Adire/Kampala traders in Itoku market, Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Thursday, asked Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State to withdraw his statement on the origin of the indigenous fabrics.
Adeleke had during a courtesy visit by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, said contrary to widely held perception, the Adire textile originated from Osun, not Ogun State.
In a viral video, Adeleke presented a bag containing Adire fabric to Gbajabiamila, and said “This is Adire. Osun State is the source.”
Responding swiftly, Gbajabiamila said “I thought it was Ogun State.”
The Osun governor said “No, no, no. They stole it from us. They came to Ede, my town. You know Ede is just 15 minutes drive from Osogbo.”
But the Egba traders engaging in the production of Adire addressed newsmen on Thursday in Abeokuta to express their reservation over Adeleke’s comment on the origin of Adire.
Alhaja Sadiat Akamo, the Iyaloja of Kemta Adire Market, Itoku, Abeokuta, rejected the historical narrative pushed out by the Osun Governor as well as the word “stole.”
Akamo who spoke through the Babalaje of Kemta/Itoku Adire Market, Chief Michael Ogungidodo, described Adeleke’s comment as weighty.
She said, “We all know Yoruba people are Omoluabi and we are always cautious of whatever we say in the public.
“For a respected governor to come to the public and call a set of people thieves… Ole ni won, won ji ni (they’re thieves, they stole it), it’s very weighty.
“We believe that such governor should try as much as possible to make amends and reverse such statement,” he said.
Iyaloja noted that Gbajabiamila himself said he thought the local fabrics originated from Ogun, but the governor insisted that Osun is the source.
“That’s where the word stolen comes from and it goes a long way. We are not thieves. Egbas don’t steal, we work diligently. We inherited the trade. That’s the more reason why we are expecting a lot of responses from foremost Egba leaders to clarify that issue,” she said.
The Iyaloja maintained that millions of women and youths engage in Adire production with focus on different sections including waxing, dyeing, tying, printing, local ironing among others.
Going down memory lane, she said “Egba was actually existing back then in 13th century in Orile Egba and since 13th century, one of the major works of the Egbas then was Adire which later transcended to when Abeokuta was formed in 1830.
“Here in Kemta, we still continue the same trade, the process and the trade of Adire. Everybody knows that Abeokuta is one of the foremost industrious and enlightened areas in the entire Nigeria. And this Adire of a thing is one of the prides of our people and we have been engaging in it.”
According to her, the second Iyalode of Egbaland, Madam Jojolola was one of those who improved on the Adire-making.
“So, it baffles us when we now hear it was stolen. Who stole what? Who are the original people that own it? Who are the people that are doing it? We will not engage anyone on this issue because we are not in the position to do that .
“But we want the whole World to know that when we talk of Adire, we talk of Abeokuta, the home of Adire,” Akamo said.
