There are KINGS, and there are kings.
The Oba of Benin is probably the most respected king in the Southwest. And why is this so? I believe it’s because he doesn’t make himself available for any event. He is not meddlesome. He minds his own business.
That is not to say he doesn’t care about the affairs of his people. Indeed, if he has to make his position known in his state and the nation, he will. However, he uses his chiefs adequately for the daily errands.
It’s like we are very much in the era of eaglet obas. There is something the Yorubas value about their obas. It is called dansaki. That is awesomeness.
Nobody can become awesome when they have reduced themselves to less than the ordinary. Some obas have turned themselves into refuse bins.
Can we still go back to the period when we had the Adesoji Aderemis, Musendiku Adeniji Adeles, Adeyinka Oyekans, Olateru Olagbegis, Okunade Sijuades, Oyebade Lipedes, Ladapo Ademolas, etc.? It’s not as if we don’t have some obas who are omoluabis now. But the question is, are they not the endangered few?
It took me this long to post this because I wanted to watch the video clip of the public show of shame between two obas. After watching the video clip, I was not in the least surprised.
The Ooni of Ife did not disappoint me. He went out of his way to greet the Oba of Lagos, who just waved him away like a common slave. In what seemed a reversal of roles, the Ooni showed uncommon maturity by going to take his seat.
The Ooni’s body language shows an urbane upbringing, refinement, respect, and responsibility. That’s why he has been preaching peace among his brother Obas.
He has carved a niche for himself as being a peaceful person!
As regards Oba Akiolu, as I was saying….
The elders say the old and wise do not behave irrationally. If there is any grouse between two elderly people, it is always better to settle in a civilised manner.
According to Winston Churchill, the late British prime minister, ‘It is better to jaw-jaw than to war-war!’
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