SAPON IN ABEOKUTA: Meaning, Story and Myth.
Madam Janet Ọdẹsọla : The famous beans Seller In Abeokuta
"Şe b'o ti mọ, Ẹlẹwa Şapọn".
Şapọn was extracted and renamed from
Şapọnloore..... Şe Apọn loore (Meaning: Help
the bachelors).
Sapọn was the meeting place where people,
especially men who had not marry wives used
to go to eat delicious foods and drink in those
days.
This historic area is still the popular and
Commercial center of Abeokuta. Sapon
connects Ijaiye, Ago-Oba, Itoku, Lafenwa, Isale
Igbein and Ake roads, being at the centre and
presently, it has an over-head bridge that linked
those roads. The market is now dominated by
the Igbos from the Eastern part of the Country
and mostly the Yoruba women who are selling
stationery.
Many People are unaware of what led to the
popular slang that is being used as proverb in
the whole Yorubaland, "Şe b'o ti mọ, Ẹlẹwa
Şapọn" is not realy a Yoruba Proverb but just
like Nigeria variation of English idioms, "Cut
your coat according to your Clothes."
There was actually a woman called Madam
Janet Ewusi Odesola who was selling the Beans
at Sapon, the important personalities, Kings,
Government Officials, men, women and Children
loved her sumptuous and delicious cooked
beans with stew, Ẹwa Pẹkulẹ.
Madam Janet Ewusi Odesola was
born in 1925 and went to Methodist Primary
School, Ijoko Abeokuta, Odesola also known as
"Şe b'o ti mọ, Ẹlẹwa Şapọn" finished the then
Standard 6 before she started trading.
She was initially hawking dry
fishes, before she forayed into selling cooked
beans in 1951 when she was 26 years old.
In those days, before her Shop pave way for the
new road . Şe b'o ti mọ Shop was almost
directly opposite of Osile of Oke Ona palace.
The Shop was later managed by the Odesola's
Children for many years. This was the business
that earned her famous name across the
Country and She was also rich.
The demand for Odesola's beans by her
Customers was so high that she could not
always meet it daily, despite the fact we were
told She used to cook a bag of beans daily. She
had numerous customers as well as female
servers who attended to the customers. While
some would park their cars or come with plates
to buy the beans, Some would sit inside her
Shop and eat.
Whenever the customers came late in the
evening for the beans, She would reply them
that the food had finished. "Mo "Se bi mo ti
mọ, I couldn't cook more". Odesola, most of the
time, advised her Customers to eat according to
the amount of money in their pockets, as well
as advising them that, even they had more
money in their pockets, they should eat what
their stomachs could contain.
Madam Janet Odesola sold the cooked beans
till 90's When she had family problem, she
quitted the business after 45 years of selling
the cooked beans.
WHAT WILL YOU BE REMEMBERED FOR ?
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