By Wale Ojo-Lanre
I will curse that day that I fell in love with the Oluwo of Iwo, Emperor Adewale Akanbi, Telu I. And I will forever regret paying him visits and taking photographs with him.
I will also ever regret harkening to the prompts of Semiu Okanlawon and Gbenga James, who vouched for the integrity and personality of Oba Akanbi Adewale, Telu 1, as a cosmopolitan soul, whose aura will harbinger impressive developments to Iwo.
I will be disappointed and ashamed of the Oluwo of today if he truly and sincerely authored a letter in which he solicited for just N20 million in support of his yet to be held marriage ceremony from the governor of his state, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, who happens to be the governor of Osun State, a state which Iwo, Olodo Oba is one of the most notable, unique and important towns
Sequester Iwo away from Osun State, the state will never be the same, because of the historical, cultural and religious importance of the town in that state and Yoruba land
I believed Oba Akanbi, Telu I, is a streetwise fellow, who has the divine mark on him and who God has smiled on to become the Oluwo of Iwo, the only abode of an animal which speaks like a human – the Parrot.
Up to now, I have great respect for the young and charming Oba, whose some acts, deeds and strides have been misunderstood, misinterpreted and sometimes misconceived.
Although some of his doings too may not be proper in the eyes of those who dislike him, but you know some of us who don’t see any wrong in whoever has endeared himself to us, will always see the good side of him.
Sincerely, Oba Akanbi has not been sleeping in his palace and merrying away in the lustre of being the Emperor of Iwo.
Despite swimming in one controversy or the other, he has within the scope of his time on the throne lured some developments into his town.
He commenced the rehabilitation of Iwo – Osogbo road, by buying tons of cement and personally led his people in patching the gorges and terrible potholes on the road.
He, finally, through his actions attracted the attention of the Federal Government to the same road, which has enjoyed a modest rehabilitation from the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA.
He has also provided the conducive environment for the inauguration of a centre for the National Open University in Iwo and capped this by attracting also a private university to the town
And within his short spell on the throne, his town has been lucky to be one of the favoured towns in Nigeria, which has been blessed with a Federal Government College of Education.
Oba Akanbi is mercurial, charming and stylish. He has tasted the bad, the horrible and the good times of life, both in Nigeria and in the diaspora.
Give it to him, all these experiences of him are being reflected in his administration of his kingdom. I love him for all these and hold him in high esteem, but I am ready to disclaim him, if that letter emanated from his palace, for many reasons.
First, let me make it clear that if it is a fact that he wrote that letter, soliciting and not demanding financial support from his state governor, Oluwo has never committed any offence or has done anything shameful or distasteful, either to his person, throne or kingdom.
Hence I don’t know why there has been so much noise over this, as if he has done something strange or committed a blue murder.
This is not the first time an Oba will write a letter of request to a state governor seeking financial support. It is neither the first time nor will it be the last time.
For God’s sake, Oluwo is an Oba of a Yoruba town. Yes, and as an Oba, nothing hamstrung him in writing a letter, seeking whatever support from the state governor for his personal and community functions. Absolutely nothing!
Oluwo was in order, if the letter emanated from him. Whoever views this act as shameful or degrading is a bloody hypocrite, horrible and a bloody fake fellow.
The only shameful and ignoble act was the leaking of that letter to the public and God will punish whoever did that. Even private people write governors for financial support whenever they are to celebrate one event or the other.
Thus, there is nothing strange if Oluwo had written a letter to Governor Oyetola, soliciting for just N20 million to hold his marriage ceremony.
It is a pity that here in the South, we don’t place premium and value on our Oba and traditional rulers. We plant them on the throne via government fiat and leave them there, with nothing to oil the requirements of the palace
Even, some states denied the traditional council the constitutional five per cent allocation, and yet, when the Obas turn to the governor for financial assistance, we make a noise of it.
Shame upon us all.
I pity the traditional rulers in the South-West, who have to be running up and down seeking means to live well on the throne, while their counterparts in other parts of the country enjoy their throne in surplus patronage of the state.
In the olden days, the rule is that you must offload goodies whenever you are in the palace, but now it is role reversal, people expected to take loads of money or gifts away from the palace.
In other climes, traditional rulers are pampered, adored and well taken care of, but here, we mess up ours, and leak their letters to the public, just to ridicule them.
We are not ridiculing them, but ridiculing our cherished culture, heritage and arts.
Personally, my grouse with the letter is the sum demanded. I never believed that Emperor Akanbi is so cheap and of low taste by demanding just a paltry N20 million from the state governor for a Royal Wedding.
A whole first-class king of Iwo, demanding just N20 million from his state governor is not only demeaning, but ridiculous. It belittles his personality and cast doubt on his cosmopolitanism.
What will the N20 million cater for in a royal marriage of that magnitude? Is it for the takeaways? Is it for the branding of the venue or the dress of the couple? Is it for drinks, foods, wines and choice whisky? Is it for the accommodation of guests and other logistics?
May be, just may be, it is only for the engagement and introduction ceremony? Honestly, if it is a truism that Oba Adewale Akanbi, Oluwo of Iwo has solicited for, and not even demanded, just N20 million in a letter to Governor Oyetola in support of his proposed wedding, he does not deserve to be my king; and I will curse the day I met him. N20 million naira my foot!
Shame upon the fellow, who leaked the letter!
•Ojo-Lanre, a journalist and repertoire of culture and tourism, writes from Ibipeju Oniru Chamber, Upper Ogudu River, Irede Estate, Temidire, Usi Ekiti.
