A group, Yoruba Advancement Foundation, on Thursday, faulted the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, over the face-off between him and the Agbowu of Ogbaagbaa town, Oba Sikirulahi Akinropo, during a peace meeting in Osun State, last Friday.
The group, in a statement by its Chief Executive Officer, Prince Adedapo Adesanmi; and Secretary, Prince Adeniyi Ogunsola, said to do nothing amid the Oluwo’s “open portrayal of Yoruba Obaship” to the world was to jointly contribute to the demise of “our highly revered traditional institution.”
The foundation said it believed in the ancient wisdom that concluded that “Ibi a ba pe l’ori, enikan ki i fi te ile, that is, wherever that has been acknowledged as the head is not meant to be walked on or be tainted in any way.”
It described the monarch as a “controversial personality,” adding that the Oluwo’s “persistent, unacceptable and sacrilegious actions” might eventually drag the ancient Yoruba royal institution into opprobrium from which it might not able to recover.
YAF, while addressing the monarch, said, “Your Majesty, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, this is very unlike a king, traditional or a community leader in Yorubaland!
“In case we have forgotten, it was the same type of character deficiency and failure of leadership that caused the fall from grace to grass of the former Deji of Akure, Prince Adepoju, who was deposed and banished from the throne by the state government in 2010 for alleged assault of one of his estranged wives.
“In 2020, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwo only took assault a notch higher by beating up another Yoruba king. Now, the big question on people’s lips is, ‘If a Yoruba Oba can openly behave in such a demeaning manner, as did Oluwo of Iwo, then what judgment will he pass to his people when such a case is brought before him?’”
YAF called on the Osun State government, in conjunction with the Osun State Council of Obas, to constitute a special committee to look into “all the sacrilegious and ignominious attitude of Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwo.”
It added, “This recent uncontrolled anger directed towards another Oba that resulted in an open-fist scuffle is capable of ruining the highly referred royal institution of the Yoruba race if jointly condoned without any form of repercussion.
“Finally, we would like to express our deep appreciation to all our distinguished royal fathers who are exemplary leaders in our communities and all the administrators that are in charge of the governance who are working tirelessly day and night to making sure that our culture and all our institutions continue to thrive for future generations to benefit from.
“Our sincere prayer is that peace and prosperity will continuously reign all over Yorubaland and among the Yoruba the world over.”
