Ooni/Alaafin tussle:No more empire to preside over,Don,activist tells Alaafin
…Says Royals should focus on using culture to develop Yoruba states
Alaafin of Oyo,Oba Akeem Abimbola Owoade
The raging battle for supremacy between the Ooni of Ife,Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11 and Alaafin of Oyo Oba Akeen Abimbola Owoade has been described as a mere distraction and attention seeking venture since the former Oyo empire has disappeared into the present Yoruba states in the South West.
It will be recalled that Alaafin of Oyo Oba Abimbola Owoade recently asked the Ooni of Ife,Oba Enitan Ogunwusi to withdraw the Yoruba he conferred on a Yoruba businessman ,Dotun Sanusi adding he has no power to do so.
He gave the Ooni 48 hours within which to revert himself.
But Professor of Yoruba History and former Dean of Faculty of Arts,Lagos State University,LASU, Professor Oladele Adeoti told Newdawnngr.com in an interview that there’s no need for such directive since the former Oyo empire to which Oba Owoade is laying claims to have since disappeared into new states in the six states of South West Nigeria.
This view was also shared by Dr Kenny Adenugba,an activist who spoke this morning on Telvision Continentals morning show programme.
According to Adeoti who has spoken much on the issues in the past during the reign of the late two monarchs of Oyo,Oba Lamidi Adeyemi and Ooni of Ife ,Olubuse said,” Alaafin has no point irrespective of Supreme Court judgements being bandied around. He can only argued that Oyo was Yoruba before the European intervention in the affairs of the present day Yorubaland adding “Ekiti Ijesa, akoko, Ondo, egba, okun, igbomina, Ife were never called Yoruba.”
He explained further that It was only in the second half of the 19th century that the name Yoruba was used by the colonial masters to describe the present day Yorubaland.
As a result, he contended that therefore imperial “Oyo had control over most parts of Yorubaland as we know it today adding, I’m happy that the alaafin has re-ignited this matter and I’m enjoying the ongoing debates.
” Our history is gradually evolving. Very soon we will have an authentic History of the Yoruba devoid of ethnic bias not the one based on Samuel Johnson’s book.” he added.
Adeoti delved further into history by declaring that the supremacy controversy was caused by the British colonial masters for their own selfish reasons.
Said he,”The Yoruba people generally at home and in the Diaspora know who their supreme”Father”is. The supremacy claim to me in this age and time is unnecessary and diversionary.”
Also speaking in the same vein,Adenugba contended that since there is no more empires in Yorubaland ,”there is no need for the tussle and controversy adding ” to me no need for the distraction it had caused.”
He contended that what is needed now is for the Obas in South West to use the culture of the people to develop their region.
“I think the Alaafin is living in the past and trying to get attention as a new Oba on the throne.”
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Adenugba advised the Alaain to find ways of using culture to develop the people and territory the way the Ooni did and has been doing since he assumed the throne about ten years ago.
Ooni of Ife,Oba Enitan Ogunwusi,Ojaja 11
He said that there is no controversy now for anybody to claim what Ile -Ife is the since it is the source of Yoruba culture and spiritual being but could not lay claim to any exististing imperial territory.
Said he,”What is feasible now is Spiritual and cultural dominion which has lasting effect than the imperial which is no more exististing for reasons that the various Yoruba states have attained independence from the old Oyo empire.
