Akeem Lasisi
The controversy sparked by the decision of the Olugbo of Igbo, Oba Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan, to appoint some Yoruba obas abroad has yet to abate as the Osi Aareonakakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams, has tackled the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdurasheed Akanbi, over his support for the Olugbo.
According to the Osiaareonakakanfo, the Oluwo mixed up some basic historical facts in his statements on the matter.
Below is the details of a statement by Balogun:
Our attention has been drawn to an interview granted by the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, in which the monarch turned himself into the mouthpiece of the Olugbo, regarding the indiscriminate, inordinate creation of Yoruba Obas in the Diaspora embarked upon by the Olugbo to the chagrin of the majority of the Obas in Yorùbáland.
We have also noticed the exiguous reference the Oluwo made to the Ààrẹ Ọ̀nà Kakaǹfò of Yorubaland and we therefore wish to state as follows:
That the Ààrẹ Ọ̀nà Kakaǹfò of Yorubaland, has a deep sense of history, such is his revered role as to be able to place issues as they affect the Yoruba in proper perspective.
The Oluwo should recall that as he is the 16th Oluwo, if we are to count from Parin or the 14th, if we are to count from the more acceptable Oluwo Adagunodo, and so is the Ààrẹ Ọ̀nà Kakaǹfò, Iba Gani Abiodun Ìgè Adams, the 15th Ààrẹ of Yorubaland.
Contrary to what the Oluwo said in his interview on Rave FM Programme, “Frank Talk,” the Ààrẹ is NOT a chief.
It is important to point to the Oluwo that the nascency of his problem as he is wont to often grapple with history, is sadly his tendency to overreach himself, always missing the facts and finding himself at odds with the Yoruba culture and tradition!
Shall we say that since this Oluwo did not observe the full initiation and integration at Ipebi and by his own mouth confessing to have skipped the vital Ifá solemnation of his stool, therein lies his problem to be always be at variance with our history, culture and tradition at all times!?
To help this Oluwo, a reminder, or perhaps a tutelage that the Ààrẹ is the King appointed over all warriors in the four corners of Yorubaland, from the Ẹkùn Ọ̀tun, Ẹkùn Òsì, Ẹkùn Ebolo And Ẹkùn Epo.
The Ààrẹ as a king is coronated with the Ojijiko crown, which only the Ààrẹ alone is allowed to wear and none other shall wear it.
The Ààrẹ is invested with the powers to administer his rule, investing such powers over his 60 chiefs flung and scattered in all corners of Yorubaland.
Even a poor student of history knows the place of the Ààrẹ among his fellow monarchs.
How poor can this Oluwo then be if he has to be schooled in the basic rudiments of our culture.
Today, as much at it was in the 16th century that witnessed the creation of the present city of Iwo and the revered institution of the stool of the Ààrẹ, the Ààrẹ as the defender of the realm, is as important as he was at the time of Kòkòrò Gangàn the first Ààrẹ and Adagunodo the Oluwo who saw in the Ààrẹ a king and was glad of the exploits of the Ààrẹ.
Such are the reasons that accompanied the installation of Ààrẹ Gani Ìgè Adams, with a staff of office given to him in the presence of no less than 780 Yoruba monarchs,two Governors, top representatives of all the Governors in southwest, North, Niger Delta and Republic of Benin were also present at Durbar stadium in Ọ̀yọ́ Aláàfin, during the historical event.
The event is in the media for anybody to see. And I urge the Oluwo to find time to watch the video of the epoch making event on the social media via YouTube,and compare that event to the day of his installation as the Oluwo of Iwo land.
Ààrẹonakakanfo of Yorubaland, Ibà Gani Ìgè Adams, is pained just as other monarchs are, concerning the preponderance of issues plaguing Yoruba monarchies as we are currently embroiled in not a few of such controversies, particularly as it affects the Oluwo.
Had it been in the olden days, it would have been impossible for the Oluwo to continue in his erring ways, as it was the job of the Ààrẹ to reprimand erring monarchs…….Be that as it may, the Ààrẹ is now calling on the authorities to create without delay, a central council of Obas from all the Yoruba speaking Ethnicities to help administer proper conduct, ethics and culture among the monarchs. It has now become important to do so.
Such a body, shall comprise of Notable Obas from each state of the Yoruba Nation and part of what is important is the discourse on the need to correct the faulty succession and selection processes, as clearly seen in the quality of those emerging unto the traditional stools of our forefathers.
The very first meeting in which senior Yoruba Obas were in attendance including the Oba of Benin, was held in Oyo Alaafin in 1937.
Subsequently the meetings were held annually, moving from place to place. Only 5 Obas attended the first meeting, but was subsequently expanded to include the Oninana of the Ga people near Accra, Ghana, who is also a Yoruba Ọba.
Very strict rules were set for those Obas who sought to wear beaded Crowns… And in the meeting held in Ile-Ife among the Yoruba Obas in 1959, the late Ooni Ife, Oba Sir, Adesoji Aderemi, had this to say:
“In the course of our deliberations at Benin City last year we touched on, the question of indiscriminate award of spurious titles to people by the Obas and Bales as also of illegal wearing of crown by chiefs who were not entitled to do so. It was hoped then that the Council, now Committee of Obas and Chiefs would be able to deal with this matter in their meetings during the year but circumstances did not afford it an opportunity of meeting until shortly before this Conference just in haste to give decision on very urgent matters and to discuss some bills. I regret to say that during the year, there have taken place many illegal wearing of crowns in, for instance Oshun Division, llesha Division and in other little known villages of the coastal district. At llesha I gather that it has caused some bad blood.
You will agree with me, gentlemen that it is a serious lapse in our custom and tradition for a chief to dare to put on his head a beaded crown to which he has not succeeded! What glory, what honour is there in a crown which one’s father never wore, never bequeathed!! Those who persist in wearing beaded crown unlawfully may one day be called upon to surrender them; I can only advise them to discontinue doing so before they are compelled to abandon them: I also feel to warn those who are just thinking of wearing crown illegally to try to have some confidence in themselves. They should cease to suffer from inferiority complex. They should try to have the courage to restrain themselves from following the path of perversion – No amount of distortive history can right what is fundamentally wrong. Don’t let us deceive ourselves, it is not the hood that makes the monk: it is not beaded crown that makes an Oba. For instance, you have in the hierarchy of chiefs great rulers such as the Olubadan of Ibadan, the Soun of Ogbomosho, the Timi of Ede to mention just a few who never wear a beaded crown the fact is that non-wearing of beaded crown by them does not detract a jot from the importance and the dignity attached to their titles and their personalities.
