A group, The Cradle Youths, has said that it was an abomination for princes to be conferred with Chieftaincy title in Ile-Ife and Yoruba land as a whole, adding that princes with Chieftanct titles cannot become Ooni.
The co-ordinator of the Ile-Ife based group, Mr. Kunle Elusayo, said this in a statement issued at Ile-Ife and made available to journalists.
According to him, it is an abomination to offer and receive any Chieftaincy tittle regardless of the prestige and ovation associated with such tittle because you are prospective king.
He explained that being a prince places one at a vintage advantage ahead of any Chieftaincy tittle and such cannot be compromised.
He specifically stated that only those who are not prince sare given Chieftaincy tittle and Chiefs don’t qualify to be Ooni of Ife.
Elusayo said, “?Princes are never conferred with Chieftaincy tit?les. Once a prince always a prince. This is a popular Yoruba custom and adage. It is therefore odd to see Chiefs coming out to say they want to be Ooni, which is impossible. Their declaration of intention is in the first place an embarrassment of our tradition. It is an abuse on our collective intelligence and indigence.
“We fully trust the King makers but we sincerely call their attention to the above stated facts. In most cases, Chieftaincy tittles were conferred on people of integrity, prominence and charismatic to honour them, if they are not princes of the town in Ife. This is the singular reason why no prince are Chiefs. If not for this, a king would have also given all his children (son) chiefs.”
The group also referred to a statement made by the late Ooni Oba Sijuwade Okunade on an outstanding indigene of Ile-Ife to back it’s claim.
The late Oba Okunade was quoted to have made the statement in a book titled, ‘The Untold Story of ?a Great Achiever’ written by Idowu Aloba on the biography of Dr. Adegoke Adedoyin.
The late Oba Sijuwade was quoted as saying that “His (Adedoyin) leadership quality, exemplary life, dedicated life of service to humanity we all that earned h?im the Chieftaincy tittle, ‘Maye of Ife’. And since he was made the Maye, he has been up annd doing. He is a true ambassador of the Source. I address him as my dearest son.”
The group leader added that the claim that every Ooni before their death usually pointed to the person who will come as Ooni after him was “a total falsehood and fraudulent attempt”.
?Elusayo lamented that position could make people twist their tongue and begin to invent traditions that are not existing.
He noted that it is wrong based on tradition and declaration (constitution) to lay claim that a former Ooni anointed a person to be his successor.
Elusayo added, “Our attention has been drawn to the interview and media misinformation that the late revered Oba Sijuwade Okunade had anointed a person to be the next Ooni before his death.? It is however, necessary to caution any contender to stop putting the revered name of Late Oba Sijuwade to disrepute, as the late Ooni Oba Sijuwade Okunade II was well tutored and versed in tradition ?that he will never attempt to usurp the duties of the Ife Kingmakers. Moreso that this does not lie in his purview.
“To put the record straight, the general public and Ife Sons and Daughters , both at home and in the Diaspora need to be informed rightly. The declaration made under section 4 (2) of the Chief Law 1957 of the Customary Law regulating the selection of the Ooni of Ife, there are four ruling Houses, which have the right to provide candidate for the Ooni Cheiftancy and the identity of each of such ruling houses is as follows: Oshinkola, Ogbooru, Giesi and Lafogido.
“From the above, it is clear there exist no ruling House known or identified as Agbedegbede/Osinkola Akui ruling house.”
Based on the controversy surrounding the public statement by Chief Adedoyin, the leader of the Ile-Ife based group narrated that “Truth be told that his paternity has been traced to late Alhaji Saka Adedoyin, who hails from Lukoun-Oba-Laaye ruling house and his paternal grand mother from Adogbodo-Obalufe ruling House.
“Respectively with the highest Cheiftancy title being Obalaaye of ? Iraye (Ife) and Obalufe of Ife respectively vide Declaration made under section 4 (2) of the Chiefs Laws 1957, of the Customary Law regulating the selecting of the outer Chiefs ie Chiefs of the riight pages three and four respectively.
“From the foregoing, it is clear that Chief Dr. Adedoyin is only qualified to be a outer Chief eiither the Obalaaye of Iraye (Ife) or the Obalufe of Iremo (Ife) and not the Ooni of Ife. This has been confirmed by Dr. Adedoyin himself in his biography contained in the above stated book.”
FULL VERSION OF THE PRESS RELEASE
Our attention has been drawn to the interview and media misinformation that the late revered Oba Sijuwade Okunade had anointed a person to be the next Ooni before his death.
To put the record straight, the general public and Ife Sons and Daughters , both at home and in the Diaspora need to be informed rightly.
According to the declaration made under section 4 (2) of the Chief Law 1957 of the Customary Law regulating the selection of the Ooni of Ife, there are four ruling Houses, which have the right to provide candidate for the Ooni Cheiftancy and the identity of each of such ruling houses is as follows: Oshinkola, Ogbooru, Giesi and Lafogido.
From the above, it is clear there exist no ruling House known or identified as Agbedegbede/Osinkola Akui ruling house.
Based on the controversy surrounding the public statement by Chief Adedoyin, truth be told that his paternity has been traced to late Alhaji Saka Adedoyin, who hails from Lukoun-Oba-Laaye ruling house and his paternal grand mother from Adogbodo-Obalufe ruling House. Respectively with the highest Cheiftancy title being Obalaaye of ? Iraye (Ife) and Obalufe of Ife respectively vide Declaration made under section 4 (2) of the Chiefs Laws 1957, of the Customary Law regulating the selecting of the outer Chiefs ie Chiefs of the riight pages three and four respectively.
From the foregoing, it is clear that Chief Dr. Adedoyin is only qualified to be a outer Chief eiither the Obalaaye of Iraye (Ife) or the Obalufe of Iremo (Ife) and not the Ooni of Ife.
It is however, necessary to caution any contender to stop putting the revered name of Late Oba Sijuwade to disrepute, as the late Ooni Oba Sijuwade Okunade II was well tutored and versed in tradition ?that he will never attempt to usurp the duties of the Ife Kingmakers. Moreso that this not lie in his purview.
Prince are never conferred with Chieftaincy tit?les. Once a prince always a prince. This is a popular Yoruba custom and adage.
It is therefore odd to see Chiefs coming out to say they want to be Ooni, which is impossible. Their declaration of intention is in the first place an embarrassment of our tradition. It is an abuse on our collective intelligence and indigence.
We fully trust the King makers but we sincerely call their attention to the above stated facts. In most cases, Chieftaincy tittles were conferred on people of integrity, prominence and charismatic to honour them, if they are not princes of the town in Ife. This is the singular reason why no prince are Chiefs. If not for this, a king would have also given all his children (son) chiefs.
The only traceable comment by the late Oba Sijuwade was that “His leadership quality, exemplary life, dedicated life of service to humanity we all that earned h?im the Chieftaincy tittle, ‘Maye of Ife’. And since he was made the Maye, he has been up annd doing. He is a true ambassador of the Source. I address him as my dearest son.”
From the late Oba Sijuwade’s statement, it is clear that Adedoyin is not a prince. That was why he was given the title.
The Co-ordinator,
The Cradle Youths, Ile-Ife
Mr. Kunle Elusayo
[email protected]
