Awujale: Religion alien to spiritual, cultural identity of Ìjẹ̀bú-Ode — KOOOF chairman

The chairman of Kaaro Oojiire Ọmọ Oodua Foundation (KOOOF), Asiwaju Olú Mayungbe, has decried the burial rites of the late Awujale of Ìjẹ̀búland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, performed in an Islamic way, saying it was not in tandem with the Ìjẹ̀bú belief system.

Asiwaju Mayungbe also noted that religion is alien to the spiritual and cultural identity of Ìjẹ̀bú-Ode.

Reacting to the controversial way the late Awujale was interred, which was perceived to be against the established traditional process and rites, Asiwaju Mayungbe, who is from Idomowo in Ìjẹ̀bú-Ode, said that “the act, carried out in disregard of the sacred Ìjẹ̀bú traditional belief system is a betrayal of our heritage, and an affront to the spirits of our forebears. It is a desecration that must never be repeated.”

He noted: “Because of Islamic tenets, no one can wear shoes into a mosque, no matter how highly placed. Also, by the Christians tenets, no one can wear a cap into the Church.

“If Muslims don’t bend their rules, then, why must that of our traditions be bent? An Ọba can’t enjoy the honour, benefits, advantages and influence attached to royalty and, because of his inalienable rights, embrace Christianity or Islam and still be stuck to the sacred throne.

“He must vacate the throne to continue to enjoy his new-found fundamental rights and not plunge his people into abomination of their tenets.”

The KOOOF chairman added: “Let it be known across all quarters — from the palaces of kings to the huts of the humble — that Ìjẹ̀búland must never again allow such abomination to stain the fabrics of our ancestral legacy.

“The throne of Awujale — the highest seat of our cultural authority — is not a tool for religious accommodation or political convenience. It is a sacred institution, rooted in Ìṣẹ̀ṣe, our indigenous spirituality, customs, and time-honoured traditions.

“We, the true sons and daughters of Ìjẹ̀búland — and especially of Ìjẹ̀bú-Ode, the cradle of our civilisation — stand united in opposition to any infidel or Western-minded contender who seeks to ascend the throne without unwavering allegiance to our native culture.

“The throne is not for those who deny our gods. It is not for those who shun the ways of our ancestors. It is certainly not for those who, in the name of foreign faiths or Western ideologies, would trample upon the sacred laws that have guided us for centuries.

“We say enough is enough. No more religious burial rites that contradict the customs of Ìjẹ̀bú. No more candidates for kingship whose values are moulded by Western philosophies or colonial systems. No more politicians using the throne as a tool to advance their selfish interests and dilute our heritage.

“Let it be clearly understood: The doctrine of Ìjẹ̀bú law is tradition. It is ancestral. It is spiritual. And it is eternal. Any deviation from this is a rejection of who we are.”

He advised the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, the Speaker, and members of the House of Assembly, as well as all political authorities, not to act against the culture and traditions of the indigenes.

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“You were not elected to legislate against our tradition. You were not chosen to rewrite our culture. You must rise above politics and uphold the spiritual and cultural framework upon which Ìjẹ̀búland was built.

“Do not allow Western jurisprudence or political manipulation to corrupt the sacred selection of our next Awujale. The law of our land was given by our forebears. It was sealed by the Osugbos, Ọbàlùfọ̀n, Ogun, Òrunmila, and the spirits of our ancestors. This law cannot be overturned by ballots or courtrooms. It is divine.”

He called on those with no respect for Ìjẹ̀bú’s Ìṣẹ̀ṣe, culture, and tradition to steer clear of its kingship.

“Do not show your face. Do not campaign. Do not corrupt our sacred institutions with foreign ideologies. This is not your calling,” he warned.

Asiwaju Mayungbe urged the Ìjẹ̀bú people to rise, defend, and preserve the town’s heritage and not be ruled over by someone who does not revere their ancestors.

He said that the throne of Awujale should remain a bastion of Ìjẹ̀bú spirituality, dignity, and continuity.

“May the ancestors bless the land. May the oracles guide us. And may Ìjẹ̀búland never fall to spiritual amnesia again,” Asiwaju Mayungbe prayed.

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