BRIEF HISTORY OF OGUN STATE

BRIEF HISTORY OF OGUN STATE

• Brief History of Ogun State.
• Creation of the Gateway State.
• Ogun State Location in Nigeria.
• Traditional Institutions in Ogun State.
• Roll Call of Past and Present Ogun State Governors/Administrators.
• Ogun State with Highest number of Higher Institutions in Nigeria
• Twenty-Eight (28) higher institutions located in Ogun State.
• Ogun State as Tourist attraction in Nigeria.

Creation of Ogun State: It was created on February 3, 1976 when the then old Western State was divided into Ogun, Ondo, and Oyo States by the military administration of General Murtala Muhammed and General Olusegun Obasanjo and has Abeokuta as its capital.

Location of Ogun State in Nigeria: Located in South Western Nigeria, Ogun State covers 16,762 Square kilometres. It borders Lagos State to the South, Oyo and Osun States to the North, Ondo State to the East and the Republic of Benin to the West. It has twenty (20) Local Government Areas of; (1) Abeokuta North, (2) Abeokuta South, (3) Ado-Odo/Ota, (4) Egbado North (Yewa North), (5) Egbado South (Yewa South), (6) Ewekoro, (7) Ifo, (8) Ijebu East, (9) Ijebu North, (10) Ijebu North East, (11) Ijebu Ode, (12) Ikenne, (13) Imeko-Afon, (14) Ipokia, (15) Obafemi-Owode, (16) Ogun Waterside, (17) Odeda, (18) Odogbolu, (19) Remo North and (20) Shagamu. It has important Cities and Towns such as Abeokuta, Ijebu Ode, Shagamu, Ilaro, Ijebu Igbo, Sango-Ota, Ago-Iwoye, Ikenne Remo, Aiyetoro, Ipokia, Idiroko, Owode –Yewa etc.

Traditional Institutions in Ogun State: Ogun State recognises and gives authority to the traditional institutions for the purpose of governance. The state is thus divided into four (4) of REMO headed by the Akarigbo of Remo and Paramount Ruler of Remoland, IJEBU headed by the Awujale of Ijebu Ode and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, YEWA headed by the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, and EGBA headed by the Alake of Abeokuta and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland. The Chairmanship of Obas in the State is usually rotates among the Paramount rulers.This Remo, Ijebu, Yewa and Egba is popularly called (RIYE).

Roll Call of Ogun State Past & Present Governors/Administrators: The State has been governed by Sixteen (16) Military Administrators/Executive Governors since her creation in February, 1976;

The Ten (10) Military Administrators are; (1) Lt. Col. Saidu Ayodele Balogun from March 1976 to July, 1978.  (2) Brigadier Harris O. D. Eghagha from July, 1978 to October, 1979. (3) Colonel Oladipo Diya from January, 1984 to August, 1985. (4) Colonel Oladayo Popoola from August, 1985 to 1986. (5) Colonel Raji Alagbe Rasaki from 1986 to December, 1987. (6) Navy Captain Mohammed Lawal from December, 1987 to August, 1990. (7) Navy Cpt. Oladeinde Joseph from August, 1990 to January, 1992. (8) Lt.Col. Daniel Olukunle Akintonde from December, 1993 to August, 1996. (9) Navy Captain Sam Ewang from August, 1996 to August, 1998. (10) Commodore Kayode Luke Olofinmonyin from August, 1998 to May, 1999.

The Six (6) Executive Governors are; (1) Chief Victor Olabisi Onabanjo from October, 1979 to December, 1983. (2) Chief Olusegun Osoba from January, 1992 to November, 1993. (3) Chief Olusegun Osoba from May, 1999 to May, 2003. (4) Chief Gbenga Daniel from May, 2003 to May, 2011. (5) Senator Ibikunle Amosun from May, 2011 to May, 2019 and (6) Prince Dapo Abiodun from May, 2019 to date.

List of Higher Institutions in Ogun State: Presently, Ogun State has the highest number of registered higher institutions in Nigeria. They are Twenty-Eight (28) in number with Sixteen (16) Universities, Seven (7) Polytechnics and Five (5) Colleges of Education.

• Universities: (1) Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. (2) Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye (formerly known as Ogun State University) (3) Babcock University, Ilishan Remo. (4) Covenant University, Ota (5) Redeemer’s University, Lagos Ibadan Expressway, Mowe. (6) Bells University of Technology, Ota (7) Crawford University, Igbesa (8) Christopher University, Mowe (9) Mountain Top University Makogi Oba. (10) Southwestern University Okun Owa. (11) Chrisland University, Abeokuta (12) Adetokunbo University, Sagamu (13) Crescent University, Abeokuta (14) Hallmark University, Ijebu Itele. (15) McPherson University Seriki Sotayo, Ajebo. (16) Tai Solarin University of Education, (TASUED) Ijebu Ode.

• Polytechnics: (1) Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro. (2) Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), formerly known as Ogun State Polytechnic, Ojere, Abeokuta (3) Allover Central Polytechnic, Ota. (4) ICT Gateway Polytechnic, Ota. (5) Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, Ijebu Igbo. (6) Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa. (7) D.S. Abegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori Ewekoro.

• College of Educations: (1) Federal College of Education, Osiele. (2) Tai Solarin College of Education (TASCE), (formerly known as Ogun State College of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu-Ode, (3) Piaget College of Education Ibara, Abeokuta. (4) Awori District College of Education (ADCOED), Ota. (5) Yewa Central College of Education (YEWACOEDU), Abeokuta.

Ogun State People & Culture: Ogun State is made up of six ethnic groups viz, the Egba, the Ijebu, the Yewa, the Awori, the Ilaje and the Ikale. Language of the majority of the people of Ogun State is Yoruba but this is however broken into scores of dialects like; Egba, Ijebu, Awori, Remo, Ikale, Ilaje Sabe, the Ije, the Ifonyin, Eyo, Egbado, Ketu, Anago, and Egun.

Notable people like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief MKO Abiola, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Former Interim President Chief Ernest Shonekan, Professor Wole Soyinka, Chief Jonathan Odebiyi, Chief Tunji Otegbeye, Chief Abioro Ishola, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, General Oladipo Diya, Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Senator Iyabo Anishulowo, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Chief Mike Adenuga, Chief Ebenezer Obey and so on hails from the State.

Tourism in Ogun State: There are many travel destinations and tourist attractions in Ogun State, however, Olumo Rock is the most popular tourist attraction in Ogun State. It is located in the heart of Abeokuta. It is an imposing rock with lots of large caves and historical artifacts. Others are; Birikisu Sugbo Shrine at Oke-Eri, Yemoji Natural Swimming Pool at Ijebu-Ode, Oyan Dam in Abeokuta North, Iwopin Boat Regatta and Ebute-Oni in Ogun Waterside, Madam Tinubu Shrine, Abeokuta, Oronna Shrine Ilaro,
Area J4 Forest Reserve, Tongeji Island Ipokia, Old Manse at Ogbe Abeokuta, Oyan Dam in Abeokuta North and Ijamido River Shrine, Ota.