Thirty-six
years ago, when the previous Ooni of Ife, Sir Adesoji Tadeniawo Aderemi died,
the burial ceremony was shrouded in secrecy. Rites were performed to appease
the gods for peace in the land. In Yoruba land, the death of a traditional
ruler of Ooni’s status is a very sensitive matter which, if not well handled,
could cause chaos.
For
this reason, it is believed that a king does not die but can only magically
transit to the other side, considered as a bridge between the living and the
dead. When the royal transition is managed well by the custodians of tradition,
it would be a painless transition.
Ooni's
beautiful white and black Rolls Royce
Therefore,
the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, could not have died just like that as
tradition must be respected. But unfortunately, the forces of globalisation
have taken firm roots now with internet and GSM. Thus, the world has since
become one vast cyber Kibbutz, most especially with Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp
and Blackberry Messenger to the extent that one pin drop from one end of the
globe instantly registers in another part, thousands of miles away.
Oba
Sijuwade was flown abroad, a couple of weeks ago, as a result of sickness. Only
family members knew about the airlift of the revered monarch abroad as some of
the palace chiefs were even kept out of the loop.
However,
it is believed that the Iroko tree fell as Kaabiesi gave up the ghost in a
London hospital. One of his children was said to have informed the state
governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola about the demise of the monarch but he told the
governor not to tell anyone.
