There have been heated debates on the rites of passage Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona elected for himself and which those charged with the responsibility carried out upon his departure from earthly life. The mounting of the throne comes with certain rites which are in line with age-long practices and which have become mores. Similarly, the departure rites of a king are governed by centuries-old traditions. Eye-brows are raised when there is a deviation from the well-grounded and accustomed practices of a community.
The controversy triggered by the deviation witnessed in the funeral rites of Oba Adetona could not, therefore, have come as a surprise. The fury that arose among the custodians of the Awujale traditions has spread far and wide, encompassing traditionalists in other parts of Yorubaland who see the deviation as an abomination and affront. In the brouhaha are even contained threats to take the Ogun State Government to court for brushing aside age-long burial rites that must be carried out when an Oba dies.
Oba Adetona passed away on 13 July, two Sundays ago. No sooner he breathed his last than an announcement was made by the Royal House of Ijebu-Ode. The old practice was to hold the announcement of the passing of an important king until certain rites had been performed which could take weeks. If anything went out it could only be in whispers.
When the announcement was ripe to go out, it would not be through a press statement, but through the beating of a special drum called “Gbedu”. In the night, there is whistling of “Oro” and movement towards the vicinity of the palace is restricted. The community which observes the tradition most strictly is Benin City. I recall when Oba Akenzua 11 passed away in June 1978, Gani Fawehinmi who happened to be in town on a professional litigation business was proud to shave his hair in what he said was in keeping with the demands of the Benin Kingdom tradition.
What is tradition? The Chambers 21st Century Dictionary (Revised Edition) defines tradition as beliefs, customs etc that belong to a specified group of people, religion, country, or family. The definition goes further to say it means an established standard or usual practice or custom. Five years ago, when Oba Adetona granted an interview to mark his 86th birthday and at the time also his 60th anniversary on the throne as the Awujale of Ijebuland, he said to a gathering of senior journalists that he was looking forward to meeting his Maker. When his remains were interred the following day, 14 July, it was done in line with Islamic tenets.
The International Council for Ifa Religion and Traditionalists would have nothing of that. Its president, Dr Fayemi Fakayode and in the company of its legal representative, said at a Press briefing that the burial breached both tradition and law. Dr Fakayode quoting Part 8, Section 55, Subsection 11 of Ogun State Chieftaincy Law, said the use of traditional rites was mandatory over any religious options in the burial of kings in the state and dropped hints that the Council was warming up to go to court. The State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Sina Ogungbade, (SAN), dismissed the threat as a waste of time and that the government cannot be intimidated by any such action.
Fakayode: “This is not just about the burial of one king, it is a challenge to the core of Yoruba heritage. Ignoring our customs is a direct affront to the cultural identity that defines our people.” He frowned at the sidelining of the Osugbo Confraternity—custodians of the final traditional rites. But the commissioner wondered aloud: “How can the choice of the deceased Awujale or that of his family to bury him according to his faith guaranteed by law be stretched to amount to an assault on religious freedom of indigenous adherents?”
The Olowa Iberu and Chief Priest of Ijebuland, chipped in, expressing the displeasure of the traditionalists over the burial. He accused the government of connivance with the Oba Adetona family.
In the exhaustive interview referred to in the foregoing Oba Adetona had given hints of awareness of personal responsibility and freedom of choice against all conformity in certain steps. In the Beyond, he has embarked on another phase of his journey through life. Every journey has a destination. Where does his path lead him after earthly life? He seemed to have asked himself whether traditional rites were compatible with his longing in these times to be with his Maker? What was stirring within his soul when he made his choice? For him tradition cannot be cast in iron in this day and age.
The Ogun State Council of Obas debated the matter and decided to throw the old practices out of the window. The Oba-in Council of different districts of Ijebuland and stakeholders decided to discard the practices. As this column has stated a few times, life on earth is a school. We may wish to ask ourselves: In what class are we individually? Are you in Infant One, or in Primary Five? Are you in the secondary school or are you in the university which is regarded as the peak of learning?
Dr. Richard Steinpach, a lawyer and author says in his Work, ‘Why was I born?’: “Man from his earliest beginnings is and remains a learner.” I will come back to this presently. Are we to continue with tradition no matter how repugnant it may have become in view of education, inner development and exposure?
I will like to entreat my colleagues, Olayinka Oyegbile, Deputy Editor and Dare Odufowokan, who did the interview to allow me copiously run excerpts from it so we can glean at how the mind of Oba Adetona was working and what hints he gave about how he would like to be buried. He had been asked: “There are allegations in some quarters that you are behind a Bill before the Ogun State House of Assembly which is aimed at tampering with tradition and customs as regards the installation and burial of Obas in the state. Can you shed light on this?”
Awujale: “Let me make it clear that I, as Awujale of Ijebuland, reserve the exclusive right and prerogative, to the exclusive right and prerogative, to the exclusion of anybody—be it an Oba or chief, the control over tradition and customs in Ijebuland. Once I say this is what it is, that is what it is. Nobody can challenge me. So, those out there challenging my position and explanations as far as Ijebu tradition and customs are concerned are just, at best, agent provocateurs acting on behalf of some people or they simply don’t know what they are doing. I just gave you a copy of the bill in question for you to better understand this issue; this is a bill of the Ogun State Council of Obas, not me. I just can’t understand how only the Awujale can represent the entire Ogun State Council of Obas…But for you to further understand this issue, here is the earlier resolution of the Ijebu Traditional Council on the same issue of how obas should be buried in Ijebuland. You can see that the two documents are not the same.
“And I am a party to this one dated 31 March, 1997. At the assembly here in my palace on that Easter Monday, in 1997, where these resolutions were adopted, more than 5,000 Ijebu sons and daughters, representing various interests and families, were present and they all agreed to the position that obas should be buried by their relatives according to their religious beliefs, without prejudice to traditional gifts to those who may be traditionally entitled. And that the children of Obas be allowed to perform memorial services or other social ceremonies after their demise. The media was there. And that is what we have been doing here in Ijebu ever since. That is our own; not this one they want to pin on me at all cost. This one before the Assembly is the position of Ogun State Council of Obas and it was drafted for the Council by Prince Bola Ajibola. All Obas in Ogun State agreed to these things. All the traditional councils in the state—Ijebu Traditional Council: Yewa Traditional Council; Egba Traditional Council; and Remo Traditional Council. It came much later after our own Ijebu declaration of 1997. It spoke about installation in church or mosque—nothing like that in our own resolution of 1997, which I stand by.’’
Asked about the much-talked fortification of the new Oba by the Osugbos while in Ipebi (Seclusion)? Is that not a role for the Osugbos?
Answer: “Have you been to the Osugbo before as a king-in-waiting? No. OK, I was there for three months and I am telling you I never saw any Osugbo there. The people talking, have they been there? So, who should know if not me? What we did in seclusion is nothing secret. We were just there making merry and enjoying ourselves while relatives, friends and other well-wishers come around to visit and rejoice with the king. What is the fortification they are talking about? No Osugbo came to do anything to me while I was there. Let them come here and tell me who it was that did that for me. Osugbos are mere messengers, I repeat.”
Question: “Sir, what is the role of traditionalists in the crowning of an Oba in Ijebuland—especially, in the behind-the scene ceremonies or rites leading to coronation?
Answer: “They have no role to play at all. Be it the Osugbos or any other traditionalists. I am telling you they play no role. It is the Ogbenis, the Odis, the government officials, the princes and the royal house. That is all. I can recall that Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Ladoke Akintola, all of them were involved in my own ceremonies. So, where were the traditionalists you talk about then? And what rites are you referring to? I cannot recall any rite that was done behind the scene. Let them come and tell me. It is all lies. Nothing like that. They even tell you that they give the heart of a deceased Oba to the new one to eat.
Nothing like that. Okay, which heart did Orimolusi eat when Adeboye died in Tripoli? Besides, when Gbelegbuwa died, I wasn’t in the country. I was abroad and didn’t return until about a year after his death. So, which heart was given to me? I didn’t eat anything. So, no such thing happened. That is why I am asking you to tell me those rites that are the preserves of the traditionalists or the Osugbo as you claim. People must seek knowledge before contributing to issues they lack information about.And they say I want to alter tradition. Which tradition? What is tradition? Who determines tradition?
“Tradition is the way we live. It is not custom that makes people; it is the people who make custom. It is what we are doing today that becomes tradition. The burial of an Oba is the duty of the Odis and not the Osugbos. The bill is not against the Odis performing their functions. This is the draft bill and you will see it there that nobody is objecting to that. And the mention that the Obas should be buried according to their belief is largely to go in line with the constitutional provision. Whatever goes against the constitution can no longer be done. It is because of ignorant people like this that it is written that way.
“One of the things they do in those days was to kill people as sacrifices to the gods. Can they do that again today? Why are people not protesting against the correction of that? Why can’t these protesting professors offer wife or children to be sacrificed? The proposed law is to guide against indecent and barbaric practices in the process we are talking about. The belief before now is that some people must be killed to help the late king carry his loads to heaven. Can that still be done now? Do you want that to be done? How can you then bury a king traditionally?
“It was done in those days, before the advent of the British people. The killing of people for sacrifice stopped. So, kings were no longer being buried traditionally since then. And then we don’t want them to be buried decently. Can you imagine? It is these ones, and not any concerned stakeholders, who are refusing to accept the realities of today. You say traditionalists. Let them come out and publicly tell the world what they are opposed to. Who are traditional worshippers? What are they worshipping? Is it these Jeremiahs and Ismailas that claim to be worshipping Ogun and Obatala? Let them come out. They’re just some never-do-wells, who are either James or Dauda.”
Oba Adetona was asked: “Are you saying as the Awujale of Ijebuland, you don’t perform certain traditional rites on behalf of your town?”
His reply: “Which rites? What are those rites? Do you know those rites because I don’t know of any? If you can say this rite or that rite, maybe I will understand.
Question: “Are you saying you don’t intercede and or pray on behalf of your subjects?”
Answer: “That is not part of my function. The churches and the mosques are there to do that. Intercede? What kind of intercession? I am concerned about how to get good roads, drinkable water and the general wellbeing of my people and territory. You talk about being spiritual leader. Spiritual leader of what or where? I don’t know about that. It is all rubbish. People are just talking about what they don’t know about. I have been on this throne for sixty years and I have never been tired because that is my job. Otherwise, I have to quit the place.
“So, I understand what being an Awujale is all about. I became a king as a young man and when I got here, I saw the excesses of the politicians and a lot of other things, And I felt I needed to do a lot to manage the situation. And in the last sixty years, that is what I have been doing. And I will tell you firmly that I have done my best.”
Question: “Another allegation out there is that you subdued the annual traditional Obanta festival and promoted the Ojude Oba Festival which is related to the Muslim Ileya festival. How true?”
Answer: “There has never been any Obanta festival. So, where did they get the story of an Obanta festival being subdued? What I can remember is there used to be an Obanta Social Club doing some things annually in the palace. But at a time, the people in charge became fraudulent, collecting money from people and not accounting for it, so I stopped them. That was all. That has nothing to do with Ojude Oba that has been on for centuries now. It started with Ileya Festival when the Awujale gave ram to Muslims to slaughter at the praying ground. On the third day, they came to the palace to thank him. That was how it started long before my coming to the throne. It became a tradition and we continued it because we saw it as a platform to unite our people for cooperation irrespective of their religions. Nothing like Obanta festival. What festival will that be actually? Is it Ogun or Agemo festival? People just say what they don’t know about out of sheer ignorance.”
Note: I wish to give full credit to my colleagues, Olayinka Oyegbile, Deputy Editor and Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor, for this awesome interview they had with Oba Sikiru Adetona five years ago. It was exhumed and shared from social media to me all the way from the United Kingdom. I have drawn copiously from the interview because it is timely and it is intended to douse the tension triggered by funeral rite accorded Oba Adetona, the just exited Awujale of Ijebuland and the attendant controversy. It is also to tell Oba Adetona’s side of the story that the Islamic ways his remains were interred were, indeed, his choice and deliberate. Thirdly, the culling of the interview is intended as enlightening background for my comments on the funeral next week.
