From GBENGA ADESUYI, Ibadan
The frosty relationship between Ooni of Ife,
Oba Okunade Sijuwade and the Alaafin of
Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III continued over
the weekend, as Oba Adeyemi lashed out at
Oba Sijuwade, describing him as one fond
of distorting history and ignorant of the
details of his ancestral roots. Oni had during
the Centenary anniversary of late Chief
Obafemi Awolowo held at the MUSON Centre
in Lagos criticized Alaafin over the
celebration of Oranyan.
He was said to have described Alaafin as not
being connected to Oranyan, one of the
sons of Oduduwa and so not qualified to
celebrate him. Ooni was said to have
stressed that Alaafin was reigning over a
dead empire, saying that Alaafin was a
rascally person and that “Alaafin is not
Oranyan”, but he had kept his cool and went
ahead with the Oranyan celebration, “which
attracted many dignitaries from all walks of
life in Nigeria and in the Diaspora”. Oba
Adeyemi while reacting at the weekend
during the special birthday lecture
organized in his honour by the ‘City People
Magazine’, entitled: “Reviving Old Oyo
Customs and Tradition”, delivered by a
Portuguese national, Ms Paula Gomes
(Alaafin’s Cultural Ambassador), the monarch
said he had decided not to engage in
altercations with Ooni any longer since
former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo
summoned him, the Awujale of Ijebu, the
late Oba Oyebade Lipede and the Ooni to an
all-night meeting, and everybody had agreed
to cease fire.
He however said despite keeping his cool,
Ooni had continued to castigate him and his
traditional activities, adding that he had
deemed it appropriate “to recall history,
educate the Ooni and let the world know
the truth.” Making reference to series of
documentary evidence, Alaafin recalled that
Oyo is superior to Ife in many ramifications,
asking, “where did this Yoruba Language
that we are speaking originate from? Which
language was used in writing the Bible? It is
Oyo Language. Why not Ife language? Where
else are they speaking Ife Language apart
from Lagere Quarters? Why are the
Modakeke people, who are living behind Ife
not speaking Ife Language?”. Alaafin further
said that he had confronted Ooni with
various questions in the past, even before
Chief Obasanjo at the meeting, but he could
not answer them, “instead, he came with
books that could fill three baskets”.
Alaafin said that, “In 2009, Ooni had
rubbished the institution of Alaafin, but a
year after when he was celebrating his
birthday said Oranyan was his father’s
ancestor. “How could you have denigrated
your ancestors and later claim that you are a
son of the Alaafin. Anybody who does not
know his ancestral roots, who did not strive
to learn about it, and does not learn from
those who know, will continue to make
mistakes and flounder in ignorance. That is
part of Ooni’s inadequacies. “When we
wanted to celebrate Sango, they said Sango
is not Yoruba. Sango studied Quoran. He
was the one that was first conferred with
the title of ‘Akeugberu’. He was the first in
the art of adjudicating justly.
When he was born, the umbilical cord that
joined him with his mother could not be
detached. Because they pulled it and it
would not cut, it became the name ‘Afonja’.
The glory, success and tradition of Yoruba
started from Oyo”, the Alaafin emphasized.
He added that Oyo state during the
administration of late Chief Bola Ige (SAN)
came up with a stamped paper recognizing
Oranyan as the Head of the Princes and
Princesses in Yorubaland, “and that Oyo
dominated all other nations, namely: Ife,
Ijebu, Egba, Ijesa, Sabe, Owu and so on”.
Oba Adeyemi equally said that when Messrs
Richard Lander and McPherson visited Oyo-
Ile in 1827, they concluded that what they
saw in Oyo-Ile in terms of historical
structures and rich cultural heritage was
uncompared with what obtained in the old
European world, while cautioning the Ooni
against further distorting historical facts,
which he said his (Sijuade) predecessor, Oba
Adesoji Aderemi, did not do. In his
congratulatory address on the occasion, the
Director, Institute of African Studies,
University of Ibadan, Professor Isaac Albert,
said that the university was ever proud to
associate with the Alaafin, who turned 74
on October 15, “being our able and
reputable patron that epitomizes the rich
African cultural heritage and an inspiration
to all of us.”

OMG am i a Yoruba because i never hear this type of story before.

pls somebody should put more light on it.

History!

Back to present: where two elephants fight...

Emusan: OMG am i a Yoruba because i never hear this type of story before.

pls somebody should put more light on it.

I think you should meet the Alaafin.

Dem try...oya park well for d next topic plss