The Founder of Fiditi, Fasoyin Asu being very old was more tired than any of his men. Asu looked forward and he saw one big “ARERE TREE” and he rested his back on it. He said “O RE MI PUPO” E JE KI NFI DI TI NIHIN” (I am very tired. Let me rest my bottom here).
From this statement which Asu made, the town got its name – FIDITI.
Fiditi, the home of Fasoyin Asu, a town with awesome history, lots of human resources, a citadel of learning that has churned out lots of alumni who are holding their own globally, a town with the potentials of the Silicon Valley, a spatial location that encourages agriculture, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, and a transport hub.
Fiditi has always been dubbed the ‘Garden of Eden’ due to the naturally located fruit cultivation, which has made the town a stopover, through the years, to purchase fruits of all types by travelers, with present potential to produce healthy fruit drinks, if willing investors and industrialists give it a thought.
FIDITI in Afijio Local Government Area of Oyo State is a small town located between Ibadan and Oyo. It is bounded in the North by Oyo and the south by Ibadan, Iware in the East, and Ijaye in the West. It is also bounded in the northwest by Ilora and in the northeast by Akinmorin and Awe.
FIDITI is located in the rainforest area. It is about thirty-eight and a half kilometers from Ibadan and about fourteen and a half kilometers from Oyo.
There are some hills and mountains that are not too far from the town, among these are Ajadi hills, Eegbe hill, and Gbenuoke hill. The town herself is situated on a “hill-form” land and there are two simple valleys in both the Southern and Northern parts of the town.
For all her achievement she is known to be a progressive town.
The Relationship Of Alaafin Atiba And Fasoyin Asu In The Nineteenth Century
FIDITI was founded by a good warrior Fasoyin otherwise known as ASU in about 1842. Asu whose presence was a menace to the Fulanis in Ika Odan was driven by the Fulanis to Ijaye.
Asu, a powerful warrior was fearful to the inhabitants of every place he lived. He was fearful to his people because he was very skillful in the use of Yoruba spiritual powers and he was always thirsting for war. By the time Asu was driven away to Ijaye by the fulanis in Ika Odan, Ijaye was under the control of the Alaafin of Oyo.
Alaafin Atiba Atobatele was on the throne by then.
The war chief of Oyo known as the Aare-Ona-kakanfo was the ruler of Ijaye. Ikurunmi was the Aare of Ijaye when Asu was driven to Ijaye.
Kurunmi of Ijaye feared the presence Asu in his town, so he went to the Alaafin of Oyo to report that he would not like Asu to remain in his town and that Alaafin could help him to drive Asu away from Ijaye.
A plan was set to assassinate Asu and that Alaafin should send for him to visit him (Alaafin) at Oyo. Asu was sent for by the Alaafin Atiba. Alaafin had employed able-bodied men to wait at the entrance of the palace for the arrival of Asu. These men were instructed to beat Asu to death as soon as they saw him around the palace.
Asu did not know the plan of the then Alaafin when he sent for him and even if he knew what was to happen, he must not refuse the call of the Alaafin.
Alaafin, the great emperor that cannot be refused by anyone.
Asu went straight to the palace. As soon as the men waiting for him saw him, they all rushed at him and raised up their hands at him to strike him on the head, but they could not raise their hands down again.
Asu got into the palace unharmed. Alaafin was surprised to see him. He made a slight discussion with him and sent him back to Ijaye.
When Asu got back to Ijaye, he was making vegetable gardens occupying lands without the permission of Kurunmi.
Asu, his son; Ogungbile, and his two slaves were behaving in ways to annoy the Aare Kurunmi. Aare-Ona-Kakanfo was never pleased with the presence of Asu in Ijaye town.
Kurunmi. Aare-Ona-Kakanfo was never pleased with the presence of Asu in Ijaye town.
Ikurunmi went to the Alaafin again to renew their plan on how to kill Asu or drive him away from Ijaye. This time, they dug a trench in the palace and spread a beautiful mat on it.
Their plan was that as soon as Asu came to Alaafin Atiba he would be asked to sit on the mat and as soon as he sat on the mat he would fall into the trench and he would be quickly buried alive.
Asu was sent for by the Alaafin the second time. Asu did not go alone this time, he went in the company of his dog. As soon as Asu arrived at the palace he was asked to sit on the mat. He sat confidently on the mat and the mat was never sunk.
Alaafin was convinced that Asu could not be easily conquered. Impressed, and with great admiration for Asu, the Alaafin Atiba sent him back to Ijaye unharmed. Aare Kurunmi became more embarrassed when he saw Asu back at Ijaye.
Asu Founded Fiditi As His Own Settlement
One day in the same year 1842, Asu thought of founding a place by himself and his people. He consulted his ‘IFA’ on when he should leave Ijaye to find his own new settlement. He made a sacrifice that Ifa requested him to make. One man, Onipede brought the sacrifice to crossroads.
When Onipede returned from where he placed the sacrifice, there was a heavy downpour of rain. Thunder struck the horse which Onipede rode and the horse was killed.
warrior)
Chief Aina the Baale-Agbe (head of farmers)
Chief Alade, the Ikolaba
Chief Titilola, the Iyalode
Chief Ijeba the Alapo
Chief Akanbi the Apena
Chief Remilekun Alagbara-Egungun
Chief Olufimo the Oluode (head of the hunters)
Chief Olurin the Chief Ifa priest, and
Chief Ogunbiyi, Ajana Oro.
As soon as Alaafin learned that Asu had left Ijaye to find a settlement, Alaafin Atiba sent to Asu not to settle very near him.
Asu had wanted to settle at a place called Agodongbo where the king messengers settle the food which they had collected from different farms.
Baale Agbe Aina Way
Iku Baba Yeye, Alaafin Atiba sent to Asu and instructed that he must not settle there and that he must move southwards and stay at Jobele.
Jobele had once been a very big town but war had reduced the town to a very small town.
From Jobele, hunters had been moving southwards to hunt games. From Jobele, Asu and his men moved to the hunting centre of the hunters.
Before they got to the hunting centre it was late in the evening. Every one of them was very tired.
Asu being very old was more tired than any of his men. Asu looked forward and he saw one big “ARERE TREE” and he rested his back on it. He said “O RE MI PUPO” E JE KI NFI DI TI NIHIN” (I am very tired. Let me rest my bottom here).
From this statement which Asu made, the town got its name – FIDITI.
Asu met some hunters at Fiditi. They were Lanke, Olusiyan, Olantia and Omodeni. These hunters made a small hut and they were hunting around the area.
Asu met some other huts belonging to the Egbas. The hunters earlier mentioned came to Fiditi from Ila Omodeni left Ila because of a chieftaincy conflict.
When Asu and his men arrived at Fiditi, Omodeni and his men thought that Asu and his men brought war, against them so they fled.
One of Asu’s men, Ayoola the father of Opaogun and Ogidi who had once met the hunters and himself was a hunter traced the where-about of Omodeni and his men after which he brought them back to Fiditi.
Asu then explained to them that he had come not to wage war against them but he had come to settle with them. He swore that he would live in peace with them but the people still feared Asu because Asu was interested in warfare.
At last, the hunters accommodated Asu and his people and they continued to live in peace
Source: MyWovenwords
0 Comments