CCII HISTORY
1. FORMATION:
The Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) is an umbrella body for all the socio-cultural societies/clubs of Ibadan extraction both at home and in diaspora. One of the main objectives for its formation is to provide a forum for the coordination and harmonization of the development efforts of the constituent societies towards the promotion of economic, social, education and cultural interest of Ibadanland with a view to achieving the fullest measure of effectiveness. The need for the formation of the organization was initially conceived by the coming together of three prominent socio-cultural societies: Ibadan Progressive Union (IPU), Lagelu ‘1 Club and Ibadan Descendant Union of the University of Ibadan and the Polytechnic of Ibadan (IDU UI/POLY) in 1982. Even though CCII is an apolitical organization; it has the objective of identifying and pursuing measures in all sectors, including politics that are conducive to the promotion of the welfare and progress of Ibadanland and its people. Through intensive sensitization and mobilization, the initial foundation member societies grew from 35 in 1985 to about 200 in 2009. The membership strength of the constituent societies ranges from 15 to about 150 per society. It is just relevant and appropriate to mention that the Olubadan of Ibadanland His Royal Majesty Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade I CFR (JP) is one of the pioneer founding fathers of Ibadan Progressive Union (IPU) that was founded in 1934 and he still remains a staunch member of the society. IPU, through its members was the foremost Ibadan socio-cultural group that fought for the creation of the independent Ibadan Native Authority (INA) in 1934 that freed the land from the control of Alaafin of Oyo, which led to the transfer of the capital of Oyo province back to Ibadan from Oyo in the same year. IPU also fought for the change of derogatory title of Baale of Ibadan to Olubadan of Ibadan during the reigns of Olubadan Abasi Okunola Aleshinloye. The role played by HRM Oba Samuel Odulana in all these struggles as a member of IPU could not be qualified.
2. LEADERSHIP:
The Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) has gained tremendous popularity and influence over time through its social, economic and cultural activities. From a humble beginning under the leadership of its pioneer president, the Late Chief S.I. Amole of IPU, CCII has, to-date, had five National Presidents and six National Secretaries as shown below.
| NAMES | NAME OF CLUB | PERIOD | POST |
| Chief S.I. Amole | Ibadan Progressive Union | 1982-1989 | Pioneer National President |
| Dr. T.A. Fadare | Lagelu ’16 Club | 1982-1989 | Pioneer National Secretary |
| Chief O.O. Bello | Lagelu ’16 Club | 1989-1997 | National President |
| Chief B.O.A Ladeji | Oke ‘Badan Union | 1989-1997 | National Secretary |
| Asiwaju Bode Amao | Oluyole Club of Lagos | 1997-2007 | National President |
| Dr. Niyi Adelakun | Ibadan Progressive Union | 1997-1999 | National Secretary |
| Mr. Oladejo Muhammed | IDU UI/POLY | 2001-2002 | Ag. National Secretary |
| Chief Bayo Oyero | Lagelu ’16 Club | 2002-2003 | National Secretary |
| Mogaji Gbade Ishola | Ibadan Solidarity Group | 2003-2007 | National Secretary |
| Chief Y.A. Akande | Oke Odo Club | 2007-2011 | National President |
| Mogaji Gbade Ishola | Ibadan Solidarity Group | 2007-2009 | National Secretary |
| Mr. Bayo Olaniyan | Ibadan Improvement Union | 2009-2011 | National Secretary |
| Chief Adebayo Oyero | Lagelu ’16 Club | 2011-2015 | National President |
| Mr. Bayo Olaniyan | Ibadan Improvement Union | 2011-2013 | National Secretary |
| Chief. Waidi Ekun | 2013-2014 | National Secretary | |
| Chief Wole Akinwande Oyero | Omo Ajorosun Club | 2015-Till Date | National President |
| Mr Remi Popoola | Ibadan ELITES CLUB 25 | 2014-Till date | National Secretary |
3. LEGAL STATUS:
CCII is a non-profit making organization and was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission in 2001 as a Socio-cultural Organization.
4. FUNDING:
The major sources of fund include dues and levies from constituent member clubs, donations from well-meaning Nigerians, and fundraising activities as in the annual Ibadan Week Celebration from where the organization derives much of its funds for various social, cultural and economic development activities.
5. DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITIES:
Some of the landmark developmental activities carried out by the organization include the following:
5.1 Land Acquisition for the construction of a befitting palace complex for Ibadan Monarchs:
The need for a befitting Olubadan palace was conceived by CCII as a long term project during the tenure of Late Chief O.O. Bello. The first major task of actualizing this dream was the securing of a suitable site and acquisition of sizeable land that will accommodate a grandiose, and befitting Olubadan Palace. In 1992, Late Chief O.O. Bello set up a technical committee of professionals to search for a suitable site for the project. The Committee of five headed by Chief Dosu Babatunde, identified and selected the Oke Aremo site. Initially, a total of 3.91 hectares of land was surveyed, processed and submitted to the State Government for approval. Chief Kolapo Ishola was then the Governor. The application for acquisition deliberately made in the name of Ibadan Traditional council, was approved by the Government of Chief Kolapo Ishola. In 1997, Asiwaju Bode Amao’s Executive realized that the acquired land would not be enough to accommodate all the envisaged components of the palace complex. It also saw the wisdom in having Ibadan House located in the precinct of the Palace Complex. Asiwaju Bode Amao’s administration then took another bold step to acquire additional 5.98 hectares, contiguous with the first site. This gave a total of 9.88 hectares acquired for the Olubadan Palace and Ibadan House projects.
The struggle for the land acquisition was not free of challenges especially from some members of the Ibadan Traditional Council during the reign of HIM Oba Emmanuel Adegboyega Adeyemo, Operinde I, HRM Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade I, was one of the foremost members of Olubadan-in-council who threw their weight behind Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) to douse the tension that arouse that time.
CCII, in addition to land acquisition expenses has accomplished the following activities which are essentially prelude to the construction of the palace:
- Securing the ‘C’ of ‘O’ for the 9.881 hectares of land
- Perimeter survey of the land
- Production of topographical plan of the site
- Production of the Physical Development Plan of the project site
- Production of draft architectural design for the palace building
- Beaconing exercise of the site, plot by plot
5.2 Ibadan House Project:
When CCII came into being in 1982, it had no definite meeting venue. Therefore meetings were held in the houses and offices of the past Presidents of the Council. For example, for many years, meetings were held in the house of Chief S.I. Amole, the pioneer National President from IPU. When the Late Chief O.O. Bello from Lagelu ‘16’ Club took over as the President, the Conference Room of his office at ANCE Building, became the meeting point of the Council for many years before the meeting venue was shifted to Mapo Hall. After Chief Bello, Asiwaju Bode Amao from Oluyole Club of Lagos became the National President. During his leadership of the Council, the venue of the general assembly meetings was still at Ibadan South-East Local Government Headquarters, Mapo, while the Executive Council meetings were usually held at his residence at the Agodi G.R.A Ibadan. The experience of holding meetings at Mapo was however not cheering at all. Both the venue of the meeting and Mapo environment failed to provide the conducive atmosphere for serious deliberation on important matters. It became imperative for the CCII leadership to conceive and hatch a plan for a permanent location for the CCII operations. Towards this noble cause, the Annual Ibadan Week Celebration was then consolidated, re-packaged and used as fund raising strategy primarily for this purpose. Therefore, since middle 1997, successive Ibadan Week activities were targeted towards raising fund for an Ibadan House project. The foundation of Ibadan House was laid in 1997. The building was completed and commissioned in May, 2007.
5.3 Creation of Ibadan State:
In the past, when states were being created by fiat, several efforts made to get Ibadan state created were to no avail during the prolonged military rule in Nigeria. We did not give up the struggle, hence under the democratic civilian administration that emerged in 1999, the CCII picked up the struggle again. In 2000, the CCII, Executive Council set up a Committee for the Creation of Ibadan State and additional Local Governments. The Committee had Chief Bayo Oyero as the Chairman and Mr. Bayo Olaniyan as the Secretary. Since then, the Committee had worked relentlessly to produce robust and acceptable memorandum for the demand for the creation of Ibadan State. Within the year 2000 and 2008, two memorandum were prepared and submitted to the National Assembly for consideration. The first one was submitted in 2003 by a delegation led by Asiwaju Bode Amao. Nothing was done under the administration of President Obasanjo. The second one was submitted on the 28th October 2008 on behalf of Olubadan and the people of Ibadanland. Our hope is that the present administration will yield to pressure from marginalized people all over the federation and create more states.
Between, 2000 and 2003, the CCII made frantic effort to secure additional Local Governments for Ibadanland. But these had not yielded fruits too, due mainly to the fact that the successive State Governments have not created any new Local Government.
Realizing that state creation under civilian administration is entirely a constitutional and political matter, there is need then to maintain a high level of cordial relationship with the government of the day in order to get the support needed for the achievement of our aspiration. All we want is positive result for the development of Ibadanland. Our experience at getting the memorandum signed by the prescribed political entities in the constitution attested to the fact that there is absolute need to maintain some level of friendly relationship with the government. The CCII is after the development of Ibadanland and has been operating accordingly to ensure that Ibadanland is not marginalized to play a second fiddle.
5.4 2006 Census Exercise:
Like the state creation, census is another politically related issue, the result of which has far-reaching implications on all our socio-economic efforts. Hence, the CCII took the 2006 census exercise with all seriousness and commitment. A powerful census Committee headed by Chief Dosu Babatunde to sensitize and mobilize our people in Ibadanland, was most unacceptable. Ibadanland which formally represented 54% of the whole of Oyo State from 1991 declined to 45% by the 2006 census result. In the bid to challenge the figures at the census Tribunal, a Committee was set up to handle Ibadan case. The Committee was headed by Dr. Niyi Adelakun. The document that emerged from the Committee’s work was used to file Ibadanland’s petition at the tribunal. Because the case has to be prosecuted on behalf and in the name of the eleven Local Government Areas in Ibadanland, the need arose to move closer to the Government at various levels to elicit their support for the execution of the exercise towards ensuring a satisfactory outcome at the Tribunal.
5.5 Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) Merit Award:
The Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) started to recognize the worth of many prominent Ibadan sons and daughters who have contributed to the development of the land in 1990. The first recipient of the merit award was the Late Chief S.I. Amole the pioneer National President of CCII. In 1991, His Royal Majesty Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade I along with the Late Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu (post-humously) were honoured with the prestigious CCII Merit Award in appreciation of their sterling contributions to Ibadanland and its people. Up-to-date, 82 distinguished Ibadan indigenes have so far been honoured. In addition to this, the organization also began to identify notable Ibadan indigenes and non-indigenes that have excelled in their various callings and have used their God-given talents for the benefit of Ibadanland and its people for CCII’s Award of Professional Excellence.
5.6 Recognition of Past Heroes:
Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) thought it expedient to remember and honour Ibadan past heroes who have fought tirelessly and shed their blood during various inter-tribal wars. These heroes have fought for the liberation of the Yorubas which today have contributed to the sustenance of the unity of Ibadan and promote the cultural identities of the land.
6. CONCLUSION
Without being immodest, the CCII has definitely come a long way to record visible achievements some of which are highlighted above. The organization has developed in status as the megaphone through which Ibadan people voice out their views and opinions on issues of local, national and international interest. CCII has become formidable intermediary between the government and the governed and indeed the Traditional Councils of Ibadanland. Some notable achievements in this regard have attested to these claims. For example, the CCII leadership played a prominent role in getting the octopus defunct Ibadan Municipal Government split into five Local Government Areas in August 1991 during the military administration of President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida. It also played a significant role in developing and submitting memorandum on Chieftaincy system in Ibadanland to Justice Oloko panel of enquiry in 1993 and the review of Ibadan Chieftaincy Institution to the Panel headed by Chief Saka Balogun, chief of Staff to Governor Alao-Akala Administration in 2008. It is exciting that HIM Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade I JP, CFR has contributed immensely to the existence of the organization and as the Grand Patron, Kabiyesi remains the colossus of our time.