128
By Oscar Okhifo
The Olowo of Owo Kingdom, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye, has called out fellow traditional rulers who shy away from embracing the customs and rituals that define their thrones.
He urged such monarchs to step aside rather than erode the essence of the traditional institution they represent.
Speaking during the installation of new chiefs in Owo, Ondo State, the first-class monarch expressed dismay at the growing trend of monarchs distancing themselves from age-long customs and rituals, which he described as the very foundation of the throne they occupy.
“It is better to step aside than to continue desecrating the traditional institution by rejecting what makes it sacred,” Olowo said, stressing that any traditional ruler who is not ready to abide by the customs of their people has no business occupying the throne.
Oba Ogunoye emphasized that tradition must be preserved and respected at all costs, warning that deviation weakens the authority and sanctity of the monarchy.
The words of the Olowo may not be unconnected to the recent happenings when it was reported that the traditional rulers under the Awujale of Ijebu land who were denied entry into the house of the first class monarch.
They had come to perform the traditional farewell rights to the late Awujale. The alleged refusal of the performance of pre burial rituals and the Islamic burial offered the late Awujale was seen by the barred chiefs as desecration of the age long tradition of Ijebu people.
His comments have reignited a broader conversation in Yoruba land about the delicate balance between cultural preservation and the influence of modernity and religion on the traditional stool.