Politics
Obasanjo disrespected Yoruba monarchs, must apologize – Oke Ogun Crusaders
Olusesan Laoye
The people of Oke Ogun area of Oyo State whose traditional rulers were ordered to stand and greet Governor Seyi Makinde by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo at a project commissioning event in Iseyin, have berated the former president, noting that he insulted their monarchs.
Among the prominent groups in the area which, condemned Obasanjo’s action, is the Oke Ogun Crusaders, known to be a strong voice in the defence of the people.
The Crusaders comprising prominent indigenes who have been clamouring for Oke Ogun State, descended heavily on the former President, after their enlarged meeting held at the weekend.
According to them, “Obasanjo goofed by disrespecting Yoruba monarchs, which was an action that should not be regarded as a laughing matter because it is a denigration of the Yoruba culture and traditions.”
They argued that if Obasanjo’s action’s allowed to go unchallenged, it portends a great danger for the future generations of the Yoruba people.
According to a communique issued and signed by the President and Publicity Secretary of the Crusaders, Mr. Dimeji Adewole and Dr. Olayode Thomas, respectively, they argued that former president Obasanjo, in his weird element of a headmaster mannerism, spoke a drill to some Oyo State monarchs, as if addressing his pupils.
According to the group, during a projects commissioning event organized in Iseyin few days ago by Governor Makinde who played host to the old man among other eminent personalities, Obasanjo was seen in a video clip now going viral, where he addressed the monarchs present at the event on the need (according to him) for kings to adore public trustees like a president or a governor with open respect under all situations.
The crusaders argued that in a fiery attitude of mind, the former president, who by law, has become an ordinary man, lost the presence of his traditional mien when he chose to drill the seated monarchs on the way a governor or president should be greeted in a public occasion.
They argued, “no one is sure of the purpose Obasanjo’s personality was anticipated to serve at the event that made him to dishearten God, the soul of the Yoruba tradition and its progenitors by choosing to drag the mystique of a race in the mud, matching Ori Ades (crowned heads) up and down in a manner that gave offence to moral sensibilities and of course, injurious to reputation.”
The crusaders pointed out that they are still puzzled at what exactly Obasanjo was eager to take home by deriving toward himself the opportunity to disgust the public air with his evidence of shallow level of the Yoruba world.
“Can it be a manifest lent to the allusion that the former military man does not share origin with the Yoruba progeny?” the wondered.
“At first, he was grumbling but in a jiffy, he had his words for the royal fathers by trouncing them against his own perceived moral order upon which a president or a governor must be greeted in the public.
“But if it can be asked; who was the president that Obasanjo wanted should be greeted at the Iseyin occasion? To the extent of visibility and protocol, there was no President present at the event. But if Obasanjo was referring to himself as such a president to greet, he must be presumptuous and grossly incensed with power.”
The crusaders argued that they would at a any day and time stand for the dignity of Oke Ogun People.
“Obasanjo needs be tutored that standing to greet him as when a president cannot become a lifetime benefit. If by nature, Obasanjo is genuinely Yoruba, he should have been courteous enough to select the cause of honour to find a silent and modest way of addressing his pains,” the group added.
They remarked that the way Olusegun Obasanjo angered his emotion into perfidy against Yoruba, was enough to erode the vestige of respect socio-traditional institutions in Yorubaland might have built for him over the years.
“At any rate and contrary to Obasanjo’s claim, the trusted moral instinct of Oke-Ogun stirred up in the affected kings as they, in truth, stood up to honour the governor as he moved on the podium for his address. Why did Obasanjo not notice this? Why did he not notice that the way the government protocols arranged their seats did not help the matters? Can the monarchs be blamed for the imperfections of government officials?
“But some people were laughing as Olusegun Obasanjo was basking in his classic ignorance. Why? Can there be award of honour for a killer of culture? Can we be impressed by Obasanjo’s grip of manacles on our standard as a race? What mystique for the Yoruba race if our traditional rulers cannot weigh heavier than a piece of wool in the presence of politicians whose political contests are always supported into victory by the fathers Obasanjo demeaned?”
The crusaders further argued “effigy courts ignominy asking people to allow it be taken to the river for baths.
“Is history dead to Obasanjo to forget the way Chief Bode Thomas allegedly died? We do not wish the ex-soldier the bad of fate but a glorified Obasanjo should note that he became a president of a circumstance and not a product of merit. He needs to know too, that, he has the moral responsibility as a statesman to play a role for the right keep of history in his old age rather than being a petrel that breeds the storm in cultural and traditional worlds.”
The Oke-Ogun Crusaders stated that it hereby charge Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to tender an open apology, not only to the Oke-Ogun traditional rulers but to God, Oyo State Obas and the Yoruba tradition in its entirety.
“This is the only acceptable offering to heal the desecration.” The group concluded.