Pastor As Oba Soun Of Ogbomoso Land, By Adeola Soetan
Pastor As Oba Soun Of Ogbomoso Land, By Adeola Soetan
There’s nothing bad in a pastor or Imam becoming a traditional ruler because he’s a product of Isese as a prince, that’s why he recognizes the stool that’s not in the Bible or Quran if the crown prince is a Muslim.
One must first recognize, like and believe in a system before aspiring to be part of it and even head it. The Soun of Ogbomoso-elect is being made a king not because he’s a pastor but because he’s a traditional prince from a recognized royal house.
Princeship and kingship are cultural in Yoruba land. So Kabiyesi-elect is not going to inherit Jesus’ crown (Ade Jesu) but the traditional crown (Ade Isese) of Ogbomoso people – the crown that is older than the Oba-elect and that had passed through many royal heads and traditional rites of cleansing and fortification.
No matter how many new crowns a new Oba of a real Yoruba town procures like fez caps, there’s always an old traditional crown, at least, he must inherit and must be put on his head for special cultural events, particularly on his coronation day.
The Oba-elect would have watched, I assumed, “Ogbori Elemoso”, a super epic Yoruba film by Baba Lere Paimo aka Eda Onile Ola, for him to know how the name of the town, Ogbomoso, and the Soun title he’s going to bear henceforth was created through the heroic struggle with fortified local guns, incantations and traditional juju by his forebears. How Soun Ogunlola ably played by legendary Lere Paimo beheaded Elemoso in an epic battle for dominance and territorial integrity.
Prince Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye, the Soun-elect of Ogbomosoland should watch the film if he has not, for him to appreciate that the town he’s going to preside over traditionally was not created by holy Ghost fire, miracle or with blood of Jesus and that’s the reason Ogbomosoland is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible.
There’s nowhere in the Bible that Jesus Christ or any of his disciples handled Irukere (horsetail) as a symbol of authority, to pray for people or to acknowledge greetings. Not even King David nor the renowned multiple polygamist and men’s mentor and role model, King Solomon used “Irukere Oba” to assert their authority for once. Now (Pastor) Oba Soun Ogbomoso will henceforth use Irukere (horsetail) right from Ipebi (royal seclusion). That’s cultural Yoruba royal heritage.
When he’s formally installed and given a staff of office and crowned, he’s going to be widely greeted by a jubilant crowd with an ovation of “Kabiyesi ooo! as the crown descends on his royal head, staff of office and Irukere in his hands. Kabiyesi’s coronation won’t be done in the church or at “Ori Oke” (prayer mountain).
It will be done in the palace or any public square if their tradition permits that. And from that moment, he’s forbidden from prostrating for any living soul including the King’s mother and father. His senior pastors, General Overseer, classmates, wife, side chicks, elder brothers and sisters, friends and his chiefs no matter their ages, will start prostrating to him by tradition except if he decides to waive such palace protocols.
The new Soun should prepare to be called and addressed as KABIYESI, the one person whose power is unquestionable. No one dares ask or question your authority. This may not be in accord with Kabiyesi’s Christian faith that only God is supreme with unquestionable power, but as a traditional ruler and a pastor, he should know how to balance the equation.
Unlike Oba Igbolabi by the riverside, and as a well exposed traceable educated person, Soun-elect Afolabi Olaoye is expected to balance his new Christian faith with his Isese inheritance faith by virtue of being a prince now a king. He’s now a father to all faiths and faithful by the reason of Isese cultural throne he now sits as the traditional king of Ogbomoso land.
I don’t think the Isese people have anything to fear but a lot to watch and advise the king. Since GO and the pastors are not the ones to crown the prince to become king, that will be done by traditional chiefs, after observing all the traditional rites as revealed by Ifa Orunmila. Since the new Soun, though a pastor, won’t change the traditional name of Ogbomoso to Jesumoso to distort the traditional history of the town and his people, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.
Since Kabiyesi won’t stop Egungun Danofojura the fire masquerade, Ari Igba Asotesun, other masquerades and other traditional festivals in the land of Soun Ogunlola, there shouldn’t be any anxiety about the handsome gentleman. And since the Oba won’t proscribe Amala and Abula with orishirishi eran or ban “Eko yangan,” the popular traditional food of Ogbomoso and replace them with burger, shawarma, fried rice and jollof rice, there’s no need to lose sleep.
When a pastor or an Alfa becomes a traditional ruler, a custodian of his people’s culture and tradition including Isese religion and beliefs, it’s more of a promotion to Isese tradition, if he doesn’t end up being a riotous Oba Igbolabi of the riverside town, that wants to impose his religion over others and attempt to destroy other faiths for his personal agenda. It’s more of gains than losses to the tradition and its faithful because it means that the person appreciates Isese, wants it and loves to be part of it by compromising his own faith belief. Obaship is one of the other best ways to sell and promote Yoruba culture and tradition beyond its frontier to the outside world.
May the new Soun-elect have a successful ascension to the throne and may his reign bring peace, development, and inter-religious harmony to Ogbomoso land. Aseeee!
Adeola Soetan is a culture preservation activist
Credit: Sahara Reporters
