HOW IFE TRADITIONS AND CULTURE IS BEEN RUBBISHED AFTER THE DEMISE OF OONI OLUBUSE II- Prince Oye Ademiluyi MFR
Ife, that is rather pronounced Ifè, or Ilé-Ifẹ̀ is an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria of sub-sahara West Africa. Evidence of habitation at the site has been discovered to date back to as early as 600 BCE. It is located in the present day Osun State or State of Osun. Ife is about 218 kilometres (135 miles) northeast of Lagos. Yoruba claim to have originated in Ife. According to their mythology, Olodumare, the Supreme God, ordered Obatala to create the earth but on his way he found palm wine, drank it and became intoxicated. Therefore the younger brother of the latter, Oduduwa, took the three items of creation from him, climbed down from the heavens on a chain and threw a handful of earth on the primordial ocean, then put a cockerel on it so that it would scatter the earth, thus creating the land on which Ile Ife would be built.
Oduduwa planted a palm nut in a hole in the newly formed land and from there sprang a great tree with sixteen branches, a symbolic representation of the clans (Otun and Osi Ife) of the early Ife city-state. The usurpation of creation by Oduduwa gave rise to the ever-lasting conflict between him and his elder brother Obatala, which is still re-enacted in the modern era by the cult groups of the two clans during the Itapa: New Year festival. On account of his creation of the world Oduduwa became the ancestor of the first divine King of the Yoruba, while Obatala is believed to have created the first humans out of clay. The meaning of the word "Ife" in Yoruba is "expansion"; "Ile-Ife" is therefore in reference to the myth of origin "The Land of Expansion". Due to this fact, the city is commonly regarded as the cradle of not just the Yoruba culture, but all of humanity as well, especially by the followers of the Yoruba tradition.
Oduduwa had sons, daughters and a grandson who went on to found their own kingdoms and empires, namely; Ila-Orangun, Owu, Ketu,Sabe, Popo, Oyo and Benin. Oranmiyan, Oduduwa's last born, was one of his father's principal ministers and overseer of the nascent Edo Empire after Oduduwa granted the plea of the Edo people for his governance. When Oranmiyan decided to go back to Ile Ife after a period of service in Benin, he left behind a child named Eweka that he had had out of wedlock with an indigenous princess. The young boy went on to become the first legitimate ruler of the second Edo dynasty that has ruled what is now Benin from that day to this. Oranmiyan later went on to found the Oyo Empire that stretched at its height from the western banks of the river Niger to the Eastern banks of the river Volta. It would serve as one of the most powerful of Africa's medieval states prior till date. Both Edo and Oyo Empire wax stronger in traditions and culture till date. Despite civilization and modernization that has taken over the century; the beauty and brilliance of sons and daughters of these Empires resist erosion by the actions and attitude of those who hold sway at the helms of affairs of these empires. Alafin belongs to Oyo while Oba of Benin is for Benin City. Up till date. It was Oduduwa that was the first ever Ooni of Ife.
The Oòni (or King) of Ife claims direct descent from Oduduwa, and is counted first among the Yoruba kings; though contest exist in recent time and most likely to continue, if Ife do not call her house to order in enthroning the next Ooni who ranked above excellence in service and integrity, and have clean and untainted wealth prior to ascending the throne. This is because Ooni is traditionally considered the 401st deity (òrìshà), the only one that speaks.
The last Ooni that ruled is Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Adele Sijuwade, Olubuse II, styled His Imperial Majesty by his subjects as he chosen to be called. The Ooni ascended his throne in November 1980. Following the formation of the Yoruba Orisha Congress in 1986, the Ooni acquired an international status the likes of which the holders of his title hadn't had since the city's colonisation by the British. Nationally he had always been prominent amongst the Federal Republic of Nigeria's company of royal Obas or Emirs, being regarded as the chief priest and custodian of the holy city of all the Yorubas. The culture demands that the announcement of his demise follow a tradition that is existed for century; but alas this was not done.
It is true that the world is a global village wired by world wide web; it has her merits and demerits. Ife tradition became rubbished when the internet and social media announced the demise of Oba Okunade Adele Sijuwade in United Kingdom. This is even before the rest of the occupants of Ile Oduduwa and residents of Ile-Ife would get to known. What A Pity! It is expected that the custodians and promoters of Ife Culture and Traditions would have helped the matters; some did but majority joined the “vagabond” to announced the demise of “Arole Oduduwa” on social media. A Yoruba adage says “Ki a se bi won ti se, ko leri bi o ti ye kori” meaning “we should do it how it done so that it can come out how it should be, especially traditionally and culturally”. We lost an aspect of our culture and the traditions that we hold in high esteem. It begin to fade out right from there. No wonder the aftermath events of Kabiyesi’s demise was not only shameful but very uncalled for. Thanks to the top-ranked High Chiefs of right and left wings who took to media and redressed the wrongdoings. Finally, the announcement was properly made but without the necessary actions that play out the history, traditions and culture of Ife. This generation has missed the pomp and pageantry that follow such event. Those writings of our traditions and culture that we read in Akinjogbins and Fabunmis works eluded us when it actually came to reality. “Aso ko ba Omoye mo, Omoye ti rin iwowo woja” meaning “the deed has been done; no remedy”. Ife traditions and culture was rubbished.
As if this insult to our traditions and culture is not enough; the actions and reactions that witnessed the on-going screening and selection of next Ooni is very condemnable. We have read in our history books and writings, and seen in our Yoruba movie, how Oba is made in Yoruba land and Ile-Ife, the source of Yoruba nation cannot be different. Even our brothers in Edo and Warri witnessed same situation; nobody heard of act of playing to gallery and display of covetousness, greed, greediness, materialism, avariciousness, and cupidity on the side of Kingmakers, their associates and allies, and prospective kings. It is on record that contestants who never own a land in Ifeland rushed down to the ancient city to build a house, magnificient enough to be queen palace but never done until Okunade Adele Sijuwade passed to great beyond. Cars of various brands were now been exchanged for conscience, and large sum of money, in millions, that would have empower petty traders and “area-boys and oloso-girls” that now paraded Ife, to become somebody and useful to the society, is now be given to individuals. Individuals now ride two to three cars and building multiple houses in and out of Ife. Have our people so forgotten so soon that “Ile ti afi ito mo, iri lo ma wo” ? Is our conscience is so cheap and can be priced? Are we going to stay on earth forever that people will not say bad we did like we are saying of others now? Have we forgotten that the position of authority as Modewa, Isoro, Otu Ife, Ilari, Baale Ile, Baale, Emese is transient, brief, temporary, momentary, transitory, shortlived, aphemeral, passing and fleeting? Who says we will ride in these cars, live in these houses and spend the money for long? Even if we did, what will people says of us? Ife, whither thy traditions and culture of uprightness, integrity and self-worth? Ife odaaye, afe mo lo ju toto!
Another pathetic side of the events witnessing by the ongoing screening and selection, apart from monetizing of the process, though by all the candidates (some look like gift but other when in large amount is considered “buy of conscience), is the politicizing of every stage of it. One can understand those who have taken politics as a vocation. What are the problems of professionals; Migistrates, Tribunal Heads, Academician, Government Officials and the likes that bastardise the whole process. Campaign for position of Ooni with posters, pictures and branded items like T-Shirts, Vehicles and others items? Is Ile-Oduduwa for sale since there is no more land to sell in Lekki and GRA Osogbo? Or where do you expect a contestant who has turned himself to Local or State government in buying, if we can confirm the source, and distributing Transformers? Where was he six, nine and twelve months ago or more than that this people have been in darkness? So shameful are the people at the helms of affairs of the two local governments who ought to have provided these transformers with taxpayer money that will give our people rest of mind than this “greek-gift”, who now turned to followers of contestants. So sad is another trend of negative rumour in Ife that “Iyiola Omisore is from Offa; Apostle Ayansola is from Modakeke; Ayedun is from Ijebu, Ikire and Ilorin at the same time! Who is next? We don’t know!! Anyway, everybody knows that my grandfather is Ajagun Lawarinka…a ture Ife Son of Ile-Ife ; the 48th Ooni of Ife!!!
For every investment; there is expected gain. What is going to be the gain of spending in billions on the race to Ooni, when in actual fact there is no or little inflow of revenue at Ile-Oduduwa that will bring back such outflow? Or we intend to swindle around the world the title of Ooni of the Source,Ile-Ife? Everybody should be warned that there is change agent in town; there will be no business as usual on our mineral resources and common heritages in Oko Aderawo! Oba Okunade Adele Sijuwade would have told his ordeal with Change Agent to some of the High Chiefs and Isoros.
Our traditions and culture is been rubbished but we can re-awaken it with commitment to labour and dignity of labour. We must embrace democracy and good governance in our way of life; as a necessity for sustainable development for Ile-Ife. We must allow this to reflect in our screening and selection of next Ooni of Ife, without eroding our traditions and culture. Let the legal document work out and government officials that are statutorily saddled with roles and responsibilities do it. No one should usurp other roles. Let Giesi present Omo-Oyes. Let Giesi do it right by allowing each ruling compound nominate candidate(s) and let atleast one candidate from each royal compound get to the Kingmakers. Let the Kingmakers select with the fear of God and inspiration of Ifa divination. Let State government appoints and approves the next Ooni. Old Oyo and Benin are gone as rival but New Oyo and Benin should serve us as guide and towns for us to glory over. “Ife Oye, ejigiri” meaning “Ife wake up from slumber”

The greed eating up my hometown is immeasurable.

The transformer sharing, posters and T-shirts are all true.

There's the news of a very young guy sharing cars of various brands to Modewa chiefs, it is disgusting.

If Ife tradition is dying and the Ooniship selection process is becoming bent, the Modewa chiefs are to be blamed. The Obalufes, the Obadios, the Obalaayes etc

Speaking of Isoro, after the rituals each Isoro (Obatala, Oluorogbo, Orisakire, Ijugbe) section does to the Ade Are, the throne, the rooms, and the corpse. There's no other role for the Isooro to play in the selection process till after the candidate has been selected after which the Emese also fall in-line.

The Modewa are the problem, they have abandoned the roles allotted to them at every festival, they want to ride around in latest cars and wear the best attires, why? A question the writer failed to address - but a quick summary of it, the Ooni of yesterday laid down this foundation. At almost all deity shrines or Modewa palace now, in Ife, once you have money, you'd be given a title mostly useless and unconnected to the deity or the house of the Modewa but they want the money. The same thing the Ooni of yesterday did, threw around Oyes at the exchange of 'Moola'. He made the office so attractively monetized; the reason it has morphed into a seemingly political post.

At times I wonder ti awon Modakeke ba sa si Ife

Ife needs a saviour.

9jacrip:
The greed eating up my hometown is immeasurable.

The transformer sharing, posters and T-shirts are all true.

There's the news of a very young guy sharing cars of various brands to Modewa chiefs, it is disgusting.

If Ife tradition is dying and the Ooniship

Selection process is becoming bent, the Modewa chiefs are to be blamed. The Obalufes, the Obadios, the Obalaayes etc

Speaking of Isoro, after the rituals each Isoro (Obatala, Oluorogbo, Orisakire, Ijugbe) section does to the Ade Are, the throne, the rooms, and the corpse. There's no other role for the Isooro to play in the selection process till after the candidate has been selected after which the Emese also fall in-line.

The Modewa are the problem, they have abandoned the roles allotted to them at every festival, they want to ride around in latest cars and wear the best attires, why? A question the writer failed to address - but a quick summary of it, the Ooni of yesterday laid down this foundation. At almost all deity shrines or Modewa palace now, in Ife, once you have money, you'd be given a title mostly useless and unconnected to the deity or the house of the Modewa but they want the money. The same thing the Ooni of yesterday did, threw around Oyes at the exchange of 'Moola'. He made the office so attractively monetized; the reason it has morphed into a seemingly political post.

At times I wonder ti awon Modakeke ba sa si Ife

Ife needs a saviour.

God bless you real good. We need to speak up now before it's too late. Ife tradition especially after the demise of Oba Sijuwade is a great concern to every sons and daughters of Ife land.

I've been saying it that the way things are going Ife will lose its worth

The kingmakers might end up destroying what our ancestors labored to build by selecting a wrong person

.

macof:
I've been saying it that the way things are going Ife will lose its worth

The kingmakers might end up destroying what our ancestors labored to build by selecting a wrong person

It's loosing it already with the way the afobajes and the traditional chief are parading themselves.
The gods should intervene.

shinarambo1:
Things are happening in Ife.

http://dailytimes.com.ng/ooni-stool-efcc-officials-storm-obalufes-residence/


http://dailytimes.com.ng/giesi-ruling-house-divided-choice-oonis-replacement/

I hope they don't elect an Ooni that knows zilch about tradition since the selection process is now all about the highest bidder.

Things are are fallen apart in Ile-Ife, the Source of Human race.