OBA TUNWASE MUSUEM OPENS ROOM FOR LECTURES
Was there any education in Ijebu Kingdom before the white conquered the region in the 19th century? Can we say the Ijebu’s had been educated or already had their own education before colonialism?
Dr. Gbolahan Taiwo Adebule who was a guest lecturer of t
In a lecture that apparently held everybody spellbound and which hit the rock so hard, Dr. Adebule, the Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja delivered a recent lecture entitled “Ijebu Education” which was held at Otunba Tunwase Museum, Ijebu-Ode.
According to the lecturer who argued that we cannot say the Yoruba had no education before colonialism. Yorubas surely had education. There were instances of this in their customs, language, tradition, civilization, religion, all of which were embedded in the Yoruba culture.
Quoting J.F Ade Ajayi, he posited that lack of written language does not mean lack of historical sense as the documentary functions of archives were fulfilled in the epic songs, genealogies, praise songs, which were memorized, ritualized and frequently kept and transmitted by a specialized body within the royal courts which assured its veracity and fidelity in its transmissions.
The lecturer traced the genesis of Yoruba education to the Ifa educative components and rightly affirmed that the Yoruba cultural education is the Omoluabi education system which is anchored on respect for humanity and human dignity, sense of community, respect for legitimate and humane authority and respect for authentic moral and religious values.
According to him, the Yoruba education is pivoted on three sources: eko ile, (home training) eko ise (vocational training) and eko ilu (civics), usually learnt through the age group like the regberegbe of Ijebu land.
He highlighted the entry of education in Ijebuland through Christianity following the Imagbon war of 1892 which apparently led to the conquest of Ijebu territory by the whites. The close society system which was in operation are van by the Ijebus, prior to this, had not allowed the whites to enter Ijebu Kingdom.
Despite the various inter tribal wars that engulfed the Yoruba kingdom from 1793 and the troubles of the Fulani Jihadists from the North, Ijebu had never lost its sovereignty.
The lecture traced the origin of Western education in Ijebu from the missionary visit of 1854 up to 1892 Imagbon war, also known as the battle of Yemoji river.
He concluded on the history of the earliest Western educated Ijebu men.
The lecture was attended by a few residents, citizens and students from secondary schools and higher institutions notably: Ijebu Muslim College, Muslims Girl’s High School, Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Babcock University.
In his closing remarks, the curator of the museum, Prof. Bankole Okuwa enjoined the lecturer to publish his work for the sake of posterity and urged the government to reserve the space for history in the secondary schools. The Oba Adesimbo Tunwase Museum is the first kind in Ijebuland.
The Guest lecturer, Prince Dr. Gbolahan Adebule is the former Medical Director, National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, Yaba.
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