[b] by Sola Odunfa
2 Nov, 2015


For the last week there has been great excitement in Ile-Ife,
the centuries-old city in south-west Nigeria that ethnic
Yoruba people regard as their spiritual home.
Residents have been celebrating the appointment of a
successor to the throne of Ooni of Ife, which became vacant
in July on the death of the incumbent, Oba Okunade
Sijuwade.
Political, religious and social leaders from across the
country have been sending congratulatory messages to Ile-
Ife on this new epoch.
And on 28 October the people of Ile-Ife turned out in their
hundreds of thousands to receive their son Adeyeye Enitan
Ogunwusi, who left home for Lagos several years ago in
pursuit of economic opportunities.
He returned not only as a real estate tycoon but also as
Ooni of Ife - their paramount ruler and the spiritual leader of
all Yoruba people at home and in the diaspora.
The Yoruba are the second largest ethnic group in Nigeria.
As I watched that event on TV I found the communal joy
infectious and I swayed in my seat to the beat of gangan
drums and, especially, the voices of old women chanting the
praise of the forebears of the king-elect and the founders of
Ile-Ife.
I was happy for them and, as we say in Yorubaland, for
myself.
Ooni of Ife:
The Ooni of Ife's kingdom is in present-day Osun state
in south-west Nigeria
The monarch should be a direct descendant of
Oduduwa, who is a Yoruba god
Practice of burying someone alive with a king who dies
has long been abolished
But for the Ooni-elect the public fanfare has now ended.
He is in total seclusion, being attended to and spiritually
strengthened by traditional priests.
When, after 21 days, he emerges, after meekly following
secret religious rites, he will be another being - the Ooni
proper, second in rank to the Yoruba deities.
State employees
But I can only hope that the obeisance being paid to him as
Ooni Ogunwusi by Nigeria's high and mighty will not lead
him to really believe all he might hear about his "highness".
Indeed the Ooni of the 21st Century is not comparable in
power and majesty to the Ooni of the days of yore.
Today the Ooni and other traditional rulers nationwide are,
when push comes to shove, senior employees and under the
authority of state governments.
They are paid salaries and allowances from the public
purse.
Country of kings:
They vary in hierarchy and importance; some like the
Ooni of Ife and the northern emirs rule large areas,
others are traditional rulers of a village or town
See the full gallery: Nigeria's many monarchs
If in doubt about the traditional king's place in the modern
scheme of things in Nigeria, drive down to Onitsha in the
south-east and talk to the Obi, who was a close friend and
confidant of his own predecessor Ooni Oba Okunade
Sijuwade.
The late Ooni and his two friends - the Obi and the then-Emir
of Kano in the north - took a holiday to Israel at their own
expense; when they returned for their trip they were
suspended from office for travelling without obtaining
government permission.
They were lucky - they could have been sacked from their
gilded thrones.
Up to a few decades ago an Oba, the Yoruba word for a
king, could send his servants or chiefs to summon any
woman - young or married - and when that woman reported
to the palace, the king would pronounce her one of his wives
and that would be the end of the matter.
These days hardly any of Nigeria's hundreds of kings would
attempt that.
These monarchs do perform useful functions.
They hold court in their palaces daily, settling matrimonial
issues, land matters, minor chieftaincy disputes and other
not-too-serious matters among their people.
They are also very useful for the vanity of their subjects and
friends as they award chieftaincy titles at their discretion -
though at times these are given on inducement, meaning
such honorary titles perhaps do not garner the respect they
once did.[/b]

www.bbc.com/news/world/africa

Hmmmmmm.

Our traditional institutions cannot be said to have evolved in tandem with our political milestone. One can only look back with nostalgia when our traditional rulers were held in high esteem and their pronouncements were orders to be obeyed. But now, they are challenged with impunity, reprimanded, suspended, or sacked by 'lesser' mortals.
Painfully, the institution is slowly heading towards extinction.
But then, can anything be done to salvage it?

@ op doacadams, nice job for the copy and paste, but one things you guys have not come to term with is the discretion of the western world to Africa story and our own mindset, how I wish I could talk more on this but my hand is paining me already,

This guy should stop aiding the destruction of African cultures by the use of nonsensical colonialist sophistry

What is the point of the Queen of England? ?

docadams:
[b] by Sola Odunfa
2 Nov, 2015


For the last week there has been great excitement in Ile-Ife,
the centuries-old city in south-west Nigeria that ethnic
Yoruba people regard as their spiritual home.
Residents have been celebrating the appointment of a
successor to the throne of Ooni of Ife, which became vacant
in July on the death of the incumbent, Oba Okunade
Sijuwade.
Political, religious and social leaders from across the
country have been sending congratulatory messages to Ile-
Ife on this new epoch.
And on 28 October the people of Ile-Ife turned out in their
hundreds of thousands to receive their son Adeyeye Enitan
Ogunwusi, who left home for Lagos several years ago in
pursuit of economic opportunities.
He returned not only as a real estate tycoon but also as
Ooni of Ife - their paramount ruler and the spiritual leader of
all Yoruba people at home and in the diaspora.
The Yoruba are the second largest ethnic group in Nigeria.
As I watched that event on TV I found the communal joy
infectious and I swayed in my seat to the beat of gangan
drums and, especially, the voices of old women chanting the
praise of the forebears of the king-elect and the founders of
Ile-Ife.
I was happy for them and, as we say in Yorubaland, for
myself.
Ooni of Ife:
The Ooni of Ife's kingdom is in present-day Osun state
in south-west Nigeria
The monarch should be a direct descendant of
Oduduwa, who is a Yoruba god
Practice of burying someone alive with a king who dies
has long been abolished
But for the Ooni-elect the public fanfare has now ended.
He is in total seclusion, being attended to and spiritually
strengthened by traditional priests.
When, after 21 days, he emerges, after meekly following
secret religious rites, he will be another being - the Ooni
proper, second in rank to the Yoruba deities.
State employees
But I can only hope that the obeisance being paid to him as
Ooni Ogunwusi by Nigeria's high and mighty will not lead
him to really believe all he might hear about his "highness".
Indeed the Ooni of the 21st Century is not comparable in
power and majesty to the Ooni of the days of yore.
Today the Ooni and other traditional rulers nationwide are,
when push comes to shove, senior employees and under the
authority of state governments.
They are paid salaries and allowances from the public
purse.
Country of kings:
They vary in hierarchy and importance; some like the
Ooni of Ife and the northern emirs rule large areas,
others are traditional rulers of a village or town
See the full gallery: Nigeria's many monarchs
If in doubt about the traditional king's place in the modern
scheme of things in Nigeria, drive down to Onitsha in the
south-east and talk to the Obi, who was a close friend and
confidant of his own predecessor Ooni Oba Okunade
Sijuwade.
The late Ooni and his two friends - the Obi and the then-Emir
of Kano in the north - took a holiday to Israel at their own
expense; when they returned for their trip they were
suspended from office for travelling without obtaining
government permission.
They were lucky - they could have been sacked from their
gilded thrones.
Up to a few decades ago an Oba, the Yoruba word for a
king, could send his servants or chiefs to summon any
woman - young or married - and when that woman reported
to the palace, the king would pronounce her one of his wives
and that would be the end of the matter.
These days hardly any of Nigeria's hundreds of kings would
attempt that.
These monarchs do perform useful functions.
They hold court in their palaces daily, settling matrimonial
issues, land matters, minor chieftaincy disputes and other
not-too-serious matters among their people.
They are also very useful for the vanity of their subjects and
friends as they award chieftaincy titles at their discretion -
though at times these are given on inducement, meaning
such honorary titles perhaps do not garner the respect they
once did.[/b]

www.bbc.com/news/world/africa

Civilization is taking a bold steps in our society
. Our culture and tradition has been diluted with civilisation thus, it is eroding the power and respect of our traditional rulers

whitecloth:
@ op doacadams, nice job for the copy and paste, but one things you guys have not come to term with is the discretion of the western world to Africa story and our own mindset, how I wish I could talk more on this but my hand is paining me already,

Note that the article was written by a Nigerian. You cannot exclude yourself in this instance; we imbibed their culture, copied their religion, adopted their system of government, and imposed their educational system on ourselves. With all these, do you expect your story to be told differently?

mazeltov:
Civilization is taking a bold steps in our society
. Our culture and tradition has been diluted with civilisation thus, it is eroding the power and respect of our traditional rulers

Civilization should not necessarily results in extinction of our culture. Whatever new we may adopt is usually someone else's culture.

docadams:


Note that the article was written by a Nigerian. You cannot exclude yourself in this instance; we imbibed their culture, copied their religion, adopted their system of government, and imposed their educational system on ourselves. With all these, do you expect your story to be told differently?

OK, let's start by looking unto the instances the story given: 1. three kings who went to Israel during GMB regime, will you care to ask yourself what were they doing there, we're talking of a northern king in Israel, think of it yourself. 2. the snatching of wives: it was not that common even in the olden day talk less of the present age where civilization has reached the nook and cranny of the world will a king do that, Dont forget kings of this days are now educated so why will a King debase himself so low to snatching other peoples wives. 3.you claim its written by a Nigerian, I laughed, what does that happens a to means does that mean he/she has the progressive Nigerian mindset or the retrogressive mindset imposed on him by his western ideology.

All this things I want you to consider.
Thanks.

to threaten people with lagoon