed the Sword of Office to the Enogie of Irrua, as OKAIJESAN…. COMMENTATORS.
REVIEW BY PRINCE KELLY UDEBHULU
www.vicuma.net/
( STORY)
…When Oba Adolor passed on, Oba Ovonramwen was installed as the Oba of Benin in 1888, but not without a fight from his brother, Prince OROKHORO. Prince Orokhoro lost and ran first to Evbohimwin and then to Orhodua in Ishan/Esan land. His mother was also an Ishan/Esan. He was busy raising an army in Ishan/Esan when the British army struck in 1897. These were some of the factors responsible for the defeat of the Benin army by the British army in 1897 . To punish Evbohimwin and the Enogie for supporting rebellious Edo Princes, Erhumwunse (Eromosele), the Enogie of Irrua, the son of Enogie ISIDAHOME 1, the son of Enogie OGBEIDE, who commited suicide for ordering the death of a pregnant woman between 1830 and 1847, was made OKA-EGIESAN by Oba Ovonramwen in 1895. He was given ADA, the Sword of Office. He therefore became OGIE ADA. This elevated him far and beyond the Enogie of Evbohimwin….By Professor Ademola Iyi-Eweka
(ANOTHER STORY)
…The history is traced to the glorious reign of Ikhihibhojere the lawgiver (a onetime Onojie of Irrua). According to history, the then Oba of Benin, Oba Akenzua I, invited all the Enigie in Esanland to his palace for a meeting. They all went in their sumptuous arrays of costumes and long retinue of servants. They prided themselves around the Oba's palace until the clout of their personal rivalry was overtly displayed. The Oba's Uko (courtier) invited them to eat their meals and the controversy as to who was the senior among them arose. Ikhibhojiere (the then Onojie of Irrua) who was the least and youngest among the Enigie was calm throughout their row and watched the kings from a corner of the palace where he quietly sat. He was invited by the palace courtier or Uko to share the meal among them. He did this successfully and peace was restored. When the Enigie were arraigned before Oba Akenzua I, there was quarrel again especially when the question as to who should break the kolanut arose amongst them. The kings rose against each other and began to quarrel bitterly. At that point, Oba Akenzua I became displeased by what he considered as unnecessary rivalry. The Oba then requested to know who shared their meals. They answered that it was Ikhibhojiere, the Ogirrua of Irrua.It was there and then that Oba Akenzua I asked Ikhibhojiere to break the kolanut and share among them. After this, Ikhibhojiere was made the head of all the Enigie in Esan land by the then Oba of Benin, Oba Akenzua I when he made him the Okaijesan of Eastland. The Oba of Benin again declared that in the gathering of the enigie of Esanland, the Okaijesan should be the one to bless and break the kolanut (except where the Binis gathered)… By Godwins Oriafoh, Reporter Esannnow
(ANOTHER STORY)
…Irrua was not necessarily the first Kingdom...they became so by default...in 1723 when Oba Akenzua I summoned all the Esan Enijies for a dialogue in Benin, the Enijies could not agree on who was the eldest when it was time to eat and break kola-nuts...they argued and shouted for awhile but Ojuruwa stayed clear of these arguments because he was obviously one of the youngest...after much shouting and argument, the Oba decided to give him the honor of breaking the kola nuts and ignored the other Enijies...hence conferred on him the Okaijesan of Esan land...that's how they became the number Kingdom...and that's why an Irrua man will always break kola nuts in the absence of a Benin man before any other Esan man...FORUMIST Michael Shunfay Okojie
ANOTHER STORY)
Another School of Thoughts put the story that when the Enigies of Esan gathered, hundreds years past, the Enogie of Evbohimwin, who was the señior then, pitifully and humbly held the bowl of water for the Enogie of Irrua to wash his hands, thereby, sold otherwise, passed the Sword of Office to the Enogie of Irrua, as OKAIJESAN…. COMMENTATORS.
REVIEW BY PRINCE KELLY UDEBHULU
www.vicuma.net/
GREAT HISTORY WORTHY OF NOTE. SHOULD BE TAUGHT IN OUR SCHOOLS AND TOLD AS STORIES FOR OUR YOUNGER GENERATION TO SUSTAIN AND PROLONG THE EXISTENTIAL LIVING OF THE ESAN PEOPLE.
ReplyDeleteGreat history worthy of note. Should be taught in our schools and told as stories for our younger generations to sustain and prolong the existential living of the Esan people.
ReplyDelete