The Oba in those days was an inherited position. Candidates were usually raised for the ruling. Kingmakers through Ifa divination, selects the candidate from the competing royal ruling houses.
Some Obas in Yoruba Nation have been the focal point of fascination and controversy. The granddaddy of all mad kings in Yoruba Kingdom today is Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi. The arrogant, adulterous, wife beater, raven maniac Oba, behaves like he’s being tormented by animal-like insanity. Oluwo’s madness has become the framework through which royal insanity is seen in Yoruba Nation.
But he is not alone. Some Obas engage in stinking fraud and corruption. The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi was busted in a story in SaharaReporters, headlined: “Royal Fraud: Companies Linked To Ooni Of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi Defraud Nigerians In Massive Real Estate Scandal” “According to a report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, Oba Ogunwusi and his companies have swindled a lot of housing investors and buyers to the tune of hundreds of millions of naira, as the king appeared to be above the law,” reports SaharaReporters.
In the Yoruba Nation I grew up, the Oba is the custodian and high priest of morals, culture and tradition. He is a man of war. He is a unifying source of wisdom, power, majesty, and identification. He is a model to relate to and copy. He sets the standard for protection and made provision for his people. The Oba protects and defends the kingdom. Increase the wealth and trade of the kingdom for the general good of his people. He takes care of the poor by redistributing the tribute paid as necessary. This was the ideal monarchic structure. And it worked.
The Oba in those days was an inherited position. Candidates were usually raised for the ruling. Kingmakers through Ifa divination, selects the candidate from the competing royal ruling houses.
But in today’s Yoruba Nation, the opposite is true. Obas are now handpicked by dirty politicians whose hands are soiled with blood and blood money. Obas now oversee a web of corruption. They influence cabinet appointments, win lucrative federal, state, and local governments tenders through corruption.
They are behind illegal mining of our gold and other precious minerals carried out by foreign business rogues. They collude with Buhari government to oppress our people. They serve as royal beggars frequenting Aso Rock begging for money from Buhari. In the face of unprecedented massacre of our people by Fulani terrorists, they remain silent, subservient, and subjugated. They sold out our people to Fulani invaders for a mess of pottage. They have become pawns and puppets in the hands of Fulanis and Tinubus of the world. It’s no surprise they strenuously oppose agitation for Yoruba Nation.
Oba Ogunwusi and Oluwo of Iwo are not the only Obas who wear the crown purposely to enrich themselves at the expense of our people. They are not the only Obas serving as willing traitors and betrayers of our people. More revelations are in the offing. Time will expose them all - the profiteers of misery of our people.