It’s embarrassing for Yoruba traditional rulers to profess foreign faiths —Elebuibon

From childhood, the Araba of Osogbo, Ifayemi Elebuibon knows no other except Ifa divination. Even when the defunct Western Region Government led by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo brought education to the doorstep of every parent in the 1950s, Elebuibon’s father kept his boy indoor and taught him the rudiments and principles of Ifa divination. Today, Elebuibon is better of, regularly traversing different countries in different continents as apostle of Ifa with ground-breaking success in his propagation. He has enthusiastic godsons scattered all over the world always looking forward to him for his guidance. In this interview by TUNDE BUSARI, Elebuibon picks a hole in the attitude of some Yoruba traditional rulers to Yoruba culture.

In your autobiography, I read that you never attended any formal school, yet you read and even author books. How do you do it?

All you read in my autobiography is the true story of my life from the beginning to when I picked my pen personally and wrote my history. My father did not want any foreign influence in my life. He reasoned that western education being introduced to parents would take the kids away from the ways of their parents. So, he insisted that I did not enjoy the Awolowo universal primary education in the 50s. Even before my father died, he had left an instruction that his friend, Ajani Ifaniyi should put me under his tutor. Let me say, my ability to read and write now is based on what you call self-development. I can at the same time say it that Ifa also helps a lot because Ifa is all about knowledge. My children are doing very well in their academic pursuit because of their early exposure to Ifa knowledge.

ALSO READ: 16-year old daughter elopes with her mum’s husband

Does that mean you are passing Ifa on to your children as your father did to you?

It is even not a matter of consciously passing it on to them. It is a matter of natural trend. They were born here; they grew up here. What else do you want them to know? They are very proud of being born here because they know they are becoming more conscious of their status in the society here in Nigeria and abroad.

 

Then we can say that you are fulfilled that your legacy will outlive you?

You can say that again. The joy of every parent is to leave good legacy behind for children. I am happy in this respect. At the same time, I think they are also happy doing what is on their heart.

 

Can you tell me the commercial performance of your autobiography?

I want to clarify something now. I wrote the book for posterity and nothing more. If it brings money, it is okay. If it does not, I am good. I am fulfilled that I have a compendium of my story told by me. I have read different autobiographies and biographies and formed my opinion on each I read. I know public reactions to some of those books, especially those believed to have been filled with half-truth and falsehood. But because I have nothing to hide, I felt I should say it all while I am alive; while I can entertain any question arising from the book. I did not launch the book. I only presented it to the public at my 70th birthday ceremony last year. What does that mean to you?

 

I read an interview in which you took on some traditional rulers with a penchant for playing up their personal faiths above traditional religion. Do you still maintain your position?

Why would I shift from my position? It will never happen because my responsibility is to guide the world right. Calling the attention of our traditional rulers to what we see and feel are not good, is part of my responsibilities. So, I am maintaining my position on my earlier interview. The interview is my exact position. A traditional ruler is a custodian of our custom. He is no more an ordinary person the moment he performs coronation rites. A new spirit lives in him, and that spirit is what makes all his subjects respect and honour him; that spirit make everybody-old and young- to prostrate and kneel before him regardless of his age. It is, therefore, an embarrassment if such a person now professes another religion and claims what is not in our tradition. If you know you are a pastor or alfa, you stay away from contest for the throne because the throne has its sacredness. I hope they would understand my point and put their life on the throne in right perspective instead of confusing the public, especially the innocent kids whom we teach about our culture and tradition. For saying this, I am only reminding our royal fathers (traditional rulers) of their duties on the throne. I must say that a good number of them (traditional rulers) comply with our culture; they make regular consultations here, and we work together by doing what they want because they appreciate the richness of our culture. At my annual Ogbeyonu festival, some of these traditional rulers came here to identify with us publicly as father of traditional religion. We should not encourage anybody to trample on our culture. If we allow it, then we are gradually losing our identity. An ethnic group that loses its identity may never recover it again.

 

Do you discuss your position with those traditional rulers in private?

Of course, I do my best but when you realise that somebody is not really interested in what you say, you let the sleeping dog lies and move on. But it will be on record that you did not keep quiet where you were in the best position to air your view. I think I am doing best both at public and private fora, and I pray they take to the advice. Taking to advice is the best to play their role as ones who are supposed to preserve the culture and tradition.

 

The outgoing governor of Osun State will be remembered for according traditionalists official day called Isese Day. What is your take on this?

You can accurately predict my take on an administration which surprised the world by doing what had been long ignored. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has made a statement and indeed a mark that stands him out as a governor who did not forget his root. He came to government with Oranmiyan sobriquet and masses of people embraced him. It means he knew what he wanted to do even before he became the governor, and when he assumed office he implemented what he had in mind. He has done well by showing us that we are equally important. You can just imagine years of watching and enduring Christians and Muslims enjoying holidays at their festivals. What Aregbesola did is called promotion of fairness. History will not forget him.

 

Do you see other South-west states borrowing a leaf from him?

That question should better be directed to them but they should because it is the right policy to give every religion sense of belonging to the government. An indication that other would do it can be seen in the practice by the Lagos State House of Assembly whereby a day is set aside to conduct assembly proceedings in Yoruba Language. I also learnt that Lagos State Government has a embarked on recitation of the national anthem in Yoruba Language. This is a good sign, and I appreciate Lagos State Government.

 

Few weeks ago, I learnt you received good news that your television production series that were popular in the 80s, Ifaolokun Asorodayo have been retrieved. Can you shed more light on this?

How I felt on that day at the NTA, Ibadan can’t just be described when the news was broken that those works were kept. I never thought of it because of what we heard about old works. I was at that station to feature in a programme after which I was conducted round the offices. The development is something that has become my treasure now. They have assured of converting those works to modern cds, and I hope that would be done soon. What I saw showed that those government television stations need urgent attention. Those stations need to compete with private stations some of which are doing great work. But despite that they are doing great work, the old productions in the government stations would always stand them out to always be ahead in terms of materials. I hope government department in charge read this. The white will not toy with their archive. They keep it jealously because that is where their strength resides. That is why you can see movies of the 40s. Where are the tapes of our independence or that of Festac 77? These are the visuals that must be preserved forever; so that future generations would also have opportunity to see how the past looked like.