The new Ooni of
Ile-Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, is in dire need of a new palace. Even though it
was home to his predecessor, the late Oba Sijuade, for many years, where people
came to pay homage to him, it seems it’s not to the taste of the incumbent. As
a result he’s been forced to go on the road to meet his subjects.
You can’t have an Oba
that goes ‘waka-waka-about’ all the time. Not only is it disrespectful it’s
also sacrilegious. An Obas place is in his palace where people come to greet
him and not the other way round.
The title of Ooni of
Ile-Ife is highly revered in Yoruba land – unless the true meaning of the
Office has been lost in translation – and the holder needs to be seen upholding
this. In the olden days when there were countless wars and conflicts across
Yoruba land if an Oba left his palace, as often as he does, he wouldn’t have
much of a kingdom to come back to for it would have been invaded!
Ile-Ife is the
spiritual birthplace of the Yoruba people, the resting place of Oduduwas staff and the chosen Ooni is the custodian of
all this. It’s a heritage that has to be maintained with dignity and respect
and not trivialized. This is something the preceding fifty Oonis knew and respected.
It’s understandable
that Oba Enitan is a young and modern monarch who doesn’t wish to be confined
to the four walls of a palace, perhaps because it’s not to his taste or liking.
Perhaps the refurbishment of the current palace or building a new one – to his
satisfaction – will make him stay there. Everybody goes to visit the Queen of
England in Buckingham Palace and if she to found it uninhabitable to receive
her subjects she too, probably, would be on the road to meet and greet her
subjects, politicians and godfathers.
So the palace seems to
be the problem even though it doesn’t seem to be a problem for the many other
Obas , rulers and Kings scattered across Nigeria. They are quite happy to stay
in their palaces, on their thrones, to discharge their duties as rulers.
One of the requirements
for being a traditional ruler, or a King, is to have a palace – and stay in it!
Being a ‘mobile-Oba’ is not acceptable. It cheapens the position. If anyone
wants to see a King or Oba they go to see him. You can’t have an Oba going
round knocking on people’s doors to see them.
In doing so he ceases to be a
revered one and becomes as common as the rest of us. If he needs to see
politicians he must summon them to the palace. Likewise if he wants to party he
must hold it in the palace instead of going round to their peoples
celebrations. An Oba cannot be a socialite. He’s an Oba who should command
respect and have people falling at his feet eager to do his bidding. This
however can only be done when he’s in his palace, the seat of his jurisdiction.
So we either build the
Ooni a new palace or ‘pimp-up’ the one he’s currently got, making it as
comfortable as possible, with all the mod-cons, so he will like it so much he
won’t need to venture out as he normally
does, knocking on peoples doors to see them.
An article by Tony Ogunlowo
The Ooni of Ile-Ife Needs a New Palace
Reviewed by getitrightnigerians
on
15:15:00
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Hahahahh! That's what we call class.lol..oya the governor of Edo state that did it like an appointment should do something about it...funny life.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to the old one???
ReplyDeleteMr. Oni of Ife, I am sure you know that you need to feed the poor and not placing demands for pleasure. Work with the government with your current palace and help your community first.
ReplyDelete