Social Life

Akerejola's palace was always bubbling with life. Poetic praise-singers were always in the court to chant about the historic deeds of the King and his ancestors. on special ocassions, Alubiagba, his chief drummer was always around to drum his praise with the talking drum, while "agidigbo" responded with phrases like "Ose oko Ekiti, se oko Akoko", all of which are transcribable into words. His praises were sung in a mixture of codes involving Oko, Yoruba (mainly) and sometimes other languages. The codemixing may signal the historical affiliation of Ogori to Yoruba. Some go thus:

Akerejola, Kabiyessi Aiedero

Okurin lafia lafia, oko onile baba alejo

Ose gegege bi baba agbalagba

Ajagajugu, akin kurukuru ba oloko

Daudu Eminefo ba oyibo, Okoko wo oju, omo oba okurin laja

Omo a ja ma je ebi, omo a du duu me

A gun Oke Egbirra ri idi eke,

Awo keere ba won de ohun, O da gbogbo won si omi

Ugbogbo ne e me to oro a dake kare ya na

Ededa oboro oogben, Ajagajaga atu,

Oshe oko ekiti se Oko Akoko, Oko onile baba alejo

A joko ni ile ta ofa ni ilu Oyinbo

Eleshin dada.

The Ologori was a friend of everybody's. Social status was not an issue in relating to anybody. His aids wherther in the court or those who accopanied him to office received the same treatment as his relatives.

Besides his ruler-friends, Bawa was also a friend of politicians, especially at Okene where his administrative office was. Some of these include Saliu Maji, Amoka, Amokoni, Abu ini Hire etc. Among his admirers were regional premiers such as Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello, the Saudana of Sokoto.

One incident that brought him and one of the regional leaders very close was the latter's visit to the division. On that occassion, every other ruler was expected to stoop three times before the leader, with shoes removed and crown doffed. When it was the Ologori's time to be introduced, he adamantly refused to obey that tradition, even after much threats and persuation from the leader's protocol officers, one of whom was intending to give Akerejola a special introduction. The regional leader noticed some argument between the people and demanded to know what the problem was. To the consternation of the people, he asked that the Ologori be allowed to come as he wished, restraining some of the overzealous officers. He was stupified by Bawa's answer to his querries that he (Akerejola) knew who he was, how he expected to be greeted, but that in his own tradition, all rulers were considered equal no matter the size of their domain and it was forbidden for Ogori ruler to remove shoes or part of their regalia in honour of any other ruler.
People were surprised when the demi-god of a leader, shook the Ologori's hand with the comment that he had never met with such audacity all his life. And that was the commencement of a strong relatioship that lasted until the demise of the latter. Another direct consequence of this was that the Ologori became respected in the whole region.
The Ologori was the friend of the Ohinoyi of Ebira, Mal.Sani Omolori