Ẹfúnsetán Aníwúrà: Balancing Entertainment and Historical Accuracy

In 1962, Prof. Akínwùmí Ìshọ̀lá wrote his first play, Ẹfúnsetán Aníwúrà, while still a student at the University of Ìbàdàn.

The play was criticized for misrepresenting the great woman Ẹfúnsetán Aníwúrà as a wicked character, simply to make the play entertaining.

Ẹfúnsetán Aníwúrà’s family is highly reputable and prominent in Ìbàdàn. They have one of the largest compounds in Ibadanland. In fact, it is because of Ẹfúnsetán Aníwúrà that descendants of a female household can become Olúbàdàn.

Others can only become Ìyálode, not Olúbàdàn.

Ẹfúnsetán Aníwúrà’s descendants can become kings in Ìbàdàn; there were many prominent matriarchs in Ìbàdàn, but none have that privilege except for the same Ẹfúnsetán Aníwúrà who was portrayed in that manner.

In 1986, Prof. Akínwùmí Ìshọ̀lá wrote a disclaimer and apologized for misleading people with the book; it was published in the Tribune newspaper, but it was too late despite all the efforts of Ẹfúnsetán Aníwúrà’s family to control the wrong narrative about their beloved matriarch.

Before he died in 1992, Dr. Olusola Isola Ogunsola, popularly known as I-show Pepper, used Prof. Akínwùmí Ìshọ̀lá’s book to perform stage plays; after all, this is a book that a great Yorùbá man who happens to be a professor wrote.

Eventually, in 2005, the same book was used to produce the movie Ẹfúnsetán Aníwúrà, and to this day, Ẹfúnsetán Aníwúrà’s family is trying hard to restore their matriarch’s reputation.

Indeed, we need people like Bọ́lánlé Austen-Peters. She’s well-respected and loved by all, and my review of House of Ga’a has nothing to do with belittling her efforts at all. We don’t have many people doing what she does, and in fact, she’s one of the few who can get this right.

We all saw the Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti movie, and it was perfect. She put a lot of research into that movie; it was just too accurate. I’m sure the Ransome-Kuti family would be very happy watching that movie.

It’s okay to entertain us with movies like this, but the consequences can be dire. Movies like Jagunjagun, Àjàkájù, and King of Thieves will not get this kind of criticism because they are not related to any true-life history. Don’t forget that Baṣọ̀run Gáà’s family still exists today; how do you think they will feel?

Baṣọ̀run Gá’à and Ẹfúnsetán Aníwúrà were necessary figures in their era. The perspectives must be well-balanced by doing proper research.

Baṣọ̀run and the remaining Ọ̀yọ́mèsì developed as a check on the Aláàfin’s power, preventing the Aláàfin from being a tyrant. Baṣọ̀run Gá’à didn’t just kill Aláàfin Agbólúajé and Májẹ́ógbé like that; they ruled for many years.

Movies like this will serve as references for years to come, and one of the hardest things known to man is to learn, unlearn, and relearn.

Our focus shouldn’t be just to entertain but to preserve and educate with the right knowledge.