By RAHAMAN ABIOLA TOHEEB
In the wake of any ceaseless ecstasy, 13th of November 2017 will remain one of the memorable days in the history of Iseyin. It was the day the city defined itself and established its greatness among its peers holding firmly the kindred essence of the Oke-ogun region of Oyo state. From the sun that rose on the legendary hill of Ebedi hill down the rivulet of Odo-Ogba, the chronic gremlin that held the yearning of the city for a standard and formidable higher institution was completely broken. The smiles on the sunken cheeks of the aged; the enthusiasm, anthem of victory among the city’s youths joyfully marching the school’s premises in the harsh sun –all marks the testimonies to the boundless joy as the city, known historically for Aso-Ofi, witnessed the crème de la crème of people from all walks of lives to celebrate the commissioning and approval of SAF Polytechnic.
The crowd-pulling event, which also enjoyed the presence of artisans, League of Imams and Alfas and myriad of community enthusiasts and well-wishers saw the city toe another trajectory of what is believed will facilitate other projects in the nearer future. What made the event interesting is the fact that SAF Poly is owned by “the son of the soil”, Alhaji Isiaq Folorunsho, an Engineer and well-known philanthropist who’s known to have always maintained a low standard status despite his enviable affluence.
The newly approved institution is believed to be Iseyin city’s project, considering the support from all and sundry that ran from everywhere across the city down to Idi-Ori where the institution sits like a rocky edifice with its blue beauty. The feeling was that Iseyin has suffered despite its enviable economic contribution and grandstanding political influence to the development of Oyo state.
Apparently, it’s a fait accompli that Iseyin area of Oyo State with population of 300 thousand residents has suffered in the hands of what seems to be perpetual negligence of the government. In terms of Tourism, through its historical Aso-ofi similarly called Aso-oke, it has contributed grossly to the revenue generation of the state. And whenever they refer Oke-ogun as the ‘food basket of Oyo State’ Iseyin dons the regalia of elder, taking its first seat at the sacred aisle.
By location, Iseyin is the only leeway to other nine local governments in the Oke-ogun region of the state. However, despite its land mass, fadeless influences and strategic position which should be of its advantage, capital projects, especially higher institutions, have always eluded it. Institutions including School of Nursing, School of Midwifery, and The Oke-ogun Polytechnic jumped the city off down to Shaki which is over five-hundred kilometers away Iseyin and a few kilometers to the border of the country.
In the same unfortunate circumstance instituting the fear of the city, a College of Education skipped Iseyin through and set its site at Lalante, a remote municipality where academic activities are consistently met with unstable electricity, poor water, moribund public facilities and poor mobile communication network. As these local government proudly cart to themselves the bounties of dividends of governments, Iseyin remains the odd with mien of misfortune, waiting for its godot for decades.
Adding a dry pepper into the weary eyes of the city is the recent decision of the Oyo State government to establish the proposed University of Agriculture in Ibadan despite the ancient city’s boast of the prestigious University of Ibadan, The Poly Ibadan, and Moore Planation among others. This speaks a bad omen for Iseyin, the town always mocked for its inability to write a solid history of education in the state. The consequence of this is the barrel of insults reminding the city of its position when the issue of Oke-ogun creation came up during former President Jonathan led administration.
Nevertheless, with the coming of SAF polytechnic with its twin secondary school sister owned by the same man, the new dawn seems to have been set. The ray of hope is flickering. There is an utmost conviction that city has a great future ahead of it with SAF. And with the recent reviews of projects and events going on in the city, Iseyin happily looks to be growing big biceps proving that it cannot only play a major role in the education sector of the state, but also carve a niche for itself as a point of national reference.
Recently, an inter-state Novel Match was organized by the CEO of AQUILA, Chief Shina Peller in 20 year remembrance of his father, the Indian-trained Iseyin-born magician Prof. Moshood Abiola Peller’s demise. The memorable events partnered with the Ministry of Youths and Sports in the State saw a building erected at the NYSC Orientation camp which is also situated in Iseyin. Recently, there is a widely-peddled report that the man who is regarded as the ‘King of Africa’s Nightclub’ is planning ahead of next year a modern radio station called Magic FM in fulfilling the dream of his late father.
In the same trace, Iseyin is the only city in Nigeria to have a Residency for Writers, apart from Wole Soyinka’s personal Writers’ Residency in Ogun state. It is called Ebedi Writers’ Residency situated at the hill-side of Barracks area of the city, with full touch of white colour, single-handedly sponsored by Dr. Wale Okediran, a former House of Representative member, medical doctor and the former President of Association of Nigerian Authors (National). This Residency, which has been contributing its widow’s mite to the breeding of young writers in the city since its official flag-off in 2011, has brought great writers, journalists and authors including Africa’s first Nobel Laurel, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Jumoke Verissiomo, Funmi Aluko, Richard Ali, Paul Liam and others.
Proving itself again in the modern era, Iseyin is arguably the only city in Oyo State to have a modern library with modern facilities that make reading and research accessible and comfortable without cost. The said modern and gigantic library, Raji Oke-Esa Memorial Library, which was commissioned by former president Olusegun Obasanjo 2016 is now an enviable cynosure of eyes. It’s owned and solely sponsored by Alhaji Ahmed Raji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, another ‘son of the soil.’
Separate from these, Iseyin has been officially recognized as the producer and weaver of Aso-oke which is widely believed to be one of the historical relics left behind by civilization. Presently, Iseyin is responsible for the production of eighty percent of Aso-Oke used for any occasion either in Nigeria or abroad. Close to this statistics is Kwara state. Oyo state government, recognizing Aso-ofi as a benchmark of tourism in the state, has partnered with the city’s teeming weavers in organizing International Aso-ofi Day annually, with the first one in 2016 and the recent one in September 16, 2017.
With Iseyin still boasting one of the most resourceful dams in the country, Ikere Dam which is three (3) kilometres deep than the Kanji dam – and calls coming from the nooks and crannies of Oyo State for Federal government to take it as a national project – the enigma and wonder in the face of people is how Iseyin’s sons and daughters have been laboriously shooting the city into prominence in the wake of myriad of distractions that have shelved government from federal to the state from giving due recognition to the city which has powerful resources to help Nigeria achieve its dreams and set goals.
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Rahaman Abiola Toheeb, a writer and public affairs analyst, is a budding journalist and community reporter. A former President, ANA Obafemi Awolowo University, he writes through his email; donrabtob@gmail.com
