SOCIO-POLITICAL HISTORY OF ODE IRELE, 1600-1900

The study proves that understanding of the socio-political history of Ode Irele is crucial for appreciating the town's current state and for navigating its future path towards progress and prosperity. The history of origin of Irele has cleared the doubt and misconceptions of the fact that they are of Ugbo-Ilaje origin and not of Ikàle origin. The town was founded even before the subsequent migration and settlement of Ikàle ancestors from Benin kingdom in the 17th century. Through the use of oral traditions facts about the different historical events that took place have been gotten. Without this many of these facts that are embellished tends to be forgotten depending on the mental sophistication of narrators. All the people interviewed in the course of this study pointed to the same historical and cultural roots of the people of Ode Irele. In conclusion, it was noticed that there is a strong desire among the people of Ode Irele to leverage their cultural heritage for economic growth and to foster a sense of unity and progress. The study has shown that the degree of existence and prominence of Ode Irele as a town in Yorubaland is in the capacity of its people to develop and build age long socio-cultural practices, political linkages and economic institutions required to sustain their existence overtime. The people do not muster the courage to possess the capacity to dominate or obliterate each other. In the attempt to preserve their autonomy as a distinct group for the survival of their traditional institution, they continued to promote kinship ties and sub-ethnic identity with other members of different Yoruba ethnic groups. The contribution of this study is seen from the fact that it contributed to existing knowledge in the area of tracing the socio-political history of the town itself and its people.