Yoruba is a very cultured race, with history and tradition that are well respected across the world.
We have our ethos, values, language and our mode of dressing are very unique and distinct.
God has endowed Yoruba race with the best in culture and our ways of life can be described as one of the best in the world.
To tell you how Yoruba culture and tradition is special, Brazil, Cuba Hispaniola and other Caribbean countries are doing everything that’s possible to instil our culture and traditions in their respective culture and ways of life.
And happily for us, the Brazilians know much about how we respect our elders. They understand that the Yoruba traditional institution is sacred and they respect us as a race that is so blessed by God.
Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) was in Brazil a few months ago. He was honoured and respected as the most revered king of Yoruba race.
When the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi (III) was alive, the Ikubabayeye had always been the symbol of Yoruba culture and traditions.
The late Alaafin of Oyo was always respected as the foremost Yoruba monarch in history.
Also, the Aareonakakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams was in Brazil early this year. The respect and honour accorded him was not like any other. The Yoruba generalissimo and his entourage had the best moments in Brazil.
The reverence, honour and respect given to royal fathers in Yoruba land is not limited to Brazil alone.
All over the world, in Europe, United Kingdom, America, and even in the whole of Africa, Yoruba Obas earned their respect anytime, any day and wherever they go in the world.
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In the good old days, you hardly see an Oba in public places. They were like god and whatever they do is final. In the past, the Yoruba Oba had so much power and influence.
They are the representatives of God on earth. And we all respect them as such. In the olden days, it is the responsibility of our Obas to rule over their respective kingdom and also direct the affairs of their subjects.
But today, things have changed. Not only with the coded slavery named civilization, but with the involvement of our Obas in politics.
Politics is good, however it has remained the greatest undoing of the traditional institution and the religious institution.
Today both the traditional and the religious institution are not spared.
The two prominent institutions have been victims of politics and political power brokers.
You shouldn’t be surprised when you see politicians denigrating men of the pulpits and that of royalty.
At the peak of the campaign for the 2023 elections, politicians went to churches, to palaces and to markets to campaign and strike a political deal.
It is not a bad idea for religious leaders or traditional rulers to play key roles in governance, the two institutions are sacred -One is traditional, the other is religious.
So, it is worthy of note to say that the two sacred institutions remain the fulcrum of both spiritual and economic growth for every individual.
That is why we must continue to respect the men of God and the traditional rulers as they are the symbol of truth and respect.
But today it is unfortunate that many of the traditional rulers have lost their respect to politicians who see them as mere spectators in the affairs of governance.
So, when the news broke out last Friday that former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo ordered the traditional rulers at an event in Iseyin, Oyo state, to stand up and sit down as a mark of respect for him and the Oyo state governor, Eng. Seyi Makinde, I was taken aback by this show of shame and total disrespect for Yoruba traditional institution.
Though, reactions have continued to trail Obasanjo’s public disgrace to the Yoruba Obas in Oke Ogun, I am sure it will not end so soon.
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Chief Obasanjo’s open display of arrogance and disrespect to the royal fathers reminded me of my primary school days, when a teacher would order us- the pupils to stand up, and in a jiffy, ask us to sit down.
It is nothing but complete disdain for Yoruba culture. For Obasanjo to have denigrated our traditional institution openly in such a manner showed to some extent that some things are wrong with the traditional institution, and I believe now is the time to salvage the situation.
In the past and up to the present time, Obasanjo had been one of the greatest beneficiaries of the traditional institution.
He had been conferred with several traditional titles, long before he became the military Head of State in 1976 and till the time he became the president in 1999 and even after.
But as one of the beneficiaries of the traditional institution, he was supposed to show respect to the institution that had added value to his personality.
After benefitting immensely from the same institution, the Otta farmer was very mean and ungrateful to have ordered the Obas to stand up and sit down like students of the Bell – his private nursery and primary school.
This is not the best way to address the royal fathers. Therefore, chief Obasanjo should, henceforth, be stripped of all the chieftaincy titles given to him in Yoruba land. He does not deserve any.
In an ideal clime, respect is earned. You don’t force respect on others. If you truly deserve respect, people will give you without fear or threat.
The way the traditional rulers stood up showed they were being forced or threaten to obey the order.
The Yoruba traditional institution is sacred. Our monarchs need to stand firm and protect the stool. They are the custodian of our culture and tradition, and they deserve to be
respected. In the same vein, the traditional rulers must learn to respect themselves too as kings.
In the whole of Nigeria today, without being modest, I make bold as to say that Iba Gani Adams remains the number one person that always respects the Yoruba obas in the country.
Before he became the Aare onakakanfo of Yoruba land, he would always humbled himself before the royal fathers.
Even after he became the Yoruba generalissimo, he has always been a front runner in the quest to respect the traditional institution.
One thing I am sure of and I can beat my chest on, is that if the late Alaafin of Oyo,Oba Lamidi Adeyemi were alive and was at the event, Obasanjo will dare not try it in the presence of the late Alaafin of Oyo.
He dared not try it in the presence of the late Ooni of Ife Oba Okunade Sijuade.
In August 2021, the same Obasanjo that berated Yoruba Obas openly last Friday, visited the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse 111, in Warri, Delta State and he knelt down as he prayed for the monarch.
That was the same Obasanjo that prostrated before the Olowu of Owu in a recent video that went viral.
We all know that in truth former president Obasanjo had, on several occasions showed enough respect for the traditional institution.
But it is unfortunate that something unusual came over the Ebora Owu that made him stooped so low to desecrate the traditional institution.
Yoruba traditional rulers are not ordinary personalities that you can
disgrace in the open and later respect them behind closed doors.
In my view, whether the monarchs were right to be on their seat or not, Obasanjo has no right to order their standing.
Can he go to the North to order the Northern monarch to stand up for him? He can’t. The Obasanjo I knew loves himself more than any other person. He will never step beyond his boundaries. He knows when not to explore his comic antics .
From his past history, Obasanjo enjoys public attention. He is a very funny man that likes controversies, but, it must be said that the Yoruba traditional institution is not for such open disgrace.
Apart from the religious institution, the only enduring institution that had earned the Yoruba race global respect is the traditional institution.
So, it is very important for us to protect the institution and rise against anybody that is trying to denigrate the institution.
However, I pity the Obas that were present at the event for their lack of courage. I pity them for being cowardly and for not holding firmly to what they represent. I pity them for making themselves a victim of Obasanjo’s uncouth vituperation and I think it should be a lesson to other obas in Yoruba land that they must learn to uphold the dignity and respect of their respective stools.
I think it high time we defined their roles in nation- building. The role of the traditional rulers is to support the government in ensuring that there is development and growth in the country. But when the traditional rulers are being relegated to be the spectators in the affairs of their domains, it means many things are going wrong.
Interestingly, Obasanjo was right that age and position are the two qualities that can naturally earn a person much respect and honour.
But he must be told that every elected office holder, either the president or the governor of a state, has a stipulated tenure of either four or eight years. And that the position of a traditional ruler is lifelong and sacrosanct.
And before it is too late, the Yoruba Council of Obas should revisit the Iseyin charade and come up with strong statement condemning Obasanjo’s show of shame.
Finally, as a matter of fact, Obasanjo deserves respect as a former president and elder statesman, however, nobody will support his display of arrogance and public opprobrium to our traditional institution.
Kehinde Aderemi writes from Lagos