Bode Thomas 1953, Obasanjo 2023: How Yoruba Obas Lost The Efficacy of Traditional Powers—Wole

Bode Thomas 1953

OpenLife Nigeria reproduces a piece by Oladipo Oluwole, a retired Ogun State civil service director in which he exposes the history of Yoruba traditional rulers’ molestations and the corresponding consequences arising from unadulterated traditional powers

History, has a unique way of repeating itself, thereby, lending a historic credence to the ongoing hullabaloo, over former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s controversial order by fiat, on some Yoruba Obas to stand up, at the Oyo state road inauguration, in Iseyin town, recently.

History, has it that, the then Oyo District Council Chairman, Chief Bode Thomas, in a similar way to Chief Obasanjo recent outburst, (coincidentally, within the same Oyo district), equally shouted at the then Alaafin of Oyo town, Oba Adeniran Adeyemi 11, the father of the last Alaafin Lamidi Adeyemi 111, for not standing up for him, on his arrival for a council meeting, at Oyo, in November 22, 1953.

Thereafter, Oba Adeyemi 11 was reported to have mystically ordered him to continue barking like a dog, and Bode Thomas, eventually barked to death, days after!

The real question, now, is- ” se agbara, bi tii Alaafin Adeniran Adeyemi 11, ko si mo ni” ?- ” Is there no more such a traditional commanding power, like that of Alaafin Adeniran Adeyemi 11, again ?

The answer is in the Yoruba wise saying- ” eniti, o so ile baba e nu…o so apo iya ko”- the moment one loses one culture and traditions, as a freeborn, …under whatever guise…be it modernity, religion, politics, greediness,….one has lost the essentials. One will, therefore, occasionally suffer….elsewhere….as an ostracized outcast, and like the prodigal son….in the hands of the ‘miscreants’,….outside….having lost his ancestral home….as metaphorically explained in the above Yoruba wise saying- ‘eniti, o so ile baba e nu….’.

Examples abound of powerful Yoruba leaders….that have been cut down in their prime by the ‘world’… having been so deceived/brainwashed to abandon their cherished culture.

Traditional stool is not an arena for charlatans or politico-religious bigotry- but for those who are inherently and naturally endowed to uphold the tenets/rituals involved, and are equally genuinely interested in following/fulfilling divine traditional practices/norms of abstaining from certain unguarded habits, outbursts, conducts, and unholy public/nocturnal social interactions. by becoming the adherents of truth, justice, fairness, divinity, holiness, utmost culture of dignity, glamour, and candour!

Traditionally, Yoruba Obas are forbidden to see dead human bodies or corpses….but, nowadays, Obas’ dead bodies/corpses, are being exposed to the non initiated, by laying them on bare floors for their subjects to see, before the religious interment….what an abomination with the dire consequences ?

Religion and politics divide homes and nations- making once bossom friends become sworn enemies….but culture and traditions are unifying….which many modern day Yoruba Obas have distanced themselves from- as the custodians….but eventually turned their palaces into the divisive arena of politics and religion, instead of the natural unifying centers for all their subjects.

Oladipo Oluwole can be reached via 21@gmail.com 08033598528.