The Oluwo of Iwo, Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has reacted to a trending video wherein former President Olusegun Ogasanjo ordered Yoruba royal fathers in Oyo State to stand up and greet him saying such indignation was as a result of some traditional chiefs joining secret societies headed by artisans.
Akanbi stated this in a statement made available to journalists in Osogbo by his media aide, Mr Alli Ibraheem on Saturday.
Obasanjo was seen in a viral video ordering some people believed to be traditional rulers in Oyo State to stand up and greet him.
The incident was said to have happened at the commissioning of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH’s College of Agricultural Science and Renewable Natural Resources, Iseyin, on Friday.
In the video, Obasanjo tongue-lashed the traditional rulers from Oke-Ogun, Ibadan, Oyo and Ibarapa, and termed their effrontery as disrespect to ‘constituted authority’, because they failed to stand up when the governor and himself climbed the rostrum for their addresses.
“Wherever a governor or president is sitting, traditional rulers must show them respect,” Obasanjo said.
Akanbi said Obasanjo’s treatment of the traditional rulers was “an affront, an intentional desecration and sacrilege against revered stools of Yorubaland,” adding that the former head of state would not treat northern emirs that way.
He blamed the monarchs present at the event for subjecting themselves to such ignoble treatment adding that Obasanjo’s action was the result of traditional rulers joining Ogboni confraternity and becoming “junior to a road side mechanical engineer or carpenter.”
The statement reads: “I trust myself and my stool. At death, there are certain things my soul will not take let alone when alive, active and kicking.
“I only blame the monarchs who stood in obeisance to such an ignoble act and desecration of traditional institutions from the old man. Respects should be earned not demanded.
“Traditional rulers respect their subjects too. There is a way respect is accorded to people of old age and position by monarchs. Kingship is an institution of God. As such, relating with kings requires a high sense of modesty, courtesy and respect.
“The display by the former president of Nigeria, General Obasanjo was an affront, an intentional desecration and sacrilege against revered stools of Yorubaland.
“An injury to one is an injury to all. Yoruba traditional rulers are not uniform men anyone can command at will. I don’t blame him, those royal fathers who stood up to obey such an embarrassing direction are to be blamed.
“I’ve strong assurance that such will never happen in my presence and that of some few monarchs I will not mention “Iwo kogba igbakugba”.
“The show by the former general is condemnable. Yoruba traditional institutions demand an apology for the open desecration to molest and bring down the institution.
“He needs to prove himself as a core Yoruba man with an apology letter. Kings are not toddlers. We are fathers. He will never dare that against the northern emirs.
“This action should be a great challenge to the Yorubas, most especially the royal fathers. This is the result when monarchs joined Ogboni confraternity and became junior to a road side mechanical engineer or carpenter.
“As a responsible monarch, you don’t have to join any secret society where you may be controlled by a teacher or even a herbalist.”
