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• Says he has desecrated Yoruba traditional institution
• Demands apology from former president
From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
The Oluwo of Iwoland in Osun State, Oba Abdurosheed Akanbi, has demanded an apology from former President Olusegun Obasanjo for desecrating the Yoruba traditional institution.
Obasanjo had during the inauguration of the 34.85km Oyo-Iseyin road and the completed Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Iseyin Campus, at the weekend, ordered some Yoruba traditional rulers in Oyo State to stand up and greet him.
The former president was later seen in a viral video on the social media, telling traditional rulers that “wherever there is a governor or president, there is no king, you must stand up for the governor or president. Stand up, sit down!”
In a statement made available to journalists by the Press Secretary to Oluwo, Alli Ibraheem, in Osogbo, yesterday, the monarch described the action of Obasanjo as “affront, an intentional desecration and sacrilege against revered stools of Yoruba land.”
The Oluwo also blamed the traditional rulers who obeyed the former president’s order, insisting that the directive that kings should stand up and sit down was embarrassing.
“I trust myself and my stool. At death, there are certain things my soul will not take let alone when alive, active, and kicking. I only blame the monarchs who stood in obeisance to such an ignoble and desecration of traditional institutions from the old man. Respect should be earned not demanded.
“Traditional rulers respect their subjects too. There is a way respect is accorded to people of old age and position by monarchs. Kingship is an institution of God. As such, relating with kings requires a high sense of modesty, courtesy, and respect.
“The display by the former president of Nigeria, General Obasanjo was an affront, an intentional desecration and sacrilege against revered stools of Yoruba land. An injury to one is an injury to all. Yoruba traditional rulers are not uniform men anyone can command at will. I don’t blame him, those royal fathers who stood up to obey such an embarrassing direction are to be blamed.
“I’ve strong assurance that such will never happen in and some few monarchs I will not mention, ‘Iwo kogba igbakugba’.
“The show by the former general is condemnable. Yoruba traditional institutions demand an apology for the open desecration to molest and bring down the institution. He needs to prove himself as a core Yoruba man with an apology letter. Kings are not toddlers. We are fathers. He will never dare that against the Northern Emirs.
“This action should be a great challenge to the Yorubas most especially the royal fathers. This was the result when monarchs joined the Ogboni Confraternity and became juniors to roadside mechanical engineers or carpenters. As a responsible monarch, you don’t have to join any secret society where you may be controlled by a teacher or even a herbalist,” Oluwo said.
