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Ijebu Jesa to Ilesa Road was changed from footpath to motorable road in 1948. Prior to that time, some prominent Egboro sons who reside outside Ijebu had to park their vehicles at Ilesa using legs or bicycle to get to Ijebu Jesa. For record purpose, Baba D. B Aloba who was residing in Yaba, Lagos had a car and Oba Kuye Arojojoye who was a produce merchant had a car before he became the King.
The first commercial Austin bus (Jagi) fully own by any Egboro indigene was owned by Joseph Kato. He came home during Christmas and he waited for three days before he could return to Ibadan his base because the only bus that plied Ibadan was from Esa Oke, it was filled up before getting to Ijebu Jesa. On getting to Ibadan, he bought brand new two Austin and built the bodies before bringing it to Ijebu Jesa.The first driver was Baba Isola of Oke Nisa aka Adaramaja who drove one of the buses. The second bus plied Ado.
Most Egboro in the seventy are traders, they always bought their wares from ÒGÙNPA/ AGBENI in Ibadan. Arrival of Baba Lemomu Alubankudi added some spices to Ijebu Jesha. Baba Imam was selling life cows while his wife Mama Aweni (Mama Muda) and Bàbá Láìsí (Baba Suraju), Elerinmo Baba Àbíbu) were selling the beef. Baba Imam was the first person to buy Brand new Nissan Bus, ( Urvan) named Bisimilahi. The doors open from the back. The manager is MALIM Rasheed ( Baba Seri). You would book in the previous evening to the day you are traveling to Ibadan and you would describe your house. So Egboro started Huba services before any other towns. The bus would start picking passengers as early as 3.30am, if you happened to be a child then, you would enjoy free ride round the town till the last passenger would be picked.
Let’s look at some advantages of this service:You would be picked at your house in the early morning, despite the fact that Ijebu Jesha was peaceful at the time, you were not exposed and your luggage were protected. The driver knew all his passengers, if you forgot anything in the bus, you will get it back. Free courier services, you don’t pay for delivering letters or small food items from Ibadan or Ijebu Jesha. You could pay when you get to your destination, especially if you were a student schooling at IJGS, your parent will be waiting for you at ÒGÙNPA to pay for your fares. If you were schooling in Ibadan, u could take the bus home and paid the driver when by your parents. The traders weren’t t bothered with money, they would paid later. There are instances the driver helped police to arrest criminal who wanted to escape the town at cock crow.
I can not mention all the popular buses, their owners and the drivers.
The first is Ẹ̀DÁ TÓ MỌ̀LA KÒSÍ ,owned by Joseph Kato and the driver is Adara Mọja.
Baba Arẹmu Ola later bought his own bus and named it ADÁRAMỌ́JÀ, he was the most fashionable driver among the Ibadan drivers. His sense of dressing was inherited from his boss Baba Kato. He was loved by all the female traders.
The second one is BISIMILAI owned by Baba Lemomu Alubankudi. Baba bought more than five buses before the last one was retired in late eighties. The first driver to drive BISIMILAI is Tìkàlójù. Bro Femi Ferodo,( who brought Mama Ferodo to Ijebu) Malim Rasheed, and Buoda Mokanju were other drivers.
TÌKÀLÓJÙ brand was owned by Ayeni Uti ( Baba Segun)who was based in Iseyin but invested in transportation business in Ijebu. He started with Bedford lorry and the driver was Baba Ibeji Olorisa, he later left to drive BISIMILAI, and when he bought his own, he started using the same name TÌKÀLÓJÙ. He was a no nonsense man. The third person that is using the name TÌKÀLÓJÙ was Baba Finnii, Baba Tope in Odo Oja area. He was in charge of Ayeni’s TÌKÀLÓJÙ bus, later bought his own and use the same name. Do I hear there is love in sharing?
ABỌ́MỌGE also owned a bus that plied Ibadan. We have WẸ́RẸ́ NI ISẸ́ OLÚWA, the driver who was Baba Wẹ́rẹ́ always smoking whenever he was not driving. I must not forget to mention those who were not using buses but they were among the pacesetter of transportation business in Ijebu Jesha. Baba Ajimọ of ARỌ LAWA, BABA OLODO IDẸ, BABA OGUNLANA and LATE Baba JẸGẸDẸ (BABA KANNADOPO )
Observation, despite the size of Ijebu Jesha in seventies and eighties, average of five buses were plying Ibadan on daily basis. If one bus was filled up, he would direct you to another one. They assisted themselves even if one had fault on the road, the next one would help him out. The love that exist among the owners, drivers and passengers could only be found in Noa’s Ark.
If you are one of the passengers in Egboro to Ogunpa straight driven by ADARAMOJA, FẸRODO, MOKANJU, MALIMU, TÌKÀLÓJÙ, WẸ́RẸ́, ABỌ́MỌGE, ADÁRAMỌ́JÀ, AND MANY OTHER DRIVERS OF THAT ERA, IT MEANS YOU ARE NOT INDOMIE GENERATION, CONGRATULATE YOURSELF, YOU ARE A LIVING LEGEND !!!
ARE YOU ONE OF THE PASSENGERS? Share your experience.
Ipade bi Suga Basita. IRE GBANGBA !!!
BABA ÌMỌ́DÒYE 2025.
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