Talk:Don Gregorio Antón

The Historical Story Of Modakeke War.

Modakeke is a town in osun state south west nigeria with a population of close to 5000000 people. The modakekes are also known as ‘Akoraye’ and have a history of valor at arand are known as prosperous farmers.

The Arokaye means ‘the stork has a place’,The modakeke ancestry is to be traced to oduduwa the progenitor of yoruba race.it was the collapse of old oyo empirein the 19th century whichcaused a flood of refugees down south leading one of the displaced oyo group of people to settledown in the area know as Modakekes

The founding of modakeke is intimately and closely linked to and interwined with the consequence of the internecine wars that ravaged yorubaland . it’s a series of conflicts that occured between the IFE and Modakeke in nigeria the conflicts were driven by a combination of factors including land disputes,power struggle and historical grievance.the war spanned several decades with intermittent periods of violence and peace .

The first major outbreak of the war happened in the late 19th century ,and subsequent clashes continued into the late 20s .its result in massive loss of lives and lots of bloodsheds' with the displacement of people on both sides.

The British colonial administrations eventually intervene to mediate the conflicts and imposed a peace agreement.it can be traced back to socio-political and economic tensions between the two Yoruba communities. Overtime, Effort have been made to promote reconciliation between the life's and the Modakekes.

In conclusion, the Modakeke War remains a poignant reminder of the complex interplay of factors that can lead to conflict within a society. This war was fueled by issues of land, power, and cultural identity, which combined to create a volatile situation that persisted for decades. The consequences of the war were wide-ranging, affecting both the communities involved and the broader region. As Nigeria continues to evolve, the lessons from the Modakeke War emphasize the significance of addressing the root causes of conflicts, promoting cultural understanding, and pursuing sustainable solutions to avoid the recurrence of such destructive conflicts in the future.

Modakeke has thus existed as a town for more than two hundred and fifty (250 years) (Rev. Johnson 1921). It has its own traditional system with a traditional ruler and hierarchy of chiefs. It is proud of its record of healthy growth demographically, economically, culturally and its contribution to national development in all spheres.

Ile-Ife, the cradle of Yoruba race, occupies a pride place in Yoruba history; as such its traditional ruler, the Ooni of Ife, is seen as the Arole (custodian) of Oduduwa, the progenitor of Yoruba. Ife is the source of all that is Yoruba and the Ooni the father of all Yoruba people which today spreads over eight contiguous states of the Federation of Nigeria; be they Modakekes, Ifes, Ibadans, Ekitis, Ketus and so on. Not only does this position bestow on Ife and Ifes a pride place in Yoruba. History shackles them as well. They owe a sacred responsibility to defend and protect all interests concerning the Yorubas, Modakeke inclusive.

The last conflict ensued over an agitation by Modakeke people for a local government council of their own. In 1997, the military junta of the late Sani Abacha granted their wish by creating Ife East Local Government out of the former Ife North and Ife Central local governments.

Ife indigenes wanted the headquarters of the new council in their part of town, but Modakeke people objected. The government then announced Oke-Ogbo in Ile-Ife as the headquarters, despite initially indicating that Oke D. O. in Modakeke would be the location.

Modakeke people swiftly protested the “cheating and injustice” and a full-blown “war” ensued that killed hundreds of people from both sides and destroyed hundreds of houses, cars and other properties. Some residents also died later from depression over the loss of their properties to the conflict.

The killings continued until 2000 when the then president, Olusegun Obasanjo, set up a committee, led by Olabode George, to look into the intra-communal crisis.

The initiative was supported by the state government under the then governor, Bisi Akande.

The committee recommended the recognition of Ife East Area Office as a local administration entity with headquarters at Oke, D.O. in Modakeke, and adding “Ife” as a prefix to Modakeke for the town to become known as Modakeke-Ife.

The committee also recommended the location of a mobile police training school in Ile-Ife and police buffer zones in the flashpoints of the conflicts like Oke Yidi, Odo Okun, Iye Kere, Egbedore, Akrabata, Isale Agbara, and Mayfair/Obande areas.

Ile-Ife cannot leave the land for Modakeke and Modakeke people also have nowhere else to go. The bedrock of our peaceful coexistence since 2000 is tolerance. There are disagreements but they can no longer escalate to war like before.

“We also appreciate the unity among our traditional rulers. The Ooni of Ife and the Ogunsua of Modakeke have both played huge roles in reconciling the parties anytime disagreements occur.”

In Ile Ife, Mr Olaegbe said religious leaders have been pivotal in ensuring that the peace is sustained.

“People have now realised that war produces only regret and not peace.

“If anyone tells you that there is no more disagreement in the communities, the fellow is lying. There are many issues on a daily basis. But with the support of the two kings, matters are always resolved amicably.”

Many residents also believe that intermarriage between the two communities, which is now common, will also cement the peace.

Ogunsua of Modakeke, Oladejo Oyediran, three times in December for this report.

But he could not get to speak with either of the traditional rulers.

The secretary of the Ogunsua said the monarch needs the approval of Modakeke Progressive Union to speak with journalists. He promised to seek the approval and revert to our correspondent but he never did.

Our correspondent was not allowed to see the secretary on two subsequent visits.

At the Ooni’s palace, the Emeses (king staff) asked our correspondent to return the following day to speak with the Ooni. He did as advised but still could not see Mr Ogunwusi.

But sources at the two palaces corroborated that both kings were keen on ensuring that disagreements between their two communities never again lead to carnage.

“Even the late Ooni Sijuwade and late Oba Adedoyin, the kings during the last conflict, helped in pacifying aggrieved individuals. It has been the same with Ooni Ogunwusi and Oba Oyediran,” one of the sources said.

The two communities also have separate committees working in ensuring peace in the area.

The committees resolve disagreements to prevent their escalation to conflict between Ile-Ife and Modakeke. So far, those efforts are yielding results as Ile-Ife and Modakeke appear to have put the years of bloodbath behind them.

The recent building of the modakeke palace built in suitable taste of the king ogunusu. the palace built again to restore peace between the two yorubaland. Sam.prince0 (talk) 00:49, 23 August 2023 (UTC)