The time has come for the unending supremacy tussle between Alaàfin and Ooni to be resolved once and for all. Prevailing circumstances indicate that this can be done this time. The Alaàfin has visited Ooni . The video coverage of the visit show the two leading monarchs in broad smiles and warm hand shake . Alaàfin s wife knelt down slightly to show respect to the Ooni as it is the custom of the Yoruba people. It is this kind of cordiality that is good for the Yoruba people and Nigeria as a whole.
One thing that also favours a permanent resolution of the tussle at this point is that both monarchs are young and highly educated . Both of them are successful individuals even before they became kings in their domains . The present Ooni even made history when he visited the immediate past Alaàfin Olayiwola Adeyemi III During the visit Alaàfin Adeyemi III recounted history by saying that the last time Ooni visited Alaàfin was in 1937 This shows that right from the moment he became Ooni His majesty Enitan Ogunwusi set out to establish cordial relationship with Alaàfin Adeyemi III. This means that with the mindset of Ooni Ogunwusi and the modern orientation of Alaàfin Owoade a good opportunity has now come to solve the problem of supremacy tussle once and for all.
If this is so the next thing is for useful ideas to be generated by historians, journalists , public affairs analysts and indeed all well meaning people in Yorubaland and in Nigeria.
The first thing to make clear to all those who are interested in resolving the lingering tussle is that there are many factors responsible . One of such factors is that the tussle is rooted in the history of the Yoruba people. Before colonial rule the Yoruba were never at any point under one government. Even Oyo empire never at any time covered the whole of Yorubaland. Even though all Yoruba originated from Ife and no Alaàfin has disputed this yet Ooni never at any point in time ruled over the whole of Yorubaland. The cultural respect for Ife by all Yoruba obas derive from the concept of origin which among the Yoruba mean that your place of origin takes precedence . Based on this the fact that the Alaàfin has built an empire does not mean he has become superior to the Ooni . And since Ooni never ruled over Yorubaland and Alaàfin has built empire the Ooni cannot be superior to Alaàfin . The best thing is to blend culture and tradition with new development so as to place both Ooni and Alaàfin on the same level so as to make them harmonious institutions useful for peace in Yoruba land. It is this intricate blend of culture and tradition with the achievements of the Alaàfin as empire builder that made Samuel Johnson to recommend that the Ooni should be the spiritual head while Alaàfin should be the political head of the Yoruba nation. It was in his book history of the Yoruba that Samuel Johnson made that recommendation. Both Ooni and Alaàfin should be regarded as equal in history and therefore both qualify as foremost traditional rulers in Yorubaland and in Nigeria Whoever came to the throne earlier than the other should lead Yoruba obas whenever they need to hold meetings with traditional rulers from other parts of the country or with the federal government.
Today the word Yoruba land has a different meaning from what it was before 1900. The reason is that Nigeria has been created by nineteenth century British colonialism and Yorubaland has been subsumed under Nigeria. The constitution is now constitution of Nigeria and it doesn’t explicitly mention or recognize Yorubaland. Or Igbo land or Hausa land Our constitution does not recognize ethnic identity what it recognizes is citizenship even though it is true citizens have ethnic identity but that identity is not stated in the constitution. So monarchs are existing in Nigeria and are bound by the laws of Nigeria . Monarchs are now under elected leaders of the people. We are now in a democracy. Monarchs have become less powerful and less influential than they used to be . So under the present dispensation supremacy tussle is needless because no monarch has control of power in western Nigeria or in Yorubaland which the constitution doesn’t even recognize.
As a result of our current democratic dispensàtion monarchs are now under local government and state government. So any chieftaincy title conferred on any individual by any monarch can only be for those who live in the local government in which the monarch lives . Even if a monarch confers a title and says it is for Yorubaland it is mere symbolic gesture because Yoruba people are now domiciled in states and local governments because the constitution has not mentioned Yorubaland. If anyone wants Yorubaland to be in the constitution such a person must be able to convince President Bola Tinubu to convene a sovereign national conference where all ethnic groups will be represented and where they will re negotiate the emergence of a new Nigeria In that situation ethnic identity will be restored and the terms and conditions of Union of ethnic nationalities will now be clearly stated. Until this is done no monarch can effectively appoint a chief for Yorubaland. . Another implication of our democratic dispensàtion is that all existing traditional titles are mere exercise in pleasure seeking with little practical value to day to day life of the people . If you take the title of war chief of Oyo or Ibadan or Yorubaland when the only thing in existence is Nigeria Army . What are you saying.? Are you saying you are replacing Nigeria Army ? At a time you no longer have your own army ? All these traditional titles flow from a past that has been overtaken by events We need to use our history and tradition creatively so that we do not keep making jest of ourselves
In addition to recognising Alaàfin and Ooni as equal it is necessary for the national assembly to review the role of traditional rulers in our democratic dispensàtion. They should all be given constitutionally recognized roles at the local government level and they should be remunerated . Now that we are working on amendment of our current constitution we should stop the proliferation of kings and chiefs all over Nigeria. Already we are spending too much money on traditional rulers. Government should stop buying cars and building houses for traditional rulers It is enough to pay them for whatever constitutional duties we are giving them. We should limit them to the local government level and abolish state council of obas to put an end to supremacy tussle for chairmanship of state council of obas. We do not need a federal council of obas. It will be a waste of our meagre national revenue. The idea of giving five per cent of the allocation of a local government to the traditional ruler in a local government should stop. The military started the idea . It should stop now that we are in a democracy. The idea of appointing traditional rulers as chancellors of government owned universities should stop because none of them knows about how a university works Most of those that have been appointed chancellors in the past did not have a university degree. The military introduced those things to gain legitimacy for their dictatorship. Now that we are in a democracy only those who know about university education should manage our universities
The national assembly should look into the issue of land grabbing by some traditional rulers in some parts of the country. State assembly and the local government should show interest in how chieftaincy titles are conferred so as to advice our traditional rulers on relevant matters
Our elites should stop the craze for titles that have no real values for the majority of our people. It has been rumored that traditional rulers collect huge amount of money to confer these titles. The national assembly should look into this so as to sanitize our processes of recognition of achievements in private business and in public life State Assembly and local governments should also be interested in these matters . As we move forward as a nation there should be less dissipation of energy on traditional rulers. Democracy should be allowed to flourish .
