•…At The Last Ojude Oba Festival In IJEBU-ODE
The 2022 Ojude Oba Festival in Ijebu-Ode may have come and gone. But it has left behind fond memories of the spectacular things that happened at the festival.
One of it was the dazzling performance of Fuji musician, Kolade Onanuga who dazzled along with other horse riders.
There is a segment of the programme where members of the Balogun and Eleshin families will ride into the Pavillion on horseback to pay homage to the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona. 21 Balogun/Eleshin families took an active part in the parade.
At least 21 various families of warlords and warriors who defended the Ijebu nation-cum-kingdom against external aggression and (internal) insurrection put their horse riding prowess on display. They are the following families: the Eleshin Oyewole family, Eleshin Aregbesola, Eleshin Oreagba, Balogun Otubu family, Balogun Kuku family, Balogun Alatishe family, Balogun Odunuga family, Balogun Alausa family, Otun Balogun Shote family and many more.
They all filed into the main area for the equestrian display in an organised manner with the Osi Balogun (presently vacant), current Otun Balogun and current Balogun families taking the rear.
Kolade Onanuga was one of those on the horseback who dazzled. Only very few people know that he is a horse rider and that he is from a horse riding family. He is a successful musician from the popular Onanuga family in Ijebu-Ode. From his mother’s side, he is from the Shote family. His mum is Shote.
His grandfather is Shote. His great grandfather is Shote. Because she is female that is why she bears Onanuga. She is married to the Onanugas. Ideally, I am Kolade Ibrahim Shote Onanuga, because I actually included her father’s name in my name. She is my favourite person in the world ever. And my father was next before my mum. Omo Shote ni mi.
We are not Baloguns. Shote’s are Princes and Princesses. But few of my uncles and cousins on their mother’s side, become Balogun there.
They actually adopted the Balogun title from there, and one of them is the former Balogun of Ijebuland. He was the Otun Balogun of Ijebuland, later Balogun of Ijebuland called Alhaji Lovely, of the Sunny Ade fame with Lanrewaju Kazeem. After we lost him, another cousin of mine, Otun Balogun Alade Shote actually took the title from his mother’s lineage as the Otun Balogun of Ijebuland”.
“Ideally, the Shotes are not Balogun families. They are Princes and Princesses from the Jadiara ruling home and the Funsegbuwa ruling house. Presently, I am from the Anikulaya ruling house (the present Awujale of Ijebuland, ruling house), which is from my dad’s lineage. Ni di ile Baba and ni dile Mama, omo Oba ni mi.”
“That is the origin of the popular song: Awa koje otun, awa ko je Balogun, omooba lawa, ashote ma ru omo towobola, omo oba lawa. We actually accepted it because part of us went to bring it into the family. They went to bring the Balogun title into the Shote family from their own mother’s side”.
Many don’t know he likes horses. Many don’t know that he is so much into horses that he has a rich stable of horses.
“That I love horses is an understatement”, he explained. He has 9 horses in his stable in Ijebu-Ode. He lost his 2 favourite horses 2 months ago. They are called Captain and Glo. He had one of them for 9 years and it died.
He cried when it died. The 2 that died got paralysed. They lost their legs. He loves horse riding. He loves Polo. Both go hand-in-hand. He used to play Polo.
“My life is forever for Horses,” he told City People. So in love is he with horses that he spends time with them. “I stay in my stable more than any other place in the house”. It must be a very expensive lifestyle to keep 9 horses, feed them, taking care of them. “Of course yes. But me, I don’t even think about the cost at all.”
“I will starve for them to eat. That is how in love I am with my horses”.
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