The Balogun Owu, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has directed that the Itapa Olowu, the antechamber where the Olowu-elect must be domiciled for a specific period to undergo tutelage on the culture and tradition of Owu Obaship in Abeokuta and his inter se relationship with other sectional Obas in Abeokuta, should be refurbished in preparation for the new Olowu of Owu Abeokuta’s installation.
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Chief Obasanjo was acompanied by Owu traditional high chiefs responsible for the upkeep of the sacred home and the relics of traditional materials relating to the crowning of Olowu, to conduct an inspection of the ancient building known as Itapa Olowu, a.k.a Imoosa which serves as a Sacred House where the Alojee reigns as the traditional curator and custodian of all artifacts, ancient crowns, deity and obelisk relating to Olowu’s stool.
The Balogun Owu also directed that the Ile Ogboni Owu, the conclave where the Iwarefas (also known as the prescribed kingmakers) administer as advisers to Olowu, must be rebuilt in juxtaposition to the Itapa Olowu, to complete the reinvention of the Owu cultural heritage in Owu, Abeokuta.
At the arrival of the Owu people in Abeokuta consequential to their dispersal from the war-torn homestead in 1834, the Owu Senate (Ile Ogboni) and Itapa Olowu – the Sacred Home of Owu deities, ancient crowns, obelisk and insignias of Olowu – were juxtaposed to each other as the first set of buildings of the Owu people in Abeokuta.
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Modern expansion of Abeokuta and Oke Ago-Owu, the first settling quarters of the Owu people in Abeokuta, had, however, accounted for the erosion in the ancient culture of the Owu people whereby both the Ile Ogboni Owu and Itapa Olowu, where, traditionally, the Olowu-elect, must first reside and be tutored on the culture of the throne before entering the official Palace, had almost faded.
The situation was made worse by the immediate past Olowu, Oba Olusanya Adegboyega Dosunmu who turned the Owu palace structure into a uni-religious centre of Christian evangelism and almost virtually alienated traditional religionists, whose annual festivals around the palace are culturally and touristically resplendent.
Consequently, the one-time admixture of the cultural heritage of Owu people had been short changed and the ancient traditional structures around the Owu palace architecture had been distorted.
The Aloje Owu, Chief Babatunde Ojerinde, who accompanied Balogun on the inspection tour, had recalled that Itapa Olowu was the first house built by the Owu people on arrival in Abeokutsa, circa 1834, to keep all their traditional deities and paraphemalia, relating to the crowning of an Olowu, adding, “as the Obatala incarnate and father of Olowu, Aloje is the only one to conduct the crowning of Olowu with the traditional Owu crown devolved to Olowu by Oduduwa, his grandfather and bless him before he can then wear ceremonial crown and led into the official palace”.
Chief Ojerinde said further, “we thank our Balogun Owu whom we know today as our Anlugbua II, for encouraging the reinvention of Owu cultural heritage in Owu, Abeokuta and we believe history will not forget him”.
Meanwhile, sons and daughters of Owu kingdom from Abeokuta and across the districts are eagerly awaiting the announcement of a new Olowu who, grapevine reports, has been named by the prescribed Owu kingmakers and forwarded to the Ogun State Government for due processing.
Source: VillageNetwork Reporter
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