The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has said that some kingmakers are so corrupt that they want obas to die early so that they can profit from the selection of new ones.
The controversial monarch, who sparked another controversy days ago when he displayed his bare head, removing the crown, while on pilgrimage in Makkah, also again wrote off deities as mere human creations.
In an interview in ‘Saturday Punch’, Oba Akanbi notes: “Let me tell you, it’s many of these chiefs and kingmakers in Yoruba land who have created problems for kings. Do you know that not all chiefs are friends of the king? These chiefs cannot become kings, so they want different kings to sit on the throne almost every day. Some kingmakers want kings to die early to make money from installing another king. They only make money during the enthronement and installation of kings, so it is in their interest for kings to die prematurely, allowing them to install as many kings as possible. With this mentality, they are ready to lead kings astray.
“That’s why it is the king, as the driver of the town or city, who must direct his people towards knowing and serving God. The king must be responsible for steering the wheels of the kingdom. I must be able to correct some mistakes of my forefathers. In the olden days, cattle faeces were used to paint houses. Are we now going to say we should continue that in this modern age? In those days, there were tribal marks, but now we are no longer doing that.
“I am speaking about tradition and culture, which has nothing to do with idol worship, I’m the best to do that in Yoruba land at the moment. I move with class. I let the younger generation know that our fashion is great. Some herbalists will tell you that everything about kingship is just idol worship. It is not true. I’m a reformist. I came to reform the traditional institution.”
