Everything you need to know about Elegunshi monarch
Brief History
Ikate land is the territory where HRM Elegushi reigns and the earliest settlers of Eti-0sa area were hunters and fishermen but permanent settlement probably dates from the 18th century when people from Iddo (Island) left and founded the villages of lkate and Ajiran. With the people who settled at lkate came one of the earliest holders of the Elegushi title, an Idejo chieftaincy, while Ajiran became the seat of another White Cap Chief, The Ojomu.
The village of Ajah traces its origin to this period of settlement and the next Period of settlement was towards the middle of the 19th century and appears to have come about as a resuU of the wars and disturbances which followed the intemecine civil warfare and the British naval intervention in Lagos politics. The villages of Addo, Badore, Shangotedo and Mopa Akilade all claimed to have association with one or other family in Lagos except Lamgbassa which owes its foundation to the migration of an Ijebu family in Idowa near Ijebu Ode.
By 1850, Lagos had been settled by heterogeneous horde of people. It was out of this heterogeneous population that the polyglot character of Lagos was formed which distinguishes it to this day.
The Idejo or land owning class of Lagos White Cap Chiefs had probably been allotted their shares of land in the Eti-Osa area before the coming of these miscellaneous people to Lagos in the 18th century and the villages of lkate and Ajiran became the settlement of certain of these chiefs when they left the mainland. According to Mr Barker from 19th century downward, it is just ten minutes walk from Shangojimi lying along the northern bank of Kuramo Water (or Omi Alakoto, in local parlance) was described as being under ELEGUSHI as the headman containing a population of 20 persons, all natives of Lagos engaged in fishing, farming and Oil manufacturing. They equally produce cassava and palmtree products, which they turned to Garri, palm oil, palm kernels and fish which they carried daily to Lagos for sale, in exchange for cloth, gin, rum, yams, com, twine and thread.
This piece of evidence seems to support the tradition that Elegushi territory claims that their territory extends to Omi Alakoto or Kurarno Water. This shows that Elegushi was the headman of other places along the area such as a place named "Lafiaji I, Okun Alasan Sea Beach, while he was also shown as the headman of lkate over one hundred and twenty years ago.
GENEALOGY OF ELEGUSHI ROYAL FAMILY
The great Elegushi Royal Family, according to the family tradition began with Kusenla, reputedly a descendant of King Olofin of iddo, whose other descendants became known in history as the idejo white cap chiefs, erstwhile autonomous rulers of their respective territories. They were and still are, the dukes or landowners of Lagos and surrounding districts.
An interesting discovery of a document on the Elegushi's genealogy was stumbled upon from a file in the Nigerian Archives After carefully anaIysing this document, a genealogical table of the family was prepared which traced the origin of the family to Kusenla who was a son of Olofin of Iddo was given a land at Egbere where certain type of tree grew extensively in the flat swampy bush land. These trees are called lKATE. Hence Kusenla was known as owner of lkate -EIegushi of lkate.
Elegushi land includes the towns of: Mosafejo, Lafiaji Kekere, Okun Lasan, Ogoyo, Igbokusu, Igbara, Maiyegun and Ologoto.
The document declared that Kuseula was the first Legushi of lkate over 300 years ago and he had many children, but only the name of the one who succeeded him was remembered and his name was Obo. Kusenla reigned for about 26years from about 1606 while Obo reigned thereafter for only 10years. Abiona was the third Legushi, He reigned for about 27years, It was during his time the Awunrin people were sold to whitemen as slaves and carry them away in their boats.
The Egun peopIe from Dahomey also came to kidnap like the Benin people and sell them to whitemen at Gerefe in Widah. People therefore hide their children during the dry season in the bush, while spies were sent out to look for strangers who are kidnappers.
The document also traced succession to Abisoro, the forth Elegushi who like Abiona, was a son of Obo, the second Chief Elegushi. History has it that it was during his reign that the Awunrin people from Ado (Benin) came in large number to settle in parts of Eko, near Idumota. Abisoro reigned for about 21 Years before he died.
According to the document, Odiyan succeeded his brother Abisoro and he reigned for only 14 years. After Odiyan came Olorunmisola the youngest son of Obo as the sixth Elegushi of lkate. An interesting story told about him claimed that he was a young friend of King Akinsemoyin of Lagos, who started to reign in the same year as Akinsemoyin, but reigned for about 45 years.
The seventh Elegushi was Eruifa a son of Abiona. His reign lasted for about 31 years. Babalola was said to have succeeded as the eight Ekegushi who reigned for about 19 years. A contempory of King Esinlokun of Eko was Idewu who became the 9th Elegushi. Succession then passed to Akin Idunfa, the 10th Elegushi who reigned for 24 years and he was a son of Olorunisola.
Succession then passed to Babalaide as the 11th Elegushi son of Eruifa. Accorcling to the document, Eruifa was said to be the father of Fatosa (female) and Esubi, father of Ajayi (female) Babalaide who was the father of Fafunke and Beyioku (both female), held the title for 17 years, when he was succeeded by Bambgala in about 1860 as the twelfth Elegushi a grand child of Eruifa, through his mother, Fatosa, he was credited with a long reign of 37years.
The document gave a clearer picture of the grey area of Elegushi family history in the past one hundred and fifty years up to the last sixty years.
19th Monarch of Elegushi Kingdom
Chief Dauda Fasanya was the 19th Chief Elegushi of Ikate, His father was Jose Aluko Onikoyi from Muti branch of that well-known family, while his mother was Ajayi Eruifa, the great granddaughter of Akin Idunfa, the 10th Chief Elegushi of Ikate. He was an iconic figure.
He was born in Lagos in 1885, a fisherman by occupation, 3 years after the demise of his predecessor Bakare he accepted the nomination of his family to step into the Chieftaincy office, on February 11, 1948.
Oba Falolu approved his installation and on August 1952, his coronation ceremony took place at Enu Owa, Lagos.
Chief Dauda Fasanya Elegushi had the singular distinction as the only representative’ of Eti-Osa in the old Western House of Chiefs between 1951 and 1955, when the old Colony District of Lagos was under the former Western Region of Nigeria. He was also the President of the Customary Court at Ajah during and after the colonial regime in Nigeria. In addition, he was a member of the old Ikorodu Divisional Council, who later fought patriotically for the separation of Eti-Osa from Ikorodu, which was achieved in 1971. He was indeed one of the pioneer architects of the modern Eti-Osa district of Lagos Division. When he died on March 22nd 1991 at the age of 106, the mantle fell on Prince Yekini Adeniyi Gbamgbala Elegushi, who became the 20th Elegushi, and elevated in 1993 to the status of Oba of Ikateland the first Idejo Chief in modern history of Lagos to attain that status.
20th Monarch of Elegushi
Late Oba Yekini Adeniyi Elegushi (Kusenla II) was born on April 10, 1940 to late Chief Tijani Elegushi and Madam Laulat Elegushi. He started his primary education at Local Authority Primary School Moba and later proceeded to St. Stephen's School Lagos after a period of training at Western College of Commerce, he started work with Nigerian Ports Authority Lagos in1963.
However, In 1970 he left to establish his own company the Edo-Ikate Clearing Limited and was in business during his lifetime and was very successful at it. Before being picked as the Oba, he had 10 companies to his credit and these include Elegushi Property Investment Company Limited, Ade Automobile Limited and Elegushi Electrical Industry Limited. He served as a ruling Oba between 1991-2001.
Background of the 21st Ruling Monarch
His Royal Majesty, Alaiyeluwa, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi (Kusenla III) is the 21st Monarch of Ikate-Elegushi, he was born on 10th of April 1976 into the royal Elegushi family, from Kusenla ruling house of Ikateland, Lagos State.
King Saheed Elegushi attended Methodist Boys High School, Lagos from 1988 to 1994 and in 1995; he obtained admission to study at his Alma Mater, Lagos State University, Ojo, graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree (B. Sc.) and a Master’s Degree both in Economics.
In the year 2008, HRM Saheed Ademola Elegushi proceeded to University of Manchester United Kingdom, where he obtained another Master’s degree in Public Administration. He is married and blessed with three children.
Life Style
Oba S. A. Elegushi was coronated as King Elegushi of Ikateland on 27th of April 2010, the youngest Lagos monarch at the time. Oba S. A. Elegushi served Lagos State under the Bola Tinubu administration and consequently that of Mr. Babatunde Fashola as Senior Special Assistant in-charge of Special duties, Lagos State, Nigeria.
Whilst in government, Oba Saheed Elegushi learnt the rudiments of leadership from the best minds in the business; it is no surprise his Majesty has unrivaled grasps on issues of Democratic good Governance, Public Policy formulation, Organizational Leadership and best practices in Public Administration.
Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi has worked in several sectors and has garnered years of experience as a distinguished Professional, Politician, Public Servant, Business Tycoon, Philanthropist and respected figure in Nigeria’s secular society/social circuit.
His Majesty is a Patron of International Women’s Society, Chairman of Africa Fashion Week, Nigeria and staunch promoter of academic excellence and citadels.
A typical day for His Royal Majesty starts with a breakfast and then newspapers to keep abreast of the state of the Nation and the world, and then proceeds to his office to review his schedule and attend to correspondents with his secretary.
He holds regular court with his chiefs and Baales to deliberate, give reports and update him on the state of affairs within the communities and the Kingdom as a whole. Based on the reports, the King will intervene on any matters or issues that can only be resolved by him. The King also makes time out to attend to his personal businesses and he actively participates in functions within the Kingdom especially festivals and milestone celebration of subjects. He supports community welfare and development activities.
Past Elegush of Ikateland
NAME TENURE OF MONARCHY
Kusenla 1 1606-1632
Obo 1632-1642
Abiona 1642-1669
Abisoro 1669-1690
Odiyan 1690-1704
Olorunnishola 1704-1749
Eruifa 1749-1780
Babalola 1780-1799
Idewu 1799-1819
Akin Idunfa 1819-1843
BabaLaide 1843-1860
Bangbala 1860-1897
Ayigoro 1897-1907
Ojulari 1907-1915
Osuro 1915-1921
Otaiku 1921-1930
Akin 1930-1935
Bakare 1935-1945
Dauda Fasanya 1945-1991
Yekinni Adeniyi 1991-2009
Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi (Kusenla III)2010 Till Date
Its therefore important to note that the Elegushi monarch consists of four ruling houses/families that rotates Obaships amongst themselves which are the KUSENLA, ODIYAN, AKIN IDUNFA, BAKARE. The modus operandi for selecting Oba is for the ruling house that is next to present three names amongst themselves to the traditional chiefs, these three names will then be taken to the Ifa priest who consults the Ifa oracle and comes up with the name the oracle picked. The person affirmed will be made the Oba even if he is the poorest of the three names presented to Ifa.
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