Akeem Lasisi
When the Yoruba say ‘Ohun to ba wa ninu eni, l’oti pa ni pa’, they mean that whatever a man says when he is drunk is likely to have always been on top of his mind; that the alcohol might just have provided him an excuse to express his concern or belief.
The same elders, in a similar context, would say ‘Ohun to n dunni lo n po loran eni: ologun eru ku, aso re ko ju meji lo.” This means a man will always act according to his passion, desire and intimate agenda, as is the case of a man who is so rich that he has 20 slaves. Yet it is discovered that, upon his death, all he had are two garments – just two garments!
These were the scenarios that came to one’s mind on Tuesday when traditional rulers, under the umbrella of the National Council of Traditional Rulers, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, visited President Muhammadu Buhari in the State House in Abuja, to congratulate him on his reelection victory.
It was an occasion to felicitate with the President, but the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, appeared to have played the game of the protagonists in the two adages above as he used the opportunity to speak truth to power.
When it was time for the monarch, who is a co-chair of the Oba’s council, to make a comment, his advice to the President, though rendered in a soft tone, was loaded with a strong political meaning. In the message in which he put the President to task on the sensitive issue of marginalisation, the monarch urged him to be fatherly in his role, obviously by seeing every part of the country as his constituency. This would resonate well with people who have been accusing the President of nepotism.
Oba Adeyeye stressed the need for Buhari to, going forward, be a father to all because, in the monarch’s words, “Nigeria belongs to all of us.”
Speaking at the event, the President urged the traditional rulers to help in checking and detecting antics of criminals in their domains.
According to a statement by Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, he said, “You know all the families who harbour criminals and you know those who produce respectable individuals. You know the weaknesses of our society. We need your support to consolidate our achievements.
“What we need now is your support. No government can serve creditably without your support. We will always count on your support.”
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, who led the council, congratulated Buhari and urged all stakeholders to accept the result of the election and allow peace to reign.
He said, “The National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria is here to felicitate with you on your re-election as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We join all Nigerians and the International community in praying and wishing you very big success in your tenure.
“As traditional rulers, we are not only custodians of our people’s cultures, values and traditions but also the custodians of the religious beliefs and conscience of our people. We are therefore, fully aware that it is only God almighty who owns power and authority and who bestows this on whom He will, when He wills and how He wills. Therefore, your election as President for a second tenure should be seen as what God has destined and no one could have changed that.”
