National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Bose Adelakun |
Council of Yoruba Elders on Saturday, lampooned former President Olusegun Obasanjo for ordering traditional rulers in Oyo State to stand and greet Governor Seyi Makinde, at a project inauguration in Iseyin, Oyo State.
A short video of Obasanjo, who spoke in Yoruba language, had surfaced on the Internet, expressing displeasure to the monarchs for not rising to greet Makinde, describing the action of royal fathers as disrespectful to the office of the governor.
Obasanjo said in Yoruba, “I greet the kings and chiefs here sitting; I am grateful that you are here. Let me say this: wherever the governor is or the president, the king has to stand up, stand up.”
“In Yoruba land, there are two things that are most respected among others: age and position. When a governor is still in power, he’s more powerful than any king.
“Even when I was president, I prostrated for kings outside, and when we went inside, the kings would prostrate for me. So, let’s always celebrate our culture.”
The group in a statement signed by it Secretary-General, Dr. Victor Taiwo stated that the act ridiculed the Yoruba tradition and culture.
It read, “We write with great pains of the heart and regret of immeasurable quantum to imagine the ugly incident that occurred at Iseyin, Oyo State yesterday 15th September, 2023 on the occasion of the road commissioning by the Oyo State Government where Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was invited as the Chief Guest of Honour.
“It was at this occasion that we saw, through a video which has gone viral, Chief Obasanjo acting like an adept overwhelmed by the spirit of Sango celt repugnantly vituperating and lambasting the large congregation of our Obas in attendance and commandeering them in the utmost contemptuous and denigrating manner to rise, and sit down like an Army General would his soldiers.
“When we saw this video, it initially occurred to us as a fictional movie. But when it dawned on us that it was a reality, lo and behold, it was a scene that could burst one’s lachrymal gland into rupture. For one thing, what Obasanjo did was infra dignitatem to our Yoruba culture and tradition. It was a taboo. It was an arrant display of megalomania and utter rudeness to our crowns in Yorubaland.
“The position of our Obas could be discerned from their appellation as the Igbakeji Orisa (Second in command to the deity). And so, that the desecration of our Obas has come from a person of the status of Obasanjo whose Yoruba identity is under question is a great shame and denigration of the Yoruba culture and tradition.
“We, therefore, condemn this dastardly act from Obasanjo in all totality and so, we call for his public apology to all the disgraced Obas and the entire Yoruba people by extension.
“While we condemn the arrogant act of Obasanjo, we also feel ashamed and let down as well by all the Obas in attendance who kowtowed to the command of the lesser mortal as pupil would their teacher.
“This organization – Council of Yoruba Elders – has poised itself to protect the glory and dignity of Yoruba race in all ramifications.”
