The Council of Yoruba Obas in Diaspora has hailed the proactiveness and commitment of the Olugbo of Ugbo kingdom, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Obateru Akinruntan to the preservation of the Yoruba culture, both at home and in the Diaspora.
The council, however, queried the basis of opposition to the endorsement of some kings in Diaspora by the monarch in its palace, saying a campaign of calumny against the royal father would not stand.
The Secretary of the Council, Mr. Olukunle Akanbi gave the warning in a statement he issued on Friday, saying the uncultured remarks and diatribes of the Aare Ona Kakanfo, Chief Gani Adams and his acolytes, against the monarch “is not only sacrilegious, but an abuse of privileges.”
Akinruntan had recently in his palace in Ugbo community, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, crowned three Diaspora-based Nigerians as Yoruba obas.
The three crowned traditional rulers are the Oriade of Georgia, United States, Oba Bernard Shola Akinrimisi; the traditional ruler of Yoruba in the Republic of Ireland, Oba Saheed Ibrahim Adufe, and the traditional ruler of Yoruba in Liberia, Oba Omobolaji Ogunkoya.
In its statement, the council said, “We, Oba Yoruba in Diaspora, appreciate Olugbo and Paramount Ruler of Ugbo Kingdom. The proscribed authority for the affirmation honour and formal recognition bestowed on us on April 22 in his palace, we are so grateful to Olodumare for His mercy on us.”
While taking faulting Adams on the installation of Diaspora kings, the council said they are only after the development of the Yoruba culture, values and heritage at the Diaspora.
It said, “It is apposite to say that it is sacrilegious in Yorubaland for a chief like Adams to start querying or denigrating the office of any Yoruba king, talk more of a highly revered monarch like Olugbo.
“How can a subject be attacking a king over a legitimate installation that will protect our culture in a vast changing society. The question we want to ask Adams, who is only a traditional chief in Oyo kingdom, is, What right or authority does he has to denigrate the yearnings of Yoruba sons and daughters in the Diaspora who demanded for the endorsement of these authentic royal emissaries as kings over Yoruba communities in the Diaspora?
“Is he more Yoruba than those of us in the Diaspora or is it a crime to be in the Diaspora as a Yoruba son? Did he contribute anything to our relocation to the Diaspora for him to be acting like our caregiver?
“While it is not difficult to fetch Adams critical motives against the installation of the worthy ambassadors in the Diaspora, it will suffice to refresh his memories that Olugbo, who has a deep record of Yoruba history, has never and would never do anything undermine or compromise the Yoruba culture.
“Going forward, the council cease to be distracted by the needless antics of Adams and his ilk, but to continue to see how to preserve and protect our highly revered culture and our people in the Diaspora.
“We urge Adams to look for means of settling his differences with legions of notable Yoruba sons and daughters including members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC).”
