By Kayode Awojobi
British influence in the region, now known as Nigeria, began with the prohibition of British subjects in 1807. Britain annexed Lagos in 1861 and established the Oil River Protectorate in 1884. The influence of the British increased in the Niger area gradually over the 19th century. British influence in the Niger area increased gradually over the 19th century, but Britain did not effectively occupy the area until 1885. Other European powers acknowledged Britain’s dominance over the area in 1885.
From 1886 to 1899, much of the country was ruled by the Royal Niger Company, authorized by charter, and governed by George Taubman Goldie. In 1900, the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate passed from company hands to the Crown. At the urging of Governor Frederick Lugard, they amalgamated the two territories as the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria, while maintaining considerable regional autonomy among the three major regions (Northern protectorate, Southern protectorate, and the Colony of Lagos). Progressive constitutions after World War II provided for increasing representation and electoral government by Nigerians. The colonial period proper in Nigeria lasted from 1900 to 1960, after which Nigeria gained its independence.
Having situated the colonial rule in Nigeria, the colonial masters were renowned to have left footprints of their adventure in Nigeria. The infrastructure, edifices, and other projects that they executed or were named after them have become relics that recount their stewardship in these places. Some of these places have been named after them to date. For instance, the Kogi State Government House is called Lugard House; the Cross Rivers State Governor’s official residence is known as The Peregrino; Bower’s Tower is in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital; amongst many others. It is important to note that the locations inhabited by the colonialists are usually hilly. It is impossible to rule out the names and places that experienced the influence of the colonialists.
Okeho, a prominent town in the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo state, was one town in Oke-Ogun where the colonial masters had their exploits and the history of Okeho is incomplete without mentioning them. Worthy of note among colonial masters who had a serious impact in Okeho back then is Captain William Alton Ross.
Captain Ross became the resident officer of Oyo Province in 1914. It was during the leadership of the province that there was the Iseyin-Okeho Uprising of 1916. He alongside his entourage performed their stewardship in quenching the fire of war, kingship/leadership crisis in Okeho, and Taxations, amongst others. Although we were unable to verify this calm, it was after the people of Okeho were told to move from Okeho Ahoro to Okeho Ile that the Rest House would have been constructed to have a 360-degree view of the town from this vantage position.
Whoever intends to visit the Rest House in Okeho must be ready to climb a mountain, but it would be easier when you pass through other routes, such as Alaapa, this would reduce the stress of going to the historical place. If one aims to go to the Rest House from the junction, they would greet one in the popular parlance of Okeho indigenes, “E ku Amokegun” literarily means Keep mounting the heights.
After getting to the top of Okeho Rest House, one would have a view of the coordinates of Okeho, such as Okeho Dam, First Baptist Church, Isia, Okeho, Okeho Central Mosque, Gbonje, Gbonje Market, Christ Baptist Church, Olele, L. A Primary School, Olele, Okeho, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Ogan, Okeho, Kara axis, Immanuel Baptist Church, amongst others.
Okeho Rest House has not caught the needed attention as a heritage site despite the historical antecedents attached to it, but now it has been converted to Amotekun’s Office of Kajola local government headquarters.
It is important to say that all these buildings and monuments are now worthy of becoming UNESCO Heritage Sites. A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific, or other forms of significance. The sites are judged to contain “cultural and natural heritage around the world considered being of outstanding value to humanity.
To be selected, a World Heritage Site must be a somehow unique landmark that is geographically and historically identifiable and has special cultural or physical significance. For example, World Heritage Sites might be ancient ruins or historical structures, buildings, cities, deserts, forests, islands, lakes, monuments, mountains, or wilderness areas. A World Heritage Site may signify a remarkable accomplishment of humanity, and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet, or it might be a place of great natural beauty.
Okeho has various locations that qualify to be added to the list of natural heritage site such as the Okeho Ahoro, Okeho dam amongst others. Okeho Ahoro which served as a refuge for Okeho people during the Dahomey slave raid and Fulani invasion of the Yoruba land has several historic sites including burial sited of some late kings of the town, the abode of the king during the war, café, hills, rivers and lots more to satisfy the curiosity of any tourist.
Another reason why Okeho needs to be a heritage site is the peculiarity of how the town came into being as a confederation of eleven independent communities, namely Alubo, Bode, Igboje, Ijo, Imoba, Isia, Isemi, Oke-Ogun, Ogan, Olele, and Pamo.
Okeho is a great community that would bring pride to the nation if we bring her natural endowments to the fore for everyone to appreciate and see as the great destination for great tourist activities in Nigeria and Africa, at large.
Awojobi writes from Ijebu North, Ogun State
