By Dayo Asade
#Watimagbo la Agege - Ogba - Ikeja Division.
Ogba is an ancient town in the old colony province of western Nigeria now Lagos State of Nigeria.
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| Ogba Ashade Palace, Ogba Agege |
Ogba was founded by one prince Owoeni Asade and was a prince from Ile -Ife who left Ile -Ife in the late seventeenth Century, settled down briefly at Iseyin from where he moved to Afon town where his brother , an Ifa priest Consulted his Ifa oracle and they were advised to move downward and which is now Ota township.
They settle down at Ota in Osi quarters where they met their relatives in IIoti quarters with Osi palace Ota , which is now known and called Onikosi palace Ota . In the early eighteenth century , they went on hunting expedition with their brothers who founded the present day Orile Agege and they moved upward and settled down at the present day Ogbaland . In 1840 or there about during the Dahomey war , Owoeni Asade and his brother moved to Ado -Odo where Arola Asade was born .
Both the father and son came back to Ogba in the year 1860 Owoeni Asade died in year 1876.Prince Arola Asade took over the reign of obaship of Ogbaland in the year 1880 and become so popular and commanded respect in all the Awori towns and environs , the then British Governor of Lagos crown colony Mr . Glover honoured Oba Asade with the British flag and he was being paid a stipend amount of thirty (30) shilling monthly.
The only Crown surveyor , Chief Herbert Macaulay of blessed memory in the year 1896,surveyed the area controlled by Oba Arola Asade. The area include the present Alausa formally Tappa village where the Lagos State secretariat stands today,Agindigbi, Adekunle , Oloti , Operekete , Jaguna, Abule George, Ijaiye and part of Aguda Ogba town and the half of the present Agege town according to intelligent report of 1935 giving half of the present Agege station town to Ogba people.
When Arola Asade settled down, he was joined by Chief Madarikan who was a little nephew to Ebo Aweri,Wife of Arola Asade as tradition and customs in those days to see off a wife to her husband house and Chief Akilo from Ota, Chief Ajai Ofe from Ewu, chief Adarijo from Igbesa ,Chief Salawu from Ilorin and chief Akingbade from Ota . He was later joined by Ogabis, Ogunji Ajaguna’s all from Ota and Majaros, who own ¾ part of Ajegunle land . Owoeni Asade gave birth to four (4) children two male and two female . Namely (1) Arola (2) Iroko (3) Omoseyin (4) Dada Abori.
Arola Asade the eldest child of Owoeni was the first bale of Ogba and its environs in 1880 at the age of 40 years. He died on the 16th day of may 1930 at the age of 90 years.
