Opinion: Gani Adams And The Desecration Of Yoruba Tradition By Elugbade Olayinka

By Elugbade Olayinka

The Yoruba traditions, norm, customs and culture have been subjected to ridicules. Just two days ago, on social media, I saw the list of almost twenty people who Chief Gani Adams are preparing to confer with another Chieftaincy titles this month as part of his second year anniversary as Aare Onakakanfo. Before making enquiries from our elders who are very vast in Yoruba history, I asked myself! As someone who has spent 58 years on earth. Can a chief confer chieftaincy title on someone in Yorubaland? I didn’t know the best answer to give myself but I know it’s an abomination and distortion of history. Only a poor student of history and uneducated illiterate can accept such Chieftaincy title from Chief Gani Adams.

During his one year anniversary, he conferred Chieftaincy titles on over twenty people with different titles as well. His Imperial Majesty, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi needs as as soon as possible to address this situation. This is nothing but a sacrilege. It’s alien to our culture and tradition.

Going back to the memory lane, in history, there had never been any Aare Onakakanfo who got himself into this kind of mess. Mess!!! I repeat. I was alive when Chief Ladoke Akintola was installed, same as Chief MKO Abiola, there was no report whatsoever that those who were installed as Aare Onakakanfo rubbing shoulders with the Traditional rulers.

He moves around, competing and equating himself with Yoruba Tradition Rulers. Where in the history of Yorubaland is the seat of Aare Onakakanfo superior to an Oba’s seat or in the same hierarchical level with an Oba?

Recently he was in Ile Oduduwa, Ileife to see Oonirisa, he never bowed for Ooni, neither did he show any respect to the seat of Oduduwa. The action that got some of us and other Ifes annoyed. He is full of himself. Very arrogant, pompous, proud and imperious with overbearing attitude. Such action will be stopped and corrected soon. The Ifes are never known to be cowards. If others take that, we’ll never accept it.

According to one of Elders in Ileife here, he said, Aare Onakakanfo is just a mere Oyo Chief under the juvenile of Alaafin Oyo.Can Aare Onakakanfo go to Ijebu land and parade himself as Aare Onakakanfo, can he go to Ijesha land and claim to be superior to Ijesha Obas? Even in Akoko where he comes from, can he compete with any Akoko Oba? All these are simple analysis.

If you don’t know, The Oyomesis in Oyo are more superior than him in Oyo Chieftaincy hierarchical arrangement. If you go to Ibadan National Library, the documents that back it up are there. No Government recognizes the seat of Aare Onakakanfo. Bashorun of Oyo and other Oyomesis receive monthly salaries from the Government. Is that not a recognition? Does Aare receive such entitlement? No!!! He doesn’t. His name does not in anyway reflect in the archive. The position of Aare Onakakanfo is not gazetted. Baba Alaafin himself knows that. In history, no Aare Onakakanfo conferred Chieftaincy titles on anyone. Aare Onakakanfo has no Kingdom. Did you hear such from Aare Ladoke Akintola, even Bashorun Moshood Abiola who was installed recently. None of them abrogated such power to themselves. Those that existed before them only had lieutenants within theirs enclaves not as this present Aare Onakakanfo is going about installing Oosi Aare, Otunba Aare, Balogun Aare, Bashorun Aare, Iyalaje Aare, Iyalode Aare etc.All in the name of giving out chieftaincy titles in exchange for money. Is he duplicating or neutralizing Alaafin’s power? The worst of it is the way he is giving them Yorubaland appellation “Bashorun Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba”. This is completely desecration of Yoruba history. Yorubaland has been ridiculed.

However, now that Baba Alaafin is planning to confer Mayegun of Yorubaland Chieftaincy title on Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde this month, by next year, we should be expecting Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde to copy same thing from Chief Gani Adams. We will keep our fingers crossed.

This is the best time for our traditional rulers and reputable historians to set the record straight, come out and condemn this impunity and distortion of our history before it is too late.

I’m waiting to see some of Traditional rulers who will attend the said chieftaincy titles celebration .

Elugbade Olayinka writes from Ileife.
Greetings!
Good day.