Alaafin of Oyo must study, understand Ifa science — Historian, Oyeweso

The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Siyan Oyeweso, has emphasised the importance of the 45th Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, studying and understanding Ifa Science.

Oyeweso conveyed this during a coronation lecture themed “The Place of the Alaafin Institution in Yoruba History, Culture, and Politics: A Historical Exposition for the New Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade,” as part of activities commemorating the monarch’s coronation ceremony in Oyo.

He stated that an in-depth understanding of Ifa divinity would assist the monarch in the administration of the ancient town.

According to him, “The Alaafin must study and understand Ifa Science. Experts assert that Ifa is a collection of 256 books divided into 800 collections, making a total of 204,800 compendiums of orature.

“The acknowledged father of Ifa at all times and ages in Yorubaland is Orunmila–Asorodayo, Eleri Ipin, a tun ori eniti o sunwon se. Orunmila is also recognised as the Opitan Ile-Ife (The Historian of Ile-Ife), the cradle of Yoruba civilisation. According to experts, the 256 Odu Ifa is akin to the coded knowledge system called binary coding found in computer science and derived from mathematical probability and observation.

“With this affinity, the ancient wisdom of Ifa has demonstrated its nexus with modern technology.

‘Iku baba yeye, all your predecessors were deeply rooted in Ifa science. You must also immerse yourself in the Ifa belief system.

“It is gratifying to note that you are a thoroughbred Oyo man, familiar with the name Professor Wande Abimbola. His numerous publications on Ifa are available for you to consult and digest. Among these publications are Àwọn Ojú Odu Mẹ́rẹ́ẹ́rìndínlógún, Ifa Will Mend Our Broken World, and Ifa: An Exposition of Ifa Literary Corpus, among several others. Additionally, the Araba Awo of Osogboland and the presiding officer of the Idin Ileke Temple, Chief Osundagbonu Ifayemi Elebuibon, is a man of impeccable character who can serve as a guide and mentor. The towns of Ola, Masifa, and Ika Ejigbo are veritable centres of Ifa practices in Yorubaland. Indeed, Tunde Odesola, in a recent newspaper publication, quoted Professor Wande Abimbola’s position on the functionality of Ifa thus: ‘I am not a Christian, but I use Western medicine when necessary—along with herbs and divination. You might not be an Ifa worshipper, but that should not stop you from benefiting from its truths, which are so natural and pure. The truths of Ifa are contained in its accurate divination, diagnosis, treatment, and healing.’

“The efficacy of Ifa explains why people of other religions secretly benefit from it while publicly pretending to have nothing to do with it.

“As a philosophy, Ifa teaches moral and ethical wisdom symbolised by Orí (destiny), Èsù (choice and consequence), Ìwà Pèlé (good character), Omolúàbí (virtue), Owú (jealousy), Ìbínú (anger), and Ànìkànjopón (greed), among other behavioural traits.

‘Traditional institutions and royal stools are symbols of our cultural uniqueness as a people—traditional institutions and rulers are repositories and custodians of culture, traditions, indigenous values, and norms.

“Hence, the institution and its holders are expected to instil in their people the need to respect, preserve, and ensure the sustainable transmission of these cultural values, which embody Yoruba’s patriotic spirit and pan-Yoruba agenda.

“This perspective reflects the legacies of successive Alaafins of Oyo, including the immediate past Alaafin, Oba (Dr) Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, whose reign as the Oyo monarch elevated the kingship institution to an enviable height in all ramifications.

“The ideology of traditional kingship is grounded in a community’s belief in the powers of the sovereign ruler within an accepted spiritual framework.

“The kingship institution must be held in high esteem, and the community must perceive these kingly powers as vital for protection against human, natural, and supernatural threats. While kingships are united by a common ideology, variations in the importance of centralised politics—such as military or economic control—indicate that kingships exist along a continuum. Myths are created to sustain these ideologies, insulating and preserving them through programmed re-enactment ceremonies.

“The first important task for His Imperial Majesty, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, is to grasp the antiquity of history. As also suggested by the eminent historian, Professor Toyin Falola, the new Alaafin must learn history.

“This is because ‘Oyo is history; history is Oyo.’ In fact, his immediate predecessor, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, took time to learn history. Learning history for the Alaafin is not difficult as he has capable and distinguished palace historians, elders of the palace, the Oyo-mesi institution, the women of Oyo palaces, community intellectuals, academic professors of Yoruba history, and Yoruba intellectuals both at home and in the diaspora, who have been friends of the Alaafin, Oyo, and the palace for many years.

“The sacred nature of the kingship institution and the Alaafin must be respected because the Yoruba people are sensitive to the preservation and advancement of Yoruba civilisation, regardless of the effects of modernisation.”

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