Abéòkúta Grammar School and the Ògùn State Anthem - "Ise ya".

Who wrote this song? Is it Agsoba Rev. I. O. Ransome- Kuti or Agsoba Dayo Dedeke? The controversy was laid to rest at today's CEC meeting.

Today we learnt that the song was originally written and composed by Agsoba Rev I. O. Ransome-Kuti, the Dawodu, and the original lyrics are below

Remember that time, all they had was Africa, it was the reign of the pan Africanists. The song was a call to action for all Africans

"Awade awade, Olodumare awa ma de o awade
Omo Africa ese tiri ise po fun wa lati se
Omo rere ki i sase, imo rere ki i s'ojo
E bere gberu Oluwa nbe fun wa ifoya ko si mo o
Ise ya"

"Ope ya, ope ya, Olodumare ope ye wa o e
Ope l'owo ore, l'owo ojulumo,
L'okunrin, l'obirin
To fe wa to se iranwo fun wa igbehin a dara
A a dupe e"

After the creation of Ògùn State, an adaptation, presumably, by another Agsoba, Agsoba Dayo Dedeke surfaced as "Ise Ya" which is now the state anthem.

We thank Agsoba Pa Tunde Adeyanju, 1949-54 for giving us the true story and singing the original song.and

Agsoba Ben Oludimu - Alagba John, added that it was sang by students of Abéòkúta Grammar School in 1947 to welcome members of the Elliot Commission on the creation of a tertiary institution for Nigeria, when they visited Abéòkúta to inspect the site of the proposed university. The university was later moved to Ìbàdàn. We are grateful to him.

We also thank exceedingly, Agsoba Pa Philips for calling our attention to the issue before history is re-written, so that honor is done to all that are deserving of it.

A o ma ri yin ba!

Abéòkúta Grammar School  - primus et solus.

Agsoba Lanre Laoshe DA 6872
PG