The Yoruba are no doubt one of the blessed races in the world. We have our culture, tradition and heritage that are sacred and good for the world to see. We are proud to be called and addressed as Omoluabi. All over the world, you see sons and daughters of our race doing great in their respective disciplines.
We are unique in different ways- in greetings, in the clothes we wear and in the way we project our culture. I am proud to be a Yoruba man. God has also blessed my race as one of the leading races in the world. The Yoruba are well cultured, very exceptional with profound values, intellect and hospitality.
These are things of pride with which the Yoruba race are well recognized for. There’s no denying the fact that Yorubaland is the land of great exploits.
The Yoruba has one of the most enduring history, starting from Ile- Ife, the cradle of our race and the town of the Oonirisa- the King of all kings, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II. We are deep in history and our tradition is a reflection of what the ancient town of Oyo showcases. Oyo is also the ancestral home of the great Alaafin Oranmiyan, the progenitor of the late Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.
Apart from Ife and Oyo, there are other prominent kings in other parts of the Southwest.That is how it is in Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo, Kwara, Kogi and even the city of Lagos, where the traditional institution is sacred.
Across several ethnic groups, tribes, and nations, there are fundamental mechanisms that are deployed to preserve their culture. Among the Yoruba-speaking people certain philosophies adopted in preserving their culture
In Yorubaland, our traditional rulers represent the sacred institution of our race. Yoruba Obas are like gods, nobody dare denigrate the tradition of our forebears.
Yoruba monarchs remain the most important aspect of the Yoruba traditional institution. Our traditional rulers are the custodian of Yoruba culture. The rites are also part of our treasured tradition.
Before a person is crowned the king, such a person must go through the traditional seclusion and rites for weeks, depending on the town. Obas in every town in Yoruba land are like small gods. One thing that is very important to note here also is the fact that the Yoruba traditional institution is the only enduring institution that had lasted for centuries; and once we remove the rites from the institution, the whole essence of the tradition is lost and the institution is empty.
The Yoruba traditional rites gives the Obas reverence. It is the depth of our core values, including the myths that enabled the monarchs to be respected as deities in their towns and communities.
Apart from the myths, the spirituality of the process is beyond what anybody can desecrate because the image of Yoruba Obas looms larger as the god and second in command to the creator of heaven and earth.
For instance, the Yoruba traditional institution boasts of having over 2000 monarchs across Yorubaland. The Yoruba culture remains one of the best because it is the rallying point for the people of the race.
For instance, Ife has more than 50 monarchs in history, as well as Oyo and other towns in Yoruba land.
The ability to sustain the culture, values and heritage attached to all these is a collective responsibility. That is why it is very important for us to do everything that is possible to keep and sustain those core values.
Unfortunately, we can hardly get it right if we ignore the tradition and the attendant rites. Many of the problems we face today can be attributed to the neglect of our tradition. So, when the Yoruba Obas Forum rose from a very important meeting and condemned in strong terms, the installation of Yoruba Obas in the diaspora, I was happy that the Forum had spoken my mind.
I think there is need for caution and this is the right time to tell those parading themselves as Yoruba Obas in Dallas in the United States of America (USA) and countries like France, Holland and Ireland that what they are doing is nothing but a complete denigration of Yoruba culture and tradition. Such practice is fraudulent and it is alien to Yoruba culture and tradition.
In Yoruba land, there are royal houses that are mostly qualified to appoint an Oba traditionally and there are also procedures that must be followed to sustain the culture and tradition of our race.
The Yoruba Obas Forum did well by condemning the ugly trend and I urge other prominent Obas in Yoruba land to rise against this. For close to a decade now, Aare Gani Adams has been calling on all the Yoruba Obas to rise against this ugly trend. By voicing out our displeasure about the growing cultural deficit, we can caution and sanction those that are found wanting in the act.
Let me say for posterity that nobody can duplicate our sacred culture abroad. It is never done anywhere in the world. It is very bad when some people masquerade as an Oba in a foreign land. We should not allow them to misrepresent us to the world.
Interestingly, there are several other nationals in Nigeria like the Arabs, Indians and Chinese that live in Nigeria, but they didn’t have an Oba in Nigeria. Having a Yoruba Oba in the diaspora is very sad and most unfortunate for our race.
Going forward, I think there’s an urgent need for the embassies to begin to stop this trend in their respective countries. We are also appealing to all Yoruba sons and daughters in the diaspora to rise against the trend that had been tarnishing the image of our race.
As a Yoruba man that appreciates the core values of our race, I am appealing to all our leaders to kindly restore the respect and the dignity of our traditional institution.
Finally, this is the only institution that dignifies what the Yoruba is all about. Therefore, we should not allow the pretenders to desecrate our most treasured institution.
Kehinde Aderemi writes from Lagos
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