The truth of the matter is that even if anyone rejects the fact “that Ife Monarchy is derived from Igodo monarchy”, it changes nothing about the reality that the Monarchy in Benin City is still Number One among Oduduwa’s children. I mean: let it be assumed that Oduduwa came from Egypt, Mecca, Sudan, Ethiopia (where the Oromo Region has a nationality fraction called Oromiyas) or from Orun, as heaven or a place we do not know, with a chain made of iron if not some other metal, it does not change the fact that the dumb one who learnt to talk by naming himself Owomika, ‘my hand has stuck it’, the first Benin monarch after the Ogisos, was the first child of Oramiyan whose children built the empires that our part of the world remembers.

I am a Republican, not a Royalist. But, in a country in which we have all conceded the coexistence of Republican and Royalist values, it should be considered quite unseemly to watch one set of the interacting values being rough-handled, muddied or treated with improper decorum without feeling a need to intervene on behalf of rectitude. I have been so challenged since the eruption of the controversy ignited by the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, who allowed himself to do a ranking of Yoruba Obas that placed the Oba of Benin as third in the hierarchy. In one sense, as Chief David Edebiri, the Esogban of Benin, immediately retorted, it is wrong to rank the Oba of Benin among Yoruba Obas because the Oba of Benin is not a Yoruba and therefore cannot be placed on a list of Yoruba Obas. I call it ‘in a sense’ because the Esogban’s position may be disputed on the grounds, as will soon be clear, that there is too much siblinghood between Yoruba and Benin traditional rulers for the ethnic difference between them to be rendered in cast-iron terms.

The special relationship between Yoruba and Benin obas, not unlike the relationship between Benin and Onitsha kings, or between Lagos and Edo kings, makes it all the more impolitic to do a ranking of the Benin monarchy in Yoruba royal affairs without abiding by certain inter-subjective and shared norms. And let me note, very quickly, that it is the presence of such norms that makes it quite normal for Chief Edebiri to put the Oba of Benin as Number One without appearing to contradict himself. In his response to the Alake, Chief Edebiri has argued, quite simply, that the term oba was not used to describe Yoruba kings until the Oba of Benin got there. This may well be disputed. Except that it has the merit of being close to verisimilitude when he argues that the king of Ibadan was called Olu, the king of Abeokuta was called Alake, the king of Oyo was called Alaafin; only the Benin monarch was Oba. With the backing of glotto-cultural studies, however, we should be able to impute that the term, Oba, is a root word shared by both the Yoruba and the Edo languages and that among the sixteen kings that reigned in Ile-Ife before the arrival of Oduduwa’s party, many had Oba as prefix to their names. To say this amounts to jumping ahead of the argument a little. But let me add, for those who are not familiar with this piece of anthropology, that Oduduwa, the acknowledged founder-ancestor, the progenitor of the Yoruba nationality, was a stranger who met a historical line of obas in Ile Ife, the last of whom was Obatala, the leader of the Igbo, the autochthons, later deified as god of creativity or creation, sometimes synced with Orunmila, for wisdom. Make your pick.

Let me also add that from the studies of the Ifa divination system made by several scholars, as imbibed from traditional Ifa devotees, it is those sixteen elders whom Oduduwa met in Ife that provided the sub-structure of Ifa as a formal system of wisdom into which people could be initiated in the way that we all go to tertiary institutions to learn philosophy, jurisprudence and mathematics. Or mathemagics, if you like. It is of very grave significance in this narrative that we should acknowledge that the Ifa Divination system, before the intervention of Islam, Christianity, and Lord Frederick Lugard’s balkanisation and regionalisation of traditional gnosis, was based on the existential patterns or prowess of the sixteen elders, or kings, who formed the planks upon which the wisdom of the people, by ritual accretions, was organised. Every good student of Ifa should know that in the Edo Divination system of Igwega, two of the sixteen elders have been displaced by Edo personages who are not to be found in the Ife version as designed by Agbonmiregun, the Master, who went from Ekiti to Ile Ife and established the rounded system of Ifa Divination as passed by other masters between the Edo, Nupe, Igala and Yoruba devotees. It can be imagined that, as a matter of ritual, they gathered at Ife, which was quite the centre of their world, for a divination that transcended ethnicities but was based on a common worship of the earth mother, Efa. All the forest peoples, from Dahomey to the Cameroon mountains, across the Nri of Igboland and past Ogoja, were devotees of one form or other of Ifa Divination. The historian, Ade Obayemi, has imputed that so many concepts in Yoruba Ifa, which some devotees may regard as mumbo jumbo, are actually Nupe terms that proper glotto-cultural analysis and translation could redeem. This partly explains why Benin Kings could induct or abduct and adopt Igbo medicine men who became part of the common national culture, as Egharevba, the Benin historian vouchsafes. What a linguistic, glotto-cultural analysis tells us is that in Ile-ife, before the dispersal occasioned by Oduduwa’s emergence, the Yoruba language, as one among many in the Kwa language complex, was once the same language with others including the Igbo and that they still share common root words beyond the simple ones like Omi and miri.

So if Chief Edebiri’s resort to linguistic analysis wont help a resolution of the ranking of the Yoruba obas, what will? I suppose it is the discomfort of trying to answer such a question, and the fear of being wrong-footed in a bid to dabble into what appears to be quite esoteric, that has warded off many of the dignitaries who have been asked by journalists to respond to the controversy. Some of them think it a needless controversy that could detract from more worthwhile issues of the moment. True, there are crying problems that our society needs to face and resolve. Some political entrepreneurs who require a united front in order not to disperse collective energies have been quick to advise against worsening of the already existing inter-ethnic divisions in our midst. Somehow, they do not consider that to ignore the controversy or down play its driven logic, could harden the ranking that has been attempted and, to that extent, make it quite affirmable with the accretion of time. Of course, those who are already convinced of its veracity and have lived in the shadow of its ritualised affirmation, all their lives, would want the ranking to remain as they know it. Hence, they act bored by the controversy and would therefore wish that we move on quickly to other matters. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending on how you see it) the controversy won’t go away.

It happens to be the case that the ranking of the Obas takes on a life of its own within every effort to build a sense of common nationality among Yoruba people. Every bid by the Yoruba to unite under a common leader or in conformity with a presumption of common ancestry, has always yielded one form of such ranking or the other. It has become part of a modernist or modernising project which nation-builders escape only when they are able to put the knowledge industry at the centre of their quest.

At any rate, this is not the first time it has visited or reared its head. The ranking, as it happens, is so deeply rooted in the ethnic unconscious of some people that there is good reason for the palace in Benin City to wish, with each eruption of the controversy, to put the records, or lack of records, straight. It happens to be the case that the ranking of the Obas takes on a life of its own within every effort to build a sense of common nationality among Yoruba people. Every bid by the Yoruba to unite under a common leader or in conformity with a presumption of common ancestry, has always yielded one form of such ranking or the other. It has become part of a modernist or modernising project which nation-builders escape only when they are able to put the knowledge industry at the centre of their quest. Especially, with the establishment of the Egbe Omo Oduduwa on home ground in 1948, the business of building up such a knowledge industry, creating a formal historiography to get it right, has been part of every bid at nation-building. With bounding successes in research and publications, everything seemed to be going fine before the regression that came with political crisis in the sixties and the virtual abandonment of the enlightenment project that Obafemi Awolowo is still rightly praised for.

http://blogs.premiumtimesng.com/benin-kingdom-vs-yoruba-race-why-oba-of-benin-is-number-one-by-odia-ofeimun/

Rubbish..... How Dz one go change d price of sachet water back to #5

Everybody is claiming Oga, naaawa!

Meaning?

lanwrex:
Rubbish..... How Dz one go change d price of sachet water back to #5

you can as Buhari that question

I hope people understand Odia's argument

It is much deeper than the headline suggests

For instance , there is no way on earth that the OP of this thread can ever comprehend that essay

Oduduiwa is still living, just like Jesus lives.Oduduiwa is Omo Olodumare, just like Jesus is The Born Son of I am That I am. The only difference between Jesus Christ and Oduduiwa is that while Jesus was born right here on earth before our very eyes by The Holy Spirit, Oduduiwa was a Nephilim(manufactured complete Son of God in Heaven) dropped at Ile Ife as a Species of Omo Olodumare. God moulded Adam from clay. He formed Eve(Efa) from rib. He produced Nephilims(sons of God) of different colors to intermingle with daughters of men, intermarry and procreate. This is the life of Yoruba Nephilim called Oduduiwa. Yoruba land springs from the source of River Niger in the present Kebbi State, down to the Confluence and straight down to the Creek in Bayelsa State. As for those claiming to be fathers and mothers of Yoruba, time will tell. I have said before that ODU means BONDS, COVENANT and HEAVEN. IWA means CHARACTER, CULTURE and EARTH. Also ODU is GOD IN HEAVEN and IWA is OBA ON EARTH.

--by Orunto27

OgbeifunErom:
I hope people understand Odia's argument

It is much deeper than the headline suggests

For instance , there is no way on earth that the OP of this thread can ever comprehend that essay

I didn't see this thread earlier. I posted the explanation in another thread of the same title. Odia Ofeimun's conclusion is pure commonsense and infallible logic. Waiting for the Yoruba history professors to come and tell us who was Oranmiyan's first son.

bokohalal:


I didn't see this thread earlier. I posted the explanation in another thread of the same title. Odia Ofeimun's conclusion is pure commonsense and infallible logic. Waiting for the Yoruba history professors to come and tell us who was Oranmiyan's first son.

. Ok, I hope you realize that Unknown to Bini traditions, Oranmiyan is actually Oduduwa's youngest child. .. he had elder siblings establish dynasties like the Alaketu, Olowu, Awujale, Ewi, Ila Orangun, Deji/Ajaponda, Olowo, Elekole, Ajero, Alara etc

so if Ranking is strictly by order of birth then Ila Orangun should come first as Oduduwa's first son, or maybe Olowu of Owu-Ipole as the first child (actually a grandchild) to receive a crown, or maybe Alaketu by being the son of Oduduwa's favorite wife, or by dynasty's strength it would go to Alaafin as head of the oyo empire

so come again on how omo n'oba n'edo is first among Obas

I think Odia Ofeimun should know that if by chance you are working with wrong data, it's a matter of 'garbage in, garbage out'. Its 'garbage repackaged' offered as history.

The anchor story is Oduduwa, so

1. who was Oduduwa?

2. What narrative first brought oduduwa to limelight?

3. What narrative(s) is likely being suppressed right about now?

4. What is special about him or her that Oduduwa became the durable name?

5. How and when did Oduduwa became a de facto in history?

It all looks like 'Oedipus myth' becoming 'the gods are not to blame' and William Norman's 'Normandy' becoming 'Bini' to Oduduwa dynasty nowadays from Bini.

Then it follows that there is a 'plot' to the 'brainmade history', a royal fiction. Then to make this royal fiction a history proper, some questions beg for answers.

A. How do we know from ages past that this Oduduwa was the Bini fugitive?

B. Is it because (oduduwa) was Ekaterina, a Bini Prince that made him to succeed?

C. Is that all the credentials for an antique 'Othman Dan Fodio' in Yoruba land?

D. What other negligible strand of myth succeed the passage of time with this Bini Oduduwa in Bini myth?

E. What other source has ever glossed over a story like it (bini version) before the main source emerged of recent?

F. Can a story come from nowhere to suddenly become a mainstream historical fact, as in?

G. Is this a 'piece of history' or Royal decree meant as corrective measure on excesses of Edo-Ekue forerunner?

H. Who forgot to protest Egarevba's publications the year it was published by the 'enemy'?

Is this a 'regal collateral damage'?

What was Bini myth of origin before now that her early historians should have known?

Or has African historical research gone back from historians to the myth makers?

It's after you find the true identity of the real individual at the centre of your stories that you may know his or her history. Not before then.

Till then, it's all-comer's story.

If you fail to do a little fact-finding but only perch on and on on 'variant streams of myths' as they come, then your research faculties are jinxed to eternal childhood.

Anyways, no hard feelings, and sir, thanks for your gift years back, The Burning Caracas. Still part of my favourite collections.

Everyone is cleverly and carefully concocting a new strand of myth, until the accurate truth manifest itself. Then it shall be 'the fall of the glorious lies'.

Can you reverse history without archeological or monumental findings to necessitate it? May the truth triumph.

Binis are using Ile-Ife and Oduduwa to legitimize their throne, either in the pro or the con....but I am yet to see a fully structured narrative of Bini's beginning and evolution up until the presence of Eweka.


Where did Bini come from, how did it sprout, from who, who were the indigenous owners of the land, what was their civilization before Ogiso? Tell us your myths, your legend, heroes, customs.

Anyone...

OPCNAIRALAND:
Binis are using Ile-Ife and Oduduwa to legitimize their throne, either in the pro or the con....but I am yet to see a fully structured narrative of Bini's beginning and evolution up until the presence of Eweka.
Where did Bini come from, how did it sprout, from who, who were the indigenous owners of the land, what was their civilization before Ogiso? Tell us your myths, your legend, heroes, customs.
Anyone...

At least Benin was in existence before Oduduwa. His son came to Benin to RULE.not FOUND.
If you had opened up your mind to learning about others you would have found the perfect answer to your question.

Bokohalal,
"At least...." is not a historical narrative.

Ile Ife can tell you the myths, deeds, heroes, legends, histories, alliances, conquests and artifacts of its civilization before, during and after Oduduwa, the Yoruba progenitor.

Odia Ofeimun did not do a good job here because he gave a one sided account of beginning.

What's the equivalent greatness on the othe other side dating back before beginning of Ogiso and epoch by epoch and timeline by markers up until Eweka became Omo n'Oba?

Even the palace has yet to articulate this missing part. Everytime they talk of their history its always in frustrated response and they repeat same story of their connection with Ife. Their link with Ife is Oranmiyan and the installation of the Omo n'Oba dynasty.

It is worth pointing out here also that Bini does not have an Oba and never have, what you have is Omo n'Oba.

Ogiso itself is a dynasty, a title used by Igodomido rulers and its narrative is empty, nothing before it and nothing in its rule.


I repeat,

Anyone care to give us an independent Bini history that is unconnected with Ile Ife....

OPCNAIRALAND:
Bokohalal,
"At least...." is not a historical narrative.

Ile Ife can tell you the myths, deeds, heroes, legends, histories, alliances, conquests and artifacts of its civilization before, during and after Oduduwa, the Yoruba progenitor.

Odia Ofeimun did not do a good job here because he gave a one sided account of beginning.

What's the equivalent greatness on the othe other side dating back before beginning of Ogiso and epoch by epoch and timeline by markers up until Eweka became Omo n'Oba?

Even the palace has yet to articulate this missing part. Everytime they talk of their history its always in frustrated response and they repeat same story of their connection with Ife. Their link with Ife is Oranmiyan and the installation of the Omo n'Oba dynasty.

It is worth pointing out here also that Bini does not have an Oba and never have, what you have is Omo n'Oba.

Ogiso itself is a dynasty, a title used by Igodomido rulers and its narrative is empty, nothing before it and nothing in its rule.


I repeat,

Anyone care to give us an independent Bini history that is unconnected with Ile Ife....

There is copious Benin history before Oba Eweka. There are families, traditions, markets and landmarks in Benin dating from its Igodomigodo days till now. Even Macof, with all his cynicism,acknowledge this. Like I said earlier, a little research will open up your eyes .

bokohalal:

There is copious Benin history before Oba Eweka. There are families, traditions, markets and landmarks in Benin dating from its Igodomigodo days till now. Even Macof, with all his cynicism,acknowledge this. Like I said earlier, a little research will open up your eyes .

Bring it here. You dont tell us to research Ile Ife history, do you? You tell it to us as if you are an expert on it.

It's Benin's turn. Bring your history here, tell it, and stop hiding behind macof. No Yoruba person deflects the history of Ife to a non Yoruba to tell. Bini must tell their own history and not deflect to Yoruba's account.

The truth of the matter, if you review threads here in Nairaland is that never has the story of Bini been told without using the greatness of Yoruba civilization as its anchor to shore credits and regal power. Never!

That nonsense is stopping now!

Since you believe you gave Yoruba its civilization and State, tell us your own beginning as a civilized and state power. Go to your beginning.

Where did Igodomigodo come from, who were the indigenes of the land prior, how was the land conquered, how did Ogiso dynasty take root, whats the chain of rulership, whats the structure of state, who were the heroes, the legends, the conquerors, the priests, .....showcase your greatness now or shut up forever and accept what Ooni said, Bini (not Edo) is a Yoruba dynasty.

Yorubas own the title Oba, no other society use Oba but Yorubas. Anywhere you hear Oba, its a Yoruba kingdom and state. Bini never used or use Oba.....you have Omo n'Oba.

You can twist Omo n'Oba into any fanciful meaning you want....but everyone know what Omo means, what Oba means....and they are not stewpid not to know what the combination of Omo and Oba stand for.

OPCNAIRALAND:


Bring it here. You dont tell us to research Ile Ife history, do you? You tell it to us as if you are an expert on it.

It's Benin's turn. Bring your history here, tell it, and stop hiding behind macof. No Yoruba person deflects the history of Ife to a non Yoruba to tell. Bini must tell their own history and not deflect to Yoruba's account.

The truth of the matter, if you review threads here in Nairaland is that never has the story of Bini been told without using the greatness of Yoruba civilization as its anchor to shore credits and regal power. Never!

That nonsense is stopping now!

Since you believe you gave Yoruba its civilization and State, tell us your own beginning as a civilized and state power. Go to your beginning.

Where did Igodomigodo come from, who were the indigenes of the land prior, how was the land conquered, how did Ogiso dynasty take root, whats the chain of rulership, whats the structure of state, who were the heroes, the legends, the conquerors, the priests, .....showcase your greatness now or shut up forever and accept what Ooni said, Bini (not Edo) is a Yoruba dynasty.

Yorubas own the title Oba, no other society use Oba but Yorubas. Anywhere you hear Oba, its a Yoruba kingdom and state. Bini never used or use Oba.....you have Omo n'Oba.

You can twist Omo n'Oba into any fanciful meaning you want....but everyone know what Omo means, what Oba means....and they are not stewpid not to know what the combination of Omo and Oba stand for.

Yoruba greatness is due to its early foray into Western education. They even created the textbook Oyo empire whereas Benin Empire had exchanged ambassadors with European nations in the 17th century . Even today, a country's greatness and influence can be measured by the number of consular and cultural offices globally.
The number of non-Bini ethnic groups and places that claim founding by Benin is unrivaled. Only Egypt surpass Benin in that regard in our region.
Just go to a little corner and try think out how to whittle down Benin's greatness. Ife, Oyo, all of Yorubaland cannot come close to our historical achievement. Others have tried and died trying.
If Oba of Benin is Yoruba, then he is first. If he is not, leave Benin out of your miserable numbering . Count only Yoruba Obas.
And all I know about Ife begins with Ekaladerhan.

^^^
Dude,
Stop wasting people's time. Tell your palace officials to hush, when it comes to Yoruba they are no match.

Until you can articulate a greatness for Bini that is not in anyway attached with Ife, you have failed to convince me of your claims and postulations....

bokohalal:


Yoruba greatness is due to its early foray into Western education. They even created the textbook Oyo empire whereas Benin Empire had exchanged ambassadors with European nations in the 17th century . Even today, a country's greatness and influence can be measured by the number of consular and cultural offices globally.
The number of non-Bini ethnic groups and places that claim founding by Benin is unrivaled. Only Egypt surpass Benin in that regard in our region.
Just go to a little corner and try think out how to whittle down Benin's greatness. Ife, Oyo, all of Yorubaland cannot come close to our historical achievement. Others have tried and died trying.
If Oba of Benin is Yoruba, then he is first. If he is not, leave Benin out of your miserable numbering . Count only Yoruba Obas.
And all I know about Ife begins with Ekaladerhan.

You dont have an Oba in Benin. You have an Omo n'Oba. The descendant of an Oba.

OPCNAIRALAND:


You dont have an Oba in Benin. You have an Omo n'Oba. The descendant of an Oba.

Who was a Bini.

OPCNAIRALAND:
^^^
Dude,
Stop wasting people's time. Tell your palace officials to hush, when it comes to Yoruba they are no match.

Until you can articulate a greatness for Bini that is not in anyway attached with Ife, you have failed to convince me of your claims and postulations....

Yet to see Benin claim Ife. It is the other way around.
Hehe. Bros, Benin Empire is better known than any Yoruba textbook empire. No compare. It would be better you don't go there. I had only enumerated a few earlier. Truth is , no Yoruba state had an empire, so called. Making one up to keep with the Joneses does not cut it with people like us. We know better. Even Oyo area of influence was only within some parts of Yoruba. Benin had the rest.

bokohalal:


Yoruba greatness is due to its early foray into Western education. They even created the textbook Oyo empire whereas Benin Empire had exchanged ambassadors with European nations in the 17th century . Even today, a country's greatness and influence can be measured by the number of consular and cultural offices globally.
The number of non-Bini ethnic groups and places that claim founding by Benin is unrivaled. Only Egypt surpass Benin in that regard in our region.
Just go to a little corner and try think out how to whittle down Benin's greatness. Ife, Oyo, all of Yorubaland cannot come close to our historical achievement. Others have tried and died trying.
If Oba of Benin is Yoruba, then he is first. If he is not, leave Benin out of your miserable numbering . Count only Yoruba Obas.



And all I know about Ife begins with Ekaladerhan.

Who is ekaladerhan?

Do you have any story about him?

This is the reward for all foolish pseudo historians without understanding.

You wanted to localize Yoruba history, but failed to take precautions.

You argued that the east is Ife east, and this intellectual pirates jumped in.

It serves you better.

absoluteSuccess:


Who is ekaladerhan?

Do you have any story about him?

This is the reward for all foolish pseudo historians without understanding.

You wanted to localize Yoruba history, but failed to take precautions.

You argued that the east is Ife east, and this intellectual pirates jumped in.

It serves you better.

?

bokohalal:
?

Who is Ekaladerhan
What was the history about him?

bokohalal:
?

Who was Ekaladerhan?
What was the history about him?

absoluteSuccess:


Who was Ekaladerhan?

What was the history about him?

Aqra.

There are many names in Yoruba pantheon, the historians of the 19th century plucked Oduduwa out of the lot and it became a success.

The true history of the historical character has not yet been established or understood, other than the portrayal in often quoted source.

Now is the time to pluck a different name than Oduduwa to tell Yoruba history from autochtonous angle than refurbishing a popular story.

Shame on an almighty empire that wake up to twitch it's history only to anchor hopelessly on a tradition that was known only to just one man.

Leave Oduduwa out of it if you have a different angle than the one where the name Oduduwa was first introduced.

What if it was the same source that influenced Awo before the sage adopted the name 'Oduduwa' to rally Yoruba together?

As you set to rewrite the story, discard the accessories altogether and let's have a history. I want to meet Orisa Oko, or whoever is the maker of this land.

You can't think beyond popular names. Very lazy thinkers.

bokohalal:


Aqra.

I want to believe you are not yet through with your confusions, this is it:

You just claimed that the Yoruba empire is a textbook empire, but all the same, you made Ekaladerhan sat on Ife throne.

It did not occur to you that the same empire began with Ekaladerhan at that point anymore. You only backtrack to inject your reject.

But as a folklorist, I am asking you the identity of your man, should in case. And I did want to know if the name exist in antiquity.

Most people are sick, you rejected the story you were told about a place, then you still kept believing that history happened there at all.

Is that not the story you are denying? Why continue to patronise the same spot? What if the spot your history refers is long desolate?

absoluteSuccess:


I want to believe you are not yet through with your confusions, this is it:

You just claimed that the Yoruba empire is a textbook empire, but all the same, you made Ekaladerhan sat on Ife throne.

It did not occur to you that the same empire began with Ekaladerhan at that point anymore. You only backtrack to inject your reject.

But as a folklorist, I am asking you the identity of your man, should in case. And I did want to know if the name exist in antiquity.

Most people are sick, you rejected the story you were told about a place, then you still kept believing that history happened there at all.

Is that not the story you are denying? Why continue to patronise the same spot? What if the spot your history refers is long desolate?

Firstly, I think you are translating Yoruba into English because it is somehow difficult following your comments Do not get it wrong , it is perfectly in order to do so but the soul of the comment is lost in that form. And I do not understand Yoruba.
Secondly, from the Ooni, to the Alake ,millions of Yorubas and your strange self, remember that it is the grown man that called a little girl his wife that invited insults to himself. Binis DO NOT reckon with Yorubas in their history and tradition. The Bini way is totally different from the Yoruba's. As neighbours, we are bound to have interacted. Other than that, we are very different people. If you stop claiming Benin and relegating our revered stool under a colonial imposed hierarchy, you will not hear from the Esogban, or any other Edo, for that matter.
Thirdly, which empire in Yorubaland are you talking about? Ife? Oyo? Ekaladerhan never sat on Oyo throne. No one ever said that.
According to Benin history , Ekaladerhan became Oduduwa who reigned in Ife. That does not make Ife, or Oyo, which came after,an empire.

bokohalal:


Firstly, I think you are translating Yoruba into English because it is somehow difficult following your comments Do not get it wrong , it is perfectly in order to do so but the soul of the comment is lost in that form. And I do not understand Yoruba.
Secondly, from the Ooni, to the Alake ,millions of Yorubas and your strange self, remember that it is the grown man that called a little girl his wife that invited insults to himself. Binis DO NOT reckon with Yorubas in their history and tradition. The Bini way is totally different from the Yoruba's. As neighbours, we are bound to have interacted. Other than that, we are very different people.

If you stop claiming Benin and relegating our revered stool under a colonial imposed hierarchy, you will not hear from the Esogban, or any other Edo, for that matter.
Thirdly, which empire in Yorubaland are you talking about? Ife? Oyo? Ekaladerhan never sat on Oyo throne. No one ever said that.



According to Benin history , Ekaladerhan became Oduduwa who reigned in Ife. That does not make Ife, or Oyo, which came after,an empire.

Thanks for perceiving that I reasons in Yoruba, that's what I do exactly, it tells you where I come from. Take the pains to understand me.

You are going back and forth, sort of.

If the Yoruba had not recounted an hierarchical order that got Omonoba involved, the ekaladerhan saga won't have been?

'According to Bini history', was that history ever written? If not, then the ekaladerhan is therefore a 'child of necessity'.

The issue is, do you people have a history this great that it has to wait this long to be told?

We all know we are in the era of the disclaimers, people casting off old yokes and building cultural walls than bridges.

But the long it took you to write this bini history, from the era of sending ambassadors to heaven Portugal in 15th century to date shows that perhaps,

from that time till ekaladerhan's emergence, you mean you don't have a book that reference for your 'tales of greatness' of your own?

Not necessarily a book, but classic folklores built around iconic figures like that of Emotan, Tsoede, Oduduwa, Hausa bokwoi, Queen Amina, Aladi, Eri etc.

Then the educational board would have registered your historical imprint in a subject called social study without bias, long time ago.

Why do you people waited this long with that Bini history, what history was known as Bini history to the educational board?

Who is to blame?

absoluteSuccess:
[/b]

Thanks for perceiving that I reasons in Yoruba, that's what I do exactly, it tells you where I come from. Take the pains to understand me.

You are going back and forth, sort of.

If the Yoruba had not recounted an hierarchical order that got Omonoba involved, the ekaladerhan saga won't have been?

'According to Bini history', was that history ever written? If not, then the ekaladerhan is therefore a 'child of necessity'.

The issue is, do you people have a history this great that it has to wait this long to be told?

We all know we are in the era of the disclaimers, people casting off old yokes and building cultural walls than bridges.

But the long it took you to write this bini history, from the era of sending ambassadors to heaven Portugal in 15th century to date shows that perhaps,

from that time till ekaladerhan's emergence, you mean you don't have a book that reference for your 'tales of greatness' of your own?

Not necessarily a book, but classic folklores built around iconic figures like that of Emotan, Tsoede, Oduduwa, Hausa bokwoi, Queen Amina, Aladi, Eri etc.

Then the educational board would have registered your historical imprint in a subject called social study without bias, long time ago.

Why do you people waited this long with that Bini history, what history was known as Bini history to the educational board?

Who is to blame?

I understand your problem now.
There is an OGIAMIEN family in Benin City.
After the banishment of Ekaladerhan, there was a period of republicanism and Evian was chosen to administer the affairs of the kingdom. On his death, his son took over and the Binis revolted that the family was not of royal blood. A search for the banished Ekaladerhan led them to Ife where he now resided and reigned as Oduduwa.

Heard the above before?
Do you want to come see where Evian had performed a heroic feat that made the people to appoint him the head of the Kingdom?
Oliha family is still there.
The site of the Palace of the Ogisos is still there.

Or are you saying that the Ogisos never existed?
E
History was oral and has been from time in Benin and most of Africa. That the Yoruba wrote their version down before the Edos did due to western education getting there first does not and should not suppress a more verifiable Edo version of same event.

"No to who first reach Police station dem dey take win case " is a popular Nigerian Pidgin proverb.

absoluteSuccess:
[/b]

Thanks for perceiving that I reasons in Yoruba, that's what I do exactly, it tells you where I come from. Take the pains to understand me.

You are going back and forth, sort of.

If the Yoruba had not recounted an hierarchical order that got Omonoba involved, the ekaladerhan saga won't have been?

'According to Bini history', was that history ever written? If not, then the ekaladerhan is therefore a 'child of necessity'.

The issue is, do you people have a history this great that it has to wait this long to be told?

We all know we are in the era of the disclaimers, people casting off old yokes and building cultural walls than bridges.

But the long it took you to write this bini history, from the era of sending ambassadors to heaven Portugal in 15th century to date shows that perhaps,

from that time till ekaladerhan's emergence, you mean you don't have a book that reference for your 'tales of greatness' of your own?

Not necessarily a book, but classic folklores built around iconic figures like that of Emotan, Tsoede, Oduduwa, Hausa bokwoi, Queen Amina, Aladi, Eri etc.

Then the educational board would have registered your historical imprint in a subject called social study without bias, long time ago.

Why do you people waited this long with that Bini history, what history was known as Bini history to the educational board?

Who is to blame?

The history of Bini has its beginnings in Ife. If you take Ife out, they are left with Edo. Edo's history is a empty shell. It contains Ogiso and Igodomigodo, thats all in it, and even the Ogiso history is a checquered one.

Yorubas can hold unto their spurious version since it massages their ego. They should allow the Edos to also hold on to their own more truthful version. It is not by population or education. It is the facts that matter.
O da ro.