The underdevelopment of Ijebu-Jesa, my native Nazareth (1), by Inhabitun Komolafe

I’m an angry Nigerian! I am angry because ijebu-jesa, my hometown, is a city where the past and the present intersect in a complex mixture of tradition and modernity. The headquarters of the local government of Oriade in the state of Osun seems to fight to find his foot, and it is as if my native Nazareth was blocked in a temporal warp in which progress and stagnation coexist in a restless balance.

The concept of “home” in ijebu-jesa is complex. It is a place of belonging, but also a struggle site. The rich cultural heritage is still palpable, but the lack of development is a harsh reality. It is a treasure of traditions and customs, but it is also a reminder of the challenges to preserve the past while embracing the future. Perhaps it is time for people to take the situation in hand and require a real change.

Ijebu-jesa is another symptom of the underdevelopment. Go to the city center, known as “Inu Oja”, remove the “Iroko Oja” which has been removed in 1974 and you will have no cause not to support my position. The central mosque of that time remains where it was, as if to become something else, and the narrow road, which is said to have been defeated, remains practically impractical.

An important problem is the lack of infrastructure investments in my native Nazareth. Roads, constant energy and water supply remain elusive, making life a daily struggle for residents. Agricultural development, despite the fertile land of my hometown, seems to take a rear seat, with little support for farmers. The health and educational structures are poor, leaving the residents to look after themselves.

Ijebu-Jesa has a health center, previously known as the dispensary while the general hospital, the state-owned health initiative, is nothing to write at home. There is a commercial bank and a community bank. There are only two secondary schools, Ijebu-Jesa Grammar School, IJGS, (founded on January 18, 1955) and the Urban Day Grammar School (founded on 11 September 1978) for the needs of public secondary education in the whole city.

The then Divisional Teacher Training College (DTTC), a time pride of ijebu-jesa, has fallen away from its previous glory. But for the efforts of the deceased Kanmi Alo, who founded the Interlink Polytechnic, my hometown would have missed a tertiary institution. There is also a “mini stadium”, but his condition is ridiculous. To add an insult to injuries, the independent national electoral commission (INC) proudly states that my native Nazareth, with over 180,000 residents, deserves only a department, a statement that challenges the logic.

The Ijebu-Jesa policy is an infinite cycle of promises and disappointments. It is based, not on ideology but on cultural hegemony. It is designed to perpetuate mediocrity and maintain the status quo. Politicians come and are promising changes, but they offer nothing but empty rhetoric. The leaders emerge, advertising grandiose plans, but in the end, it is only hot air. After they could use us to get what they want, they turn to use us to get there! As a result, people suffer, the city stagnates and politicians collect the benefits. Are we surprised that there is no attention to development?

“Omo omo ousńlá ló wà, kò sí ìlú ouding” (we have old children but no big city). I vividly remember the outburst of the support when the gentlemen Sa Fairegun and DB Aloba, two of the founding fathers of the ijebu-jesa Union Conference (IJUC), died in the 80s. As a student of the IJGS, I was among those who flanked the roads to say goodbye to these leaders of the community. Fast forward until 2025, an era of social media and artificial intelligence, and affects how few can remember the name of the current global president IJUC. It is a reflection of how much the development has fallen into my hometown.

The contribution of the State Government of Osun to the development of Ijebu-Jesa seems to follow a family model. For example, the promises of modification made by the current administration remain dissatisfied and the continuous underdevelopment cycle. The tokenistic development initiatives, characterized by flashy but not very tangible impact ads, only increase frustration.

For some of us, our love for ijebu-jesa knows no limits. It is a fact, some of us would not have left the house in search of more green pastures elsewhere if only there were work to anchor our dreams. Now, with “ORí adé kìí sù” (the crown head never sleeps outside) which echoes in our minds, we are definitely dragged at home.

Our children also love their hometown. They are instructed and equally capable, if not more than others in other places. Unfortunately, they are unemployed and are not becoming younger. What steps are we taking to stem this tide?

Once again, it is here that the unions of the city of the Community of Igbo have given a remarkable example. Since the 1930s they have made great strides, exploiting collective efforts to collect long -term capitals and guide development. Their ability to work together and support their people is truly commendable. What have we learned from their approach? In particular, what cooperative paintings do the unions of the city of Ijebu-Jesa have to guide progress and support our community?

Watch the Economy of Igbo; They are dominant in many sectors. But honestly, the Yoruba community has fought to achieve a similar success, and it is a lost opportunity. We played in Ludo with the cooperative bank and the bank died a “soludo” death, without concrete plans in progress to allow any offspring designed to see the light of the day. Look around and you will be surprised that Igbos has most of the houses in the southwestern region.

The sad reality is that the development of my hometown is a patchwork quilt, with the solo efforts of OBA Olufemi Agunsoye who cover the few modern services that we see today – from the Federal Road Safety Commission (FSC) building, to the UltraModerno Palace (still a work in progress). He is also saying that over 50% of the development of the Palace brings his Majesty imprimatur. This speaks to individual genius, perhaps, but also to the toll accusation of our collective apathy.

Congratulations to pioneers like Rotimi Obeisun, who has challenged the chances of cultivating growth in my beloved hometown. Maybe one or two others! But to tell the truth, their efforts seem like a lonely trumpet in a forest of silence. If other visionaries Egboroans had joined this worthy crusade, perhaps ijebu-jesa would not have soaked, almost five decades after the district council has turned into a general government headquarters.

Like many other communities, ijebu-jesa hosts “bad critics that do not speak on realistic issues”. According to reports, this had a lasting impact on Gabriel Onibonoje, to whom an unexpected story was told that left a mark. He never returned to my hometown until his death two years ago. Oba Oladele Olasore, the deceased Ajagbus Ekun of Iloko-Ijesa, met a similar destiny, never looking in my beloved hometown until his death.

On a day like this, I remember the deceased Ajayi Ige, who, despite not being rich, sacrificed everything he had for ijebu-jesa. He altruistically helped all those who came to him. What did my hometown do to honor him while he was alive and what is he doing to honor his memory as a way to encourage others?

For the love of God, where are the sons and daughters of my native Nazareth in those high places and what are they doing to change the lyrics of the song? In some neighborhoods it is even said that Aishat Alubankudi, the manager of the program for the subsidy for vulnerable groups under the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the management of catastrophes and social development, has its roots in the famous family of ijebu-jesa. If this is true, then it is doubtful that he has returned to his hometown in terms of decime political. If he has, he certainly needs to increase the ante.

• To be concluded.

*Komolafe wrote from Ijebu-Jesa, state of Osun, Nigeria ([email protected]; 08033614419 – SMS only)

Related