Monday, 29th of January 2024 was a day many true Yoruba will not be proud to be remembered, it was a day the royal values got further torn beyond what former President Olusegun Obasanjo did in Iseyin last year, this time, by misguided elements suspected to be herdsmen, who opened fire and killed two traditional rulers in Ekiti State.
The duo – Onimojo of Imojo Ekiti in Oye Local Government Area and Elesun of Esun Ekiti in Ajoni, Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State, were attacked while retuning from a meeting and were sent to early grave to join their ancestors.
The Aare Ona kankanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams described the incident as a sacrilege to the entire Yoruba race.
He lamented that we have never witnessed such in the history of Yoruba that two Obas were killed on the spot. If that happened, it would be during the time of Empire, maybe when there was a war in Yoruba land.
For me, it was a bizarre of sort for a royal father to have been brought down by gun shot. This is pointing to a systemic defect in the values, orientation and ideology of those by default are supposed to be custodians of the Yoruba heritage.The validity of this argument is to the extent of assumption that Obas are leaders of their subjects before the advent of European, and they are no less warriors that must lead their community against existential threats.
Without sounding immodest, I cannot understand how a set of misguided elements, summoned the courage to stop convoy of a group of monarchs and open fire on them without anyone killed or held as deterent. I still can’t decode the hard and hash reality that a Yoruba Oba can be brought down with a bullet from dane gun, if that is not abomination, someone else should remind me of better way to capture such.
A renowned Ifa Priest and Araba of Osogbo, Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon in one of his numerous interviews provided a perspective to many challenges facing the modern day kings. He said many of them have jettisoned what ought to be used to get them fortified and rather for their presence to command respect and make people tremble, many of our royal fathers are as ordinary as you and I.
The inequalities of the people of today will continue to force on us the legacies of those who had transited to the great beyond.
I have watched at close range and felt the instances mentioned by Baba Elebu Ibon when he said in the clip under review that the presence of a monarch must come with fear (jiginni) the trembling atmosphere that should herald the arrival of any Oba that worths the name.
One was the late Iku Baba Yeye, Alase Ekeji Orisa Adeyemi Atanda( Kabiyesi oooo).
I had opportunity to interview him once in Lautech, you dare not look directly into Ikubabayeye’s eyeballs. It is either you look down or somewhere else, but not directly at him. His presence commands respect, Alafin Adeyemi was an enigmatic monarch.
Also, Late Oba Oladunni Oyewumi, Ajagungbade, Soun of Ogbomoso was a monarch with a larger than life image, I had so many instances of speaking with the Ogbomoso symbol of valiant, and I say he radiates authority and royalty.
If Kabiyesi is facing your direction, you must look somewhere else. He was such a monarch the community may never have his type again.
Growing up, the Kakaki of late Oba Abimbola Oyedokun, Okere of Saki Land commands such a fearful respect than all these monarchs, Oba Oyedokun was royalty personified till he joined his ancestors.
Even with the element of modernity and hyper activeness that are overwhelming Ooni Ogunwusi
Ojaja afidi ote jale, the people of Ile- Ife has designed the stool with royal aides whose razzmatazz will make someone seeks for cover when Ooni is advancing.
Nobody dare stop these litany of aides how much more His imperial majesty, Arole Oodua.
Reflecting on the road to this ugly reality, I have identified two major factors- the heavy political influence on the selection of Royal fathers has thrown the revered garb of royalty in the mud making many unqualified princes to fill the stool.
Aside this, the tendency to assess the qualifications of who occupies royal stool from the religious lens is another albatross of today’s Obas. Many of them who have no business being on the throne are candidates sponsored by their religious organizations, to that extent, they must sustain life style congruent with the religious practices.
Rife in this part of the world is the misconceptions that possession of extra terrestrial power is satanic. If this is valid, perhaps to the extent of an individual, not to someone majority of his subjects looked upon in the time of trouble.
Royal fathers are the immediate symbols of authority, they are the closest to the people, therefore beyond the glamorous royal affluence being heavily displayed on social media, they should rise up and be fortified, after all, political elites have continued to be helpless in the face of insecurity.
Dayo is from Oke-Ogun, he can be reached through ogunsola.dayo@yahoo.com
