| HRM Oba Emmanuel Taiwo Ogunleye II Amugbayanwo
Elemure of Emure-Ekiti Life History |
| Birth and Family
Elemure Ogunleye II Amugbayanwo (born Prince Emmanuel Taiwo Ogunleye) was born circa October 12, 1922. He was the ninth (9th) Elemure of Emure-Ekiti (1965-1974). Oba Ogunleye II was born to HRM Oba (King) Ogunleye I Odundun (1931-1952) and HRH Olori (Queen) Bolangbe Ogunleye (nee Ojomu Ogedu Arintokun). His only full sibling was his Senior Sister, Princess Fagite Ogundare-Fagbemi* (nee Elemure Ogunleye I). He was born in Emure-Ekiti during the reign of his uncle, Elemure Oba Adeyemi Ayibiowu Atobatele (Ajirotutu III). The date of Ogunleye II Amugbayanwo�s birth was not recorded, but he was said to have been born two years before the death of his uncle, King Atobatele. According to oral history, he was born immediately after Iluyanwa (The New Yam Festival), which was (and is still) celebrated in September of every year. Since King Atobatele died in May 1924, and it was said that King Ogunleye II was born slightly more than one and a half years and less than two years before his uncle�s death, therefore Ogunleye II could not have been born in 1923. Most likely, he was born in 1922. Since Iluyanwa is celebrated in September, Oba Ogunleye II Amugbayanwo later chose October 12 as his birthday. Coincidentally, his first child, Princess Adenrele was born on that same 12th of October. He was baptized on October 10, 1936 and it states on his Baptismal Certificate that the ceremony was performed at �The District of Ekiti, in the Diocese of Lagos�. His sponsors for the baptismal service were D. O. Adebiyi, J. Olorundero and L. Labusayo. The baptism was performed by Reverend T. B. Fayemi. The future King Ogunleye II grew up under the strict and watchful eyes of his mother, Olori Bolangbe, who had just two surviving children � the prince and his senior sister, princess Fagite. Olori Bolangbe had given birth to a total of fourteen children, out of which only two survived. She was also very protective of the future King because at his birth there had been a prophecy that he would be crowned as king. In a typical royal polygamous setting bedeviled by petty jealousies, this was a particularly delicate situation. As part of precautionary measures, his mother dressed him in female clothing for more than seven years after his birth so that he would not be identified as a male child, which could have led to his being killed or harmed. This hide and seek game might also have contributed to his starting school at a very advanced age. To justify this excessive cautionary measure, there was a day when he followed one of his half-brothers to the farm. The brother had earlier set a large trap in a banana grove. He then sent the young prince to go and bring something from the grove, knowing that he would have to walk over the trap. Fortunately for the young prince, his father, who was not yet a king at this time, came upon the duo, and nipped the potentially dangerous situation in the bud. Education The life of Elemure Ogunleye II Amugbayanwo was one of struggles, challenges, successes and accomplishments. He began his educational career at St. Paul�s Anglican Primary school, Emure-Ekiti in 1934. He started school at a very advanced age. His peers recalled that when they had already started school, he would sit by the window, looking wistfully at his peers on their way to school. By the time he would convince his father to send him to school; his peers were already about four years ahead. Fortunately however, once he started school, he proved to be very hard-working and brilliant that he was given double promotion twice. This brought him to the same class as his peers, and to the chagrin of many of them, he still beat them hands down, coming first in all the examinations. Some of his peers were so miffed at this development that they would wait for him outside the perimeter of the school fence after school hours, and attempt to beat him up. Fortunately for him, he was always able to evade them. In another happy development, the boy, Prince Taiwo Ogunleye was given another double promotion which now took him outside the Emure-Ekiti precinct. The primary school at Emure-Ekiti stopped at standard four, so brilliant pupils had to go outside the town for further education. Prince Emmanuel Taiwo Ogunleye then had to proceed to a school at Owo and later, Emmanuel Primary school, Ado-Ekiti, to complete his primary education. After the successful completion of his primary education, Prince Emmanuel Ogunleye proceeded to Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife, Western Nigeria for his secondary education. His education was however curtailed due to lack of funds. He had to leave the school halfway through his studies. In writing a testimonial for him, his school principal, Mr. S.A. Adeyefa, had this to say: �He was found to be honest, diligent and obedient to his masters, he was vey industrious in his lessons and thirsts for secondary education. At the moment, he has nobody to support him financially � I recommend him to anyone who may require his services.� His father, Elemure Oba Ogunleye I Odundun had stopped sponsoring the young prince�s education under the pretext that if he continued sponsoring him, he would have to sponsor his other children. He claimed that he didn�t have the resources to perform such a gargantuan task! He also claimed that since he did not send his senior children who were older than Prince Emmanuel to school; his other wives would be angry if Prince Emmanuel Taiwo were to be the only educated child in the family. The father, Oba Ogunleye I Odundun had twelve wives. At this juncture, one of King Odundun�s wives, Olori Olugbe, challenged the king, asking him why an Oba (King) should not be able to sponsor just one out of his numerous children. She therefore advised him to pay Prince Taiwo�s school fees but Oba Odundun refused and stood his ground. Consequently, Prince Emmanuel Taiwo could not continue with his secondary education. He then went to Badagry and Lagos where he worked with some Europeans and later enrolled at St. Andrew�s College, Oyo. He obtained the then highly prestigious Higher Elementary Certificate from the College in 1946. This was one of the highest qualifications that could be obtained in Nigeria at the period before the first University in Nigeria (University of Ibadan) was established in 1948. Prince Emmanuel Taiwo Ogunleye continued to thirst for further education. He therefore registered for a correspondence course at the University of London�s Institute of Education where he obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Education. However, he never used the certificate to work because he was crowned the Elemure of Emure-Ekiti immediately after his graduation. Marriage The future Oba Ogunleye II Amugbayanwo married Olori (Queen) Christiana Abigail (born Miss. Christiana Abigail Oguntuase). Her father was High Chief Joseph Oguntuase Ojimo, and her mother was Madam Sarah Oguntuase. Christiana Abigail was a primary school teacher at St. Paul�s Anglican Primary School, Emure-Ekiti when they got married. However, their first contact was as students in the primary school when Prince Emmanuel Taiwo was first given double promotion. He was promoted to Christiana Abigail�s class. However, he didn�t stay long in the class before he was promoted ahead of her. Prince Emmanuel took his wife to his station at Abeokuta in 1950. They later moved together to many other stations before Prince Emmanuel Taiwo ascended the throne of his forefathers in 1965, and they returned home to Emure-Ekiti as a formidable team to rule and reign. The marriage was blessed with many children: Princess Adenrele Prince Adetunji Princess Tejumade Prince Emmanuel Temitope Prince Oluwasegun Princess Aderinsola Prince Adeyemi Princess Temilade Life as an Oba (King) After the coronation, HRM Elemure Oba Ogunleye II Amugbayanwo and Olori (Queen) Abigail moved to the palace called Aafin Elemure, in the centre of Emure, the main official residence of the Emure monarchs. Emure witnessed tremendous growth and expansion during his reign. HRM Alayeluwa Elemure Emmanuel Taiwo Ogunleye II was the Chairman of the Ekiti Southern District Council of Obas of the old Western State of Nigeria. During his reign, Emure-Ekiti�s Postal Agency was upgraded to a full-fledged Post Office in 1972. This was in acknowledgement of the position of importance occupied by Emure-Ekiti during this period. A new Post Office was built, second only to the Akure Post Office, which was the most beautiful in the old Ondo Province. A modern Motor-Park was constructed for Emure during this period. In 1972, a Shopping Mall was built in front of the palace. Many churches sprang up in the town during Oba Emmanuel Taiwo Ogunleye II�s reign. This includes the famous Apostolic Faith Church. The foundation stone for St. Paul�s Anglican Church was laid on December 30, 1971 and it was eventually dedicated in 1980. St. Peter�s Anglican Church was built and dedicated during his reign. The only ultramodern mosque in the town (yet to be completed) had its foundation stone laid in 1969. The Catholic Maternity, which has now been upgraded to a full-fledged hospital was constructed and commissioned in 1972. Oba Emmanuel Taiwo Ogunleye II provided the land for the construction of the Emure Town Hall in February 1974 and he was able to attract the support of his cousin, Prince Samuel Olaoye Ogunsina in developing the site. Prince S. O. Ogunsina was popularly known by his cognomen, Oremeji and he was conferred with a honorary chieftancy title, The Araba of Emure-Ekiti by Oba Emmanuel Taiwo Ogunleye II. Prince (Chief) Samuel Olaoye Ogunsina bankrolled the construction of the modern Town Hall. The edifice was completed by October and it was commissioned on November 23, 1974. Oba Ogunleye II initiated a water scheme project as far back as 1968. The pipe borne water project was about to reach its completion when he passed away in 1974. He worked tirelessly to complete the project for Emure, but it was not to be. He also worked assiduously on the Emure Rural Electrification Project. The fruit of this project was to manifest after his reign. Emure people were so much economically empowered that they were able to take care of themselves and contribute to the development of the community. During Oba Emmanuel Taiwo Ogunleye II�s reign, private businesses boomed. A lot of business tycoons emerged in the town. Peace and tranquility also reigned supreme over the land. Oba Ogunleye II Amugbayanwo�s era was very prosperous. He was majestic, kind, selfless and helpful. He lived in his palace throughout till he joined his ancestors. He lies buried with his ancestors at the royal burial ground called Alua Omolore, reserved only for Emure monarchs. Ancestry Elemure Oba Ogunleye II Amugbayanwo (Ajirotutu VI) was the son of Elemure Oba Ogunleye I Odundun (Ajirotutu V). His grandfather was Elemure Oba Ogunsusi Ajirotutu I Aroloye, while his great-grandfather was Elemure Oba Adumori Ogunragaboja, the monarch that led the Emure people from the old site at Igbo-Owa kingdom to the present site, Emure-Ekiti (formerly known as Emure Ijaloke) in 1780. Ogunragaboja was also the first Elemure at the new Emure-Ekiti site. Elemure Ogunleye II�s mother, Olori Bolangbe hailed from Emure-Ekiti. She was the daughter of High Chief Ojomu Ogedu of Emure and her mother was Olajenboye, the daughter of High Chief Ojomo Agunloye I of Owo. There was obviously a very cordial relationship between Emure and her neighbors, which can be seen from Emure men marrying the daughters of their neighbors. Olajenboye hailed from Owo, while Oba Ogunleye I Odundun�s mother was Olori Afuyeye, who came from Ikare. Elemure Oba Ogunleye II�s grandfather, Elemure Oba Ogunsusi Ajirotutu had many sons and some of them also reigned after him. These include: Oba Fagbegi Owoso (Ajirotutu II): 1902 � 1907 Oba Ayibiowu Atobatele (Ajirotutu III): 1908 � 1924 Oba Ogunloye Arosoye (Ajirotutu IV): 1924 � 1931 Oba Ogunleye Odundun (Ajirotutu V): 1931 � 1952 The first three kings mentioned above were Elemure Oba Ogunleye II Amugbayanwo�s direct uncles, while the fourth (King Odundun) was his father. This shows that indeed, he hailed from a family of royalty and qualifies to be referred to as Ogunleye II Amugbayanwo (Ajirotutu VI). 1. Oba Ogunleye II Amugbayanwo of Emure-Ekiti Parents 2. Oba Ogunleye I Odundun of Emure-Ekiti (father of 1) 3. Olori Bolangbe (mother of 1) Grandparents 4. Oba Ogunsusi Ajirotutu I of Emure-Ekiti(father of 2) 5. Olori Afuyeye (mother of 2) 6. High Chief Ojomu Ogedu (father of 3) 7. Madam Olajenboye (mother of 3) Great- Grandparents 8. Oba Adumori Ogunragaboja of Emure-Ekiti (father of 4) 9. High Chief Ojomu Arintokun (father of 6) 10. High Chief Ojomo Agunloye I of Owo (father of 7) HRM Elemure Oba Emmanuel Taiwo Ogunleye II Amugbayanwo joined his ancestors on November 25, 1974, but his legacies and footprints live on in the hearts of men and in the physical space and geographical terrain called Emure-Ekiti. Oba Ogunleye II was an historic figure who contributed to the development of Emure-Ekiti in his lifetime. He was a rare combination of personal skills and public mission. He divided his life between humanitarianism and education, between personal achievements and public service. Oba Ogunleye II was an accomplished educationist, scholar and leader. The essence of Oba Emmanuel Taiwo Ogunleye II's life can be distilled in a quote from some of his younger brothers. According to them, "Oba Emmanuel Taiwo Ogunleye II Amugbayanwo was the person that brought love into the Elemure Ogunleye I Odundun's family". He never discriminated against anybody, gathering all and sundry together and showing them love, offering help and encouragement for the advancement of humanity. |
| Birth and Family |
| Education |
| Marriage |
| Life as an Oba (King) |
| Welcome to the page that provides the life history of Oba Ogunleye II Amugbayanwo , Elemure of Emure-Ekiti (1965-1974). On this page, you will find information about his: |
The Issue of Age The issue of age among the Yoruba of Western Nigeria is quite interesting. Many people, for one reason or the other, either subtract from or add years to their age. For instance, civil servants who want to spend more years in government service before retiring would reduce their ages. It is however regarded as a matter of pride to be the eldest person in a community. Consequently, some people ascribe a higher age to themselves to enjoy the honor and dignity ascribed to elders within the society. This can only be described as falsification of age. Examples abound to illustrate this malaise: It is alleged that one of the earliest Ooni of Ile-Ife, King Lafogido reigned for �three hundred years�! In the present generation, some Nigerian newspapers wrote that the music maestro, Orlando Owoh died at the age of seventy-four while his mother was said to be over a hundred years old at the time of her son�s death. In The Nation Newspaper of November 30, 2008 (page 7),the aged mother however cried out that she was only eighty-seven years old and that she gave birth to the dead music legend in February 1943. This clearly entails that Orlando Owoh was sixty-five years old when he died on November 4, 2008. The aged mother is clearly qualified to know her son�s birthday, by virtue of her educational status and her profession as an old school-teacher. A final example is the eldest child of King Ogunleye I Odundun (Ajirotutu V) named Princess Ogunbusola. Her mother, Olori Oja Snr. was taken in levirate marriage after her original husband (King Ogunsusi Ajirotutu I) died in 1901. Any child she might have had for the future King Ogunleye I Odundun could only have been born after 1901. Ironically, some other children born to King Odundun years after this event by other wives were said to have been born between 1870s and 1890s. This would imply that their senior sister, Princess Ogunbusola was born in the 1860s rather than after 1901. Many of Oba Ogunleye II Amugbayanwo's contemporaries that died recently were given ages ranging from one hundred to one hundred and ten. This signifies that they were born between 1899 and 1909. Some of his surviving younger brothers and sisters now claim to be in their nineties and over hundred. This connotes that they were born between 1909 and 1915. |
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| *Princess Fagite Ogundare-Fagbemi's (nee Elemure Ogunleye I Odundun) Children: 1.) Mr.Thomas Fagbemi 2.) Mr. Clement Fagbemi 3.) Madam Solape Fasanmi 4.) Madam Elizabeth Oguntuase 5.) Madam Victoria Ogundare 6.) Madam Janet Ogundare 7.) Chief Victor Fagbemi |
| HRM Oba (King) Emmanuel Taiwo Ogunleye II addressing Journalists in his Palace |
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Praise Chant/Eulogy (Oriki) The giant tree that is rooted in the depth of the sea Amugbayanwo, owner of the inexhaustible store of money The big masquerade arises, shakes his head and the enemies flee The strong and dreadful one He brings good luck to many people Yet he symbolizes bad luck to the rebellious and disobedient He who kills and yet is commended for doing so. People run to him for refuge The great one that saves, owner of big and terrifying eyeballs The hawk challenged the eagle The eagle defied the hawk The hawk�s feather was totally plucked The people said the birds were only playing with each other What sort of tomfoolery made birds to pluck each other�s feathers? Ogunleye Amugbayanwo, Father of Adenrele Amugbayanwo, he who has farms and land untold, Father of prosperity Whether he wobbles or not, single-handedly, he led the Emures to the Promised Land Ogunragaboja, the aged one whose body is covered with gray hair His sudden appearance, like a flash of lightning, is a shocker to all men He thrusts aside ten thousand people to draw closer to his own people It is the people�s loyalty that matters, money does not Ogunleye, a fearless warrior, always battle-ready All attempts to conquer him always fail Rather, he multiplies and increases his slaves, Father of Adetunji. Amugbayanwo, he who gives clothes to the poor Your Majesty, you are great, you possess everything You never lack and your life is as sweet as honey He who is second only to God A strapping man, handsome, richly garbed in expensive clothes Amugbayanwo, he who has money but does not know how to spend it He who has abundance of wealth, Father of Tejumade. He ignores the ranting of the ignorant, Father of Emmanuel Temitope The great one that provides ample space for non-indigenes to settle Ogunleye, who gives people fertile land to plant yam and cocoa Whether he wobbles or not, single-handedly, he led the Emures to the Promised Land A capable strong man! Ogunleye, son of Bolangbe The big masquerade raises his hand, the enemies flee The elephant shakes his trunk in anticipation of a fight. Amugbyanwo, he who has lots of money to spend and to give! Elemure, Chief Priest of Ora Elemure who eats the New Yam to the accompaniment of soft raindrops Elemure neither eats the apex of the yam, nor the tail He only eats the middle portion of the yam He who kills without the intention of inheriting property, Husband of Christiana Abigael He who uses his bare hands to kill It is those who are presumptuous That he chooses to lead battles The great Amugbayanwo who cuts a person�s leg for no reason. He who moves like the strong waves of the sea My Lord, inexorable like the flood He spreads and flows around like the unstoppable force of the ocean, which flows round the whole universe, Brother of Fagite Ogunleye Amugbayanwo the Great He moved with the ocean and became its confidant Ogunleye the Great! He moved the Lagoon and outshone it The Great one, the Robust one, the Lion of Emure, son of Ogunleye Odundun. Odundun, the Overseer of the Sea, god of the Ocean The King that rules and governs peacefully Ogunleye the First Ogunleye the Second - that is who you are, Ogunleye Amugbayanwo Amugbayanwo, who gives clothes to the poor He who has an inexhaustible store of money. Ogunleye, he who levels the mounds, Father of Oluwasegun He also turns thick forests into cities and delightsome habitations for his people All attempts to get rid of him always fail Rather, he multiplies his slaves, Father of Aderinsola He buys different types of clothes He wears different types of tunics He whose house overflows with victuals, Father of Adeyemi The big ram that bestrides the night like a colossus An established and contented giant It is only the envious that would say of the Elephant �I perceived a form flickering by� When the Great Elephant passes by, the forest and its inhabitants stand still. He who handpicked only the best to be his queen He who is second only to God The Lion of Emure, your wife�s name is Christiana Abigael. He who closes the gates so that his slaves would not escape He says �no freedom for the slaves� and �the novices are not welcome to the scene� Amugbayanwo the Great has promised to salvage me from my troubles He who is unredeemable by Amugbayanwo should ask his fate The great one like the Elephant, son of Ogunsusi Ajirotutu Ajirotutu the First Ajirotutu the Second Ajirotutu the Third Ajirotutu the Fourth Ajirotutu the Fifth Ajirotutu the Sixth � that is who you are, Ogunleye Amugbayanwo He ignores the ranting of the ignorant Ogunleye who is at home and instructs the termites what to do Amugbayanwo is at home, yet he gives instructions to the army To carry out his assignments, Father of Temilade He who sends termites to destroy his enemy�s house In the disobedient people�s quarters, son of Adumori Ogunragaboja Ogunragaboja, the wise and elderly one whose body is covered with the grey hair of age The Great One that brought Emure from Igbo-Owa Kingdom to Emure Ijaloke Ogunleye Amugbayanwo, the owner of a hydra-headed palm tree A single palm tree that has one base and sixteen heads He who people see and marvel, Father of Aderanti, Father of Modupe The song in every mouth is �Your lordship is coming gorgeously� �Your eminence is celebrating today� �Your majesty is celebrating today� Amugbayanwo, the owner of the house that is full of gold Husband of beautiful Christiana Abigael. |
| Ancestry |
| Eulogy (Oriki) |