Akande urged to respect royal institution

Wale Folarin, Osogbo - 06.04.2008

Former governor of Osun State, Chief Adebisi Akande has been asked to purge himself of his hatred for the traditional institution in Yoruba land, as well as his open disrespect for the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade.

Vice Chairman of the Osun State Council of Obas, Oba Aderemi Adedapo, who gave the advice in a statement issued at the weekend, said that it was unfortunate that Chief Akande has been unpretentious in his bitter and disdainful attitude for traditional institution in Yoruba land.

Apparently reacting to an interview granted a national newspaper (not the Tribune) by Akande, where he was quoted as saying that the Ooni is not a paramount ruler in Yoruba land, Oba Adedapo, who is also the Olojudo of Ido-Osun, said that it was high time that the former governor come to terms with the fact that the leadership of Ooni of Ife who is also known as the Arole Oduduwa in Yorubaland, “is compellingly non-negotiable.”

While accusing Akande of trying to destroy and distort what royalty stands for, Oba Adedapo, stressed that the Ooni, by history, is the father of the entire Yoruba people and that Akande should check the Gazette No. 8 of 1902, 1903 and 1931, adding that “all these archival documents rightly and emphatically pointed at the Ooni of Ife as the spiritual head and Chief king of the Yoruba Empire.

“It is very pathetic and saddening that Akande, who is an Ila-Orangun chieftaincy title holder, did not get enough tutelage from the royal court of Arutu about the basic history of the Yoruba nation, especially our cherished great progenitor, Oduduwa. He needs to be reminded that a river that flows and forgets its source will dry”, he said.

Oba Adedapo also admonished the former governor to emulate Oba Sijuwade’s leadership qualities, adding, “as a septuagenarian, Akande has a lot to learn from the visionary and dynamic leadership quality of the Ooni”.