Ẹgba zone of Ogun state

Ogun state was divided into 3 zones (or Senatorial district): Ogun west (Yewa zone), Ogun Central (Ẹgba zone) and Ogun east (Ijebu / Remo zone).

Today I will be talking about the Ogun Central (Ẹgba zone):

ẸGBA

Ogun Central comprises six local government areas in Ogun State: Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Ewekoro, Ifo, Obafemi Owode and Odeda local governments. 

All this 6 local governments are refers to as the Egbas.

ABEOKUTA:

Abeokuta is the administrative capital of Ogun state. It covered about four (4) local governments (Abeokuta south, Abeokuta North, Part of Obafemi owode and part of Odeda) out of the 6 local governments that the Egbas occupied.

HISTORY

The Egba group, originally under the Oyo Empire, became independent following the spectacular collapse of Oyo in the first half of the 19th century. Wars with the Dahomey, in which the Egbas were successful partly due to the protection afforded by the Olumo Rock, led to the founding of the city of Abeokuta, which literally means "under the rock".

The Egba nation is made up of the following subdivisions: the Ake, Owu, Oke Ona and Gbagura, each with its own king. (Historically, the Egba nation is made up of these four divisions; Ibara, though geographically located in Abeokuta as well, is part of Yewaland.) 

During colonial rule the British recognised the Alake (or King of Ake) as the paramount ruler of the whole clan and their territory, and so, his successor is now referred to as the Alake of Egbaland. The titles of the kings of the aforementioned subdivisions are therefore Alake of Egbaland, Oshile of Oke Ona, Agura of Gbagura, and Olowu of Owu, in order of settlement and seniority in the Egba nation.

It is worthy of note that the original town and settlement of the Egba nation in Egbaland was under and around Olumo Rock, which is in the Ikija/Ikereku area of the Egba Oke Ona. The Jagunna of Itoko, an Oke Ona chief, is the high priest of Olumo. Olumo Rock is in the territory of and under the control of the Itokos.

Another reference name for Abeokuta by the founding fathers is Oko Adagba (Adagba's Farm) in reference to the hunter that discovered Olumo Rock. Adagba went hunting in search of game animals from the Obantoko township where his fellow Itoko citizens were stationed while wandering for a settlement. He then came across the mountain.

Egbaland was where Henry Townsend lived, and was also the home of the first newspaper in Nigeria (Iwe Irohin). Its people went on to serve as the first of the many Nigerian nations (until recently, the only one of them) to have an anthem.

THOUGH:

The origination of the word Egba is disputed. 

The first meaning may come from the word Ẹ̀gbálugbó, meaning wanderers towards the forest, and this comes from the fact that the ancestors of the Egba people came from the region of the Oyo Empire to the "Egba Forest" and formed what we now know as the city of Abeokuta.

The "Egbalugbo" were in conjunction with the Ẹ̀gbáluwẹ or Ẹ̀gbálodó, meaning the wanderers towards the river, who later shortened there name to "Egbado," another subethnic group of the Yoruba. Another possible meaning may come from the word Ẹsẹ̀gbá, the title of a chief which led several groups of the Egba to their present location. 

MEANWHILE:

When Ogun state was created, it was devided into 2 zones (Egba-Egbado and Ijebu-Remo) but due to one reason or the other (but I think it's political) it was zones into 4, due to the course of the dessolution of the zones into 4, the Egbados changed their name to Yewa.

RULERS:

All these zones has a common traditional ruler that oversee the rulership of each zones, namely and their seat location:

1. Ẹgba zone. - Alake - Abeokuta.

2. Remo zone. - Akarigbo. - Sagamu

3. Ijebu zone. - Awujale - Ìjèbú-òde

4. Yewa zone. - Olu -    Ilaro

EGBA ANTHEM

1. Lori oke o'un pẹtẹlẹ

Ibẹ l'agbe bi mi o

Ibẹ l'agbe tọ mi d'agba oo

Ile ominira

Chorus: 

Maa yo, maa yo, maa yo o; l'Ori Olumo; Maa yo, maa yo, maa yo o; l'Ori Olumo

2. Abeokuta ilu Egba

N ko ni gbagbe e re

N o gbe o l'eke okan mi

Bii ilu odo oya

Emi o f'Abeokuta sogo

N o duro l'ori Olumo

Maayo l'oruko Egba ooo

Emi omoo Lisabi

E e

Chorus: 

Maa yo, maa yo, maa yo o; l'Ori Olumo; Maa yo, maa yo, maa yo o; l'Ori Olumo

3. Emi o maayo l'ori Olumo

Emi o s'ogoo yi l'okan mi

Wipe ilu olokiki o

L'awa Egba n gbe

Chorus: 

Maa yo, maa yo, maa yo o; l'Ori Olumo; Maa yo, maa yo, maa yo o; l'Ori Olumo