The throne of 'Ooni of Ife' Tradition Must Be Observed.

A contestant for the throne of Ooni of Ife, Mr. Ahmed Aderoju Adewoyin,  on Tuesday posited that Ife and her people have suffered untold pains, spiritual hardship and retrogression for not having genuine transparent consultation with the Ifa oracle and tradition during Ooni’s selection process.

Adewoyin, who is from the Abewela  royal compound  (under  Lafogido ruling  house), also noted that the selection process must be taken with all seriousness if transparency would be achieved.

According to him: “Genuine transparent consultation with Ifa oracle and tradition during Ooni’s selection process in  Ife  must be taken, as  people of Ife  have suffered untold pains, spiritual hardships and retrogression simply because leaders have jettisoned this important tradition in the past due to material wealth with the bitter consequences on the people.”

The foremost contestant also warned against introducing monetisation into cultural heritage of the Yoruba people as it is done in party politics, more so that Ife is the arrow head of the noble but tradition-oriented race as the stool of Ooni of  Ife  is never  for sale.

Adewoyin, who spoke with thisday on telephone strongly believed that “as the origin of the Yoruba race and custodian of a beautiful tradition, Ife must follow Ooni’s selection based on undiluted Ifa consultation as tradition dictates. Candidates with fullest virtue as spoken by Ifa must be selected in terms of priority.”

Meanwhile, contrary to speculations in certain quarters, the Lafogido ruling house of Ile-Ife has said it has not conceded the filling of the vacant stool of the Ooni of Ife to the Giesi ruling house or any other ruling house.

According to a statement issued by the head of the ruling house, Sooko Adeleke Adewoyin, the Lafogido ruling house “does not intend to and will never concede its right” to any other ruling house.

The statement added that contrary to the rumours making the rounds, the only authentic chieftaincy declaration of the Ooni of Ife chieftaincy title is the one Gazetted in 1957, adding that there is no other one that can serve as reference on the Ooni of Ife chieftaincy stool.

“A chieftaincy declaration is like the constitution of a country guiding the conduct of the people, and cannot be wished away just like that. The hallucinations from some quarters that it is the turn of Giesi ruling house to produce the next Ooni of Ife is just like the noise of a crowded market which nobody must listen to,” the statement said.

Adewoyin in the statement said: “For the avoidance of doubt, the order of rotation in the 1957 gazette is listed in the following manner: (i) Osinkola (ii) Giesi (ii) Ogboru and (vi) Lafogido.

“It was the turn of Giesi ruling house to produce the Ooni of Ife in 1980 upon the demise of Oba Adesoji Aderemi who was from the Osinkola ruling house. But Giesi ruling house, but for reasons best known to them, they conceded the stool to Ogboru ruling house. The position of the law is very clear on this and that is they have to wait for their turn again.”

The statement said the Lafogido ruling house now has qualified and prominent sons for the vacant stool. It listed 16 of such qualified princes from its ruling house to include Oluwole Adebayo Eludoyin, Adetayo Oladele, Prof. Charles A. Adesanmi, Prof. Adeyemi Adebisi, Ade Adefioye, Ajibade Olowoporoku, Aderotimi A. Adefioye and Aderemi Adekunle Okikiade.

Others are Adediran Okikiade, Adedamola Adedotun Layade, Adeleke Adefaranye, Adeposi Adebola Odunle, Adesanya Adefisan, Adekunle Adefioye Abioye, Ademakinwa Solomon and Ahmed Aderoju Adewoyin.

The statement noted that Lafogido is fully prepared to fill the vacant stool “and this is not negotiable.”Godswill Akpabio