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.
Aregbesola
maintained sealed lips and warned his aides who overheard his conversation with
Oba Sijuwade’s child not to tell anyone. But as much as they tried to keep the
secret in line with the existing norms, the Yoruba culture and tradition were
not spared from humiliation when the bubble eventually burst as the news of the
death of the Ooni circulated on Facebook, Twitter, BBM and WhatsApp. In fact,
the Ife Royal Traditional Council suffered a near fatal wound with the manner
the media inadvertently broke the news.
Leader of Ife
Royal Traditional Council briefing Aregbesola as Omoworare looks on
In
the twinkle of an eye, the whole world was told that the Alase ikeji orisa
(second in command to the gods) and Arole Oodua (the representative of the
gods), the Ooni of Ife, Oba Sijuwade, had died in a London hospital.
The late Ooni, Oba Sijuwade
Like
rivers flowing into the ocean, residents of Ife thronged the Ile-Oodua, the
palace of Ooni, to confirm the veracity of the news. Many of them thought it
could be a lie orchestrated, as part of a ritual, to elongate the lifespan of
the monarch. So, everyone was careful but journalists who had joined the crowd
at the palace seemed not deterred as they insisted on entering the palace.
mourners at Ooni palace
The
newsmen eventually gained entrance into the palace and made frantic efforts to
talk to the palace chiefs who initially shunned the reporters but later
summoned the courage and announced that news of the Ooni’s death was all a
rumour. A day after, Daily Trust confirmed the death of Ooni, through the
Nigerian High Commissioner in England.
The
monarch who was enthroned as the 15th Ooni of Ife on December 6, 1980, died at
the age of 85, after 35 years on the throne. At a meeting with governor
Aregbesola, the Ife Royal Traditional Council, led by the Lowa of Ife, Oba
Joseph Ijaodola, maintained their traditional ruler was still alive and the
governor ironically prayed for long live for the Ooni.
Meanwhile,
necessary burial rites had started as the corpse of the monarch was secretly
brought into the country and kept in a shrine at the palace.
Ife
residents were apprehensive, especially with the Oro festival which is an
unusual exercise and delicate for women to witness. As tension continues to
mount, the traditional chiefs deployed town criers to announce to residents of
the ancients town not to panic. They urged the people to continue with their
normal activities and disregard warnings that women should stay indoors because
of the Oro festival, rumoured to be part of the burial rites for the monarch
was untrue.
While
the hide-and-seek continued, Daily Trust on Saturday learnt from a reliable
source that the corpse of Oba Sijuade has been moved to the Ile’gbo, a sacred
temple where his coronation took place when he became the traditional ruler of
the town. It was also learnt that the Ile’gbo, located within the palace of the
Ooni, is the starting point for the late Oba and that he must return to the
same place and handover the paraphernalia of the office he took.
A
traditional chief in Ile-Ife who confided on our reporter said: “The corpse of
the late Ooni has arrived at the palace and it was received by members of Isoro
Cult, the burial rites continue at Ile’gbo.”
The
chief added that: “The Kaabiesi’s journey to the throne started from that place
called Ile’gbo. That is where he was installed as Ooni. That is the place where
anyone that will succeed him would also be installed.”
He
stated that: “The body is being preserved through traditional means. Details
may not be too good for publication. The rites will be done while the body is
kept there. But don’t expect formal announcement of his death in the next two
weeks. The formal announcement will take time, depending on how fast the Isoro
members are able to conclude the necessary rites. The body is there as I speak
to you but none members of Isoro cannot see it. Even his family members can no
longer see him.”
A
priest in charge of the Osun Osogbo shrine, Chief Adigun Olosun, in a chat with
Daily Trust on Saturday said the ongoing rites on the remains of the late Ooni
were in line with custom and tradition. “Baba
Ooni cannot die. A king does not die in Yoruba land. He can only join his
ancestors. If he does that, it must not be announced just anyhow. There are
procedures that must be followed. For instance, there is a particular drum that
must be beaten to produce a spiritual sound and give certain signals to the
gods. Once that is done, a particular deity would be prepared and it is the
deity that would announce the death of the monarch,” the priest said.
Chief
Adigun dispelled the rumour that Ooni would be buried with human heads and
urged the people of Ile-Ife not to panic. “It
is true that in the past, there was a system in which the Oba would be buried
with another person. But that tradition has been abolished. I can confirm that
to you. The truth is that in those days, in Oyo, there was this idea of
Abobaku, meaning one who dies with the king. The Abobaku is a title and whoever
that is given that title would enjoy the same privilege with the monarch and
live big just like the Oba,” he explained.
“Once
the monarch is dead, he must die too and they would be buried together. But
that is not done anywhere anymore in Yoruba land. No human being would be
buried with Baba Ooni. People should not interrupt the transition rites to
avoid the wrath of the gods. Baba will be buried like every other human being
after all the necessary rites are completed,” Adigun added.
At
the time of filing this report, members of different fraternity groups besieged
the Oduduwa Shrine at Ile-Ife where they performed transition rites on the
remains of the late Oba Sijuwade. Similar burial rites were performed in
various sacred forests in Ife on Thursday night.
It
was learnt that all the heads of the fraternity groups, which the monarch
belonged to, have visited the shrine to invoke their different gods on the
corpse of the late Ooni.
Dit was also gathered that at the shrines and forests of the deities,
the traditionalists have been assigned specific duties. Some of the deities
invoked on Thursday include the Osogun, Obalara, Lana and Emese and they were
said to be operating under Isoro deity which is believed to be the father of
several other deities. A
traditionalist who doesn’t want to be named gave the name of the head of Isoro
deity as Obadio, saying that he is in charge of the dialects and languages of
certain gods and goddesses in Yoruba land.
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