The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has stated his reasons for staying away from the palace of Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, saying he was chased out like a child the last time he visited the monarch.
According to a viral video on Sunday, the first-class monarch, who was speaking at a social function recently, disclosed that, “When I visited Oluwo, he chased me out like a child. Since that incident, I have always maintained myself going close to him. Now that you people are imploring that I visit him again, what if he does what he likes to me?”
The Ooni added that he has contained the excesses of the Oluwo as an elder, “But I have to contain his excesses as an elder, although I am a young person sitting on the throne of the elders,” adding “Oluwo, I greet you” in apparent reference to Oba Akanbi, who was present at the occasion.
Controversies have greeted Oba Akanbi’s condemnation of practitioners and practice of the traditional religions called ‘isese’ in Yoruba, whom he described in his scathing remarks as ‘idol worshippers’.
The Iwo monarch has left no one in doubt about his disdain for traditional beliefs which has attracted criticisms and condemnations for those who saw him as not representing the inclusive and multi-religious composition of the Yoruba people as a traditional ruler.
There are speculations that the stance of the Oluwo might not be unconnected with the Ooni’s traditional activities and relationship with the traditionalists.
LEADERSHIP reports that Oluwo had a few days ago via his Facebook post, admonishing the people of Iwo town in Osun State to shun idol worshipping, warning that whoever indulges in it should restrict such practices to their respective homes.
In the lengthy post, Oluwo wrote: “My work as a monarch is to stand for God and preach about him alone while challenging those worshipping things other than Him. I don’t do Ogun or any idol festival. Although, I have previously celebrated the Egungun festival with the worshippers, but I will never do that again. Except that they don’t call it idol worshipping. I don’t support their activities, that’s why their dealings don’t thrive here.”
He maintained that traditionalists cannot even perform sacrifices in Iwo, warning that anyone who does that will eat it. “Better still, litter your house with the sacrifices. Environmental sanitation has been exercised here to curb things like that. What anyone would need to be successful is to challenge the idols and their worshippers. That alone would make you a soldier of God.”
Continuing, Oluwo said Iwo used to be ruled by a traditionalist, but that stopped since the emergence of Oba Memudu Ayinla Lamuye in 1800 when the monarch converted the whole Iwo people to Islam.
He wrote, ”Oba Ibirinade Abioye Adekanbi (Alawusa) brought Islam in 1600. He evacuated idols and converted a place of worshipping deities to the Oluwo Central Mosque. Precisely, he birthed the first Mosque in South Western Nigeria in 1600.
“Later in the late 1800, another Oluwo, Oba Memudu Ayinla Lamuye (pictured above) spread Islam and converted the whole Iwo people to Islam and that’s why in Iwo, every compound has a Mosque and there is no Iwo indigene that does not have a Muslim name including recent convertees when the missionaries came.
“Oba Ibirinade Adekanbi was also called Alawusa because he was hospitable. He accommodated Malians who people tagged Hausa then they came to settle in Iwo. Oluwo was turbaned. New Oluwo used to be enthroned with a beaded crown before 1600.
“After 1600, turbanning used to come first before wearing the beaded crown. Oba Muhammad Ayinla Lamuye spent 90 years on the throne. Exactly 100 years after, the reigning Oluwo, was enthroned to complete the good work of the past monarchs,” Oba Akanbi stated.
