The Political Administration of Igbanke in the Colonial Era

Historical Research Letter, 2014

This article attempts to explain the traditional origin of Igbon, Iresa and Ikoyi, ancient kingdoms in the South West Nigeria. The article also sheds light on the relationship between the three kingdoms, while examining the factors that made the three kingdoms the dominant powers in the Old Oyo Empire. It is the aim of the study is to enrich the understanding of intra-group relationship among the Yoruba peoples, the relationship that has been the core reason for their longstanding union. To achieve this objective, the study employs oral traditions including songs, proverbs and interviews, and thus elicits the needed information. The challenges of oral tradition, notwithstanding, the study identifies salient issues regarding the relationship of these three classical Yoruba kingdoms.

The study delves into an examination of patterns and trends in Igbo society in the present day Nigeria, with some historical events as illuminating lamp. Of course, historical events effectively influenced the nature of Igbo society in the present times. Such events include the European incursion and concomitant changes in socio-political organisation, nationalist movements, naïve post-independence administration, the Nigeria-Biafra war, attempts at postwar reconstruction, fragmentation of the society, which came in form of state creation and local government reforms among others. There is the need to bring to the fore such knowledge as the lack of it would keep emerging generations bereft of ideas on how to solve similar problems when similar situation presents itself. The foregoing inspired the need for this study. The eclectic method of analysis is employed and the discourse is organised in themes to ensure articulated presentation. It is observed that the Igbo passed through a major phase that has been affecting their status in the affairs of Nigeria. That phase is the Nigeria-Biafra war. However, the war appears to have ignited the self-help attribute of the Igbo as they went on to achieve major feats both as individuals and groups.

European Scientific Journal, 2014

Available evidence has shown that pre-colonial African societies had a formal and organized system of government before the advent of colonialism. However, there seem to be an intellectual conspiracy against the minor ethnic groups as most of the contemporary literature has focused on the three major ethnic groups-Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba and the Igbo political systems. In order to save these minor ethnic groups from political extinction, this paper attempt a discourse on the pre-colonial political administration of the North Central Nigeria ; a study of the Igala political kingdom. The study relied on secondary data to generate data for this study. The paper is structured into different but interrelated compartment. The paper found out that in about the second decade of the 17 th century, the process of the evolution of dynastic rule which started in the 16 th Century had become consolidated under Ayegba Om'Idoko and as such this marked our starting point. The paper concludes that Igala political kingdom was the only most powerful kingdom between the 16 th-18 th century after defeating the Jukuns, Binis and Hausa /Fulani jihadists. In the light of this, the Igala political kingdom cannot be left in the oblivion but must be acknowledged and documented for political history and posterityy.

EJMSS JOURNAL VOLUME 3 NO 2, 2023

The hegemonic roles of the Benin Kingdom over other Edoid groups and the neighouring polities cannot be contested. Lasting legacies of Benin's influence on the socio-cult 1 ural and political institutions of other Edoid communities are a reminder of the historical links between Benin and other mini states in the Edo area. Yet, not much attention has been paid to the history of the Edoid peoples outside of the Benin nucleus. The current study attempts a historiographical interpretation of the relationship between the Iuleha clan, a northern periphery of the Edoid nation, and the Benin kingdom, which was the core of the Edoid nation. Using historical narratives, the study examines traditions of origins and migrations, as well as enduring sociopolitical practices to connect Benin's influence on the Iuleha clan and vice versa. Based on empirical evidence, the study maintains that Iuleha clan was largely outside the real imperialist enclave of the powers of the Benin state because of geographical and strategic considerations. Accordingly, the clan was tangentially affected by Benin's conquest and actual subjugation. As a result, the relationship between the two groups was more of kinship cooperation rather than imperialist subordination and exploitation by the imperial Benin state.

Lwati: A Journal of Contemporary Research, 2010

Most societies in pre-colonial times experienced one form of relationship or the other with their neighbours. More often than not, these relationships came in form of commercial, cultural and political relations. Characteristic of these relations were intermarriages, linguistic borrowings and other interactions dictated by the needs of the societies involved. In the case of pre-colonial Benin and some parts of Eastern Yoruba land, their relations always ran against the tide. But the issue for consideration here is not so much of the contradictory nature of these relations, but the preponderance of the Benin influence on virtually all aspects of the existence of the communities in focus. This study is necessitated by the need to straighten the record that the relations that once existed between the Benin and these Eastern Yoruba towns were purely commercial, and that the Benin elements in these communities are war captives. The paper interrogates the pervasiveness of the Benin socio-cultural and political influence particularly on Akure and Ikere. It seeks to investigate the circumstances for instance, where a Benin representative became a king and established a dynasty in Ikere where Benin elements had overwhelming influence and power under a recognized ruler not answerable to the Onikere of Ikere (King of Ikere); and in Akure where the Benin 'ambassador' acts like a potentate in Akure. The piece also seeks an explanation to the avalanche of titles of Benin origin found today in not only Akure, Owo and Ado but also in Ita-Ogbolu, Igbara-Oke, etc. The paper concludes, based on copious empirical evidence, that most communities and towns under review must have been for years, under the Benin suzerainty during which time, the Benin foisted its socio political influence on them, before the vast empire became too unwieldy to be administered by the central administration.

The position of the Olisa of Ijebuland, who ranks next to the Awujale, was important to the Nigerian Colonial Government. He was a member of the Judicial Council as well as the President of the Ijebu-Ode Town Council during the British Colonial rule. He thus became influential in the affairs of colonial taxes and tariffs. The battle for the position of Olisa pitched the paramount ruler, Awujale Daniel Adesanya, not only against the educated elite, but also against the people and his principal chiefs. It is against this background that this paper examines the nature of the conflict and its resolution. The role played by the Odisthe traditional Ijebu slaves and a part of the body that crowned both the Awujale and the Olisa -in the affairs will be examined as this affords us the opportunity to see the roles of the Odis in traditional Ijebu state affairs. The intermediary roles of the European colonial officers in the episodes are also assessed to bring to light the colonial approach to conflict resolution in that period. The paper concludes that the tyrannical transfer of power in the twilight of Nigerian Colonial rule pushed the elite to attack traditions as in other parts of Nigeria.

HUMANUS DISCOURSE, 2022

Extant literature on Yoruba historiography is replete with studies of colonial administration and its effects on major Yoruba towns and kingdoms such as Oyo, Ibadan, Ife, Ijebu, Ilesha and Lagos. Whereas, other Yoruba kingdoms and towns have not received adequate attention from scholars of history the way the aforementioned towns have. As a matter of fact, there have been a seemingly neglect on coastal Yoruba land in general and Ikorodu community in particular, which has created a vacuum in Yoruba historiography of the coast. This paper, intends to address this neglect by interrogating the changes on the traditional institution and practices of Ikorodu, necessitated first, by the annexation of Ikorodu by the colonial authorities in 1894 and second, by the subsequent introduction of colonial administration in the community up to 1960. The paper is divided into five parts. The first segment introduces the paper. The second part examines the tradition of origin and geography of Ikorodu, while the third section discusses the colonial annexation of the community. The fourth part interrogates the changes necessitated by colonial administrators while the last part concludes the study. The methodology of this research is descriptive and analytical. It relies essentially on colonial documents sourced from the national archive, in-depth interviews and secondary sources such as books and journals.

Review of African Political Economy