The Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom, Oba Fredrick EnitiOlorunda Obateru Akinruntan, Okoro Ajiga 1 has explained that no other person or organisation has the right to announce the death of a monarch other than the kingmakers.
He said this while explaining the controversy that greeted the death of Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse 11.
While stating that the controversy had denied the highly referred monarch the expected sympathy his death would have attracted, he said neither the chiefs nor the media that broke the news of the demise of the king could be blamed, but asked for the management of the issue by the whole Yoruba race, whose the tradition is at stake.
He said this after his investiture as the Life Patron of the Correspondents Chapel of the Oyo State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), in his palace.
He said; “While nobody has the right to announce the demise of any monarch except the traditional chiefs in the palace, yet, the media on the other cannot be blamed for doing their job. We Yoruba should manage the situation in such a way that the tradition will be respected and not thrown over board in the name of modernity through the internet.”
Meanwhile, It was gathered last night that the Isoros, a powerful cult in Ife kingdom are said to have procured necessary materials for the burial as tradition demands.
Sources close to the palace hinted that fund for the procurement of Ikaro, the building materials had been made available to the Isoros to facilitate the rites.
All indigenous deities in Ile-Ife, it was further learnt, have to submit local materials to the palace as burial rites to enhance smooth transition for a monarch that passes on.
The palace according to our findings was deserted Sunday save for the security men, palace guards on duty and traditional chiefs who came for meeting and consultation.
Normal commercial activities were also observed by Ife residents but few traders opened for business being a Sunday.] Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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"It was gathered last night that the Isoros, a powerful cult in Ife kingdom are said to have procured necessary materials for the burial as tradition demands"
ReplyDelete"Necessary materials" here includes how many human heads? The issue of sacrificing human beings on the death of a traditional ruler remains "an elephant in the room" which no government is prepared to confront. Absolutely awful.