In an
interview with The Punch on Saturday the head of the Ife kingmakers, who is the
Obalufe of Iremo Quarters, Oba Solomon Omisakin, revealed that he would not
reject money given him as bribe to influence the choice of the next OONI, but
that he would only pocket the money and still follow laid down rules and
procedures in choosing the successor to the throne of Ooni of Ife.
Oba Solomon who is the second in command to the Ooni of Ife, said there exists 16 traditional chiefs who are the kingmakers and are divided into right hand chiefs and left hand chiefs, he said he is in charge of administration. He maintained that there are four ruling houses in Ife and they are: Osinkola, Ogboru, Giesi, and Lafogido. “Almost every prince from these ruling houses is trying to occupy the stool but definitely only one person will sit on the throne at a time. We the kingmakers will be on the side of the law to arrive at a position at the end of the day. We will make use of the law and the law will prevail in the selection of the new Ooni. We won’t do anything outside what the law stipulates. If the law says two plus two is four, we will go to four.”
On the insinuation that former President Olusegun Obasanjo visited the chiefs last week and there have being talks that he may have come to lobby for a particular candidate, the Obalufe said, “It is not correct. He came to commiserate with us and that is all. The former President came to commiserate with us and the entire people of Ile Ife and nothing more. He did not ask us to favour any of the contestants.”
On the allegation that some contestants have been buying cars for the chiefs and giving money to influence them, he has this to say, “people may say whatever they want to say. We will do what is right and be on the side of the law. If we are given money now to do what is not right, I will not do it. If you buy me cutlass and give me N10m and say I should be cutting heads of the people, I will not do it. If I take your N10m, I will not do what you ask me to do because it is wrong....I will not do the wrong thing even if I take the money. I know what the law says and we will do just that. If they are giving us this and that, they are wasting their money. If you like, waste your money. Even if you give me a helicopter, I will take it but I will not do the wrong thing with my little education. I will not do what will make the people to hate me. I will do the right thing at the right time and in right places. If they say people gave us money and all that, let them say whatever they want to say. But we will follow what the law says.”
He also set the record straight on the issue of the ‘abobaku’ who allegedly fled and refused to be buried with the late Oba. “There is no abobaku in Ife. This was fabricated by those who know nothing about our tradition. Nobody was assigned to be buried with the Ooni and nobody was buried with our baba. Oba Sijuwade was buried alone, he was not buried with anybody. There is no human sacrifice and all the lies you heard then were fabrications of some people who sat in one corner and were dishing out lies for reasons known to them.”
Oba Solomon also chipped in few words as regards the age long superiority rivalry between the Ooni and the Alaafin of Oyo. “The Ooni is superior to the Alaafin of Oyo, they just want to rewrite history and that is not correct. Oranmiyan was the sixth Ooni of Ife. Oranmiyan begot the first Alaafin if you read the history. So how can the grandson claim to be in the same position with his grandfather? Oranmiyan was the sixth Ooni and Oranmiyan begot Sango who was the first Alaafin. How can somebody, the grandson of Sango, claim to be the father of Oranmiyan? I don’t know where they got their study.”
Are you saying the Ooni is higher in hierarchy than the Alaafin? The reporter asked. He is far higher. You cannot compare them. As a human being, Alaafin has his own reason. But his reason on this is not a good one. It is very confusing. I will not say he is a confusionist but he must not confuse the hierarchy. He is the one teaching heresy. If I say this water on the table is blood, I am teaching you heresy.”
Oba Solomon who is the second in command to the Ooni of Ife, said there exists 16 traditional chiefs who are the kingmakers and are divided into right hand chiefs and left hand chiefs, he said he is in charge of administration. He maintained that there are four ruling houses in Ife and they are: Osinkola, Ogboru, Giesi, and Lafogido. “Almost every prince from these ruling houses is trying to occupy the stool but definitely only one person will sit on the throne at a time. We the kingmakers will be on the side of the law to arrive at a position at the end of the day. We will make use of the law and the law will prevail in the selection of the new Ooni. We won’t do anything outside what the law stipulates. If the law says two plus two is four, we will go to four.”
On the insinuation that former President Olusegun Obasanjo visited the chiefs last week and there have being talks that he may have come to lobby for a particular candidate, the Obalufe said, “It is not correct. He came to commiserate with us and that is all. The former President came to commiserate with us and the entire people of Ile Ife and nothing more. He did not ask us to favour any of the contestants.”
On the allegation that some contestants have been buying cars for the chiefs and giving money to influence them, he has this to say, “people may say whatever they want to say. We will do what is right and be on the side of the law. If we are given money now to do what is not right, I will not do it. If you buy me cutlass and give me N10m and say I should be cutting heads of the people, I will not do it. If I take your N10m, I will not do what you ask me to do because it is wrong....I will not do the wrong thing even if I take the money. I know what the law says and we will do just that. If they are giving us this and that, they are wasting their money. If you like, waste your money. Even if you give me a helicopter, I will take it but I will not do the wrong thing with my little education. I will not do what will make the people to hate me. I will do the right thing at the right time and in right places. If they say people gave us money and all that, let them say whatever they want to say. But we will follow what the law says.”
He also set the record straight on the issue of the ‘abobaku’ who allegedly fled and refused to be buried with the late Oba. “There is no abobaku in Ife. This was fabricated by those who know nothing about our tradition. Nobody was assigned to be buried with the Ooni and nobody was buried with our baba. Oba Sijuwade was buried alone, he was not buried with anybody. There is no human sacrifice and all the lies you heard then were fabrications of some people who sat in one corner and were dishing out lies for reasons known to them.”
Oba Solomon also chipped in few words as regards the age long superiority rivalry between the Ooni and the Alaafin of Oyo. “The Ooni is superior to the Alaafin of Oyo, they just want to rewrite history and that is not correct. Oranmiyan was the sixth Ooni of Ife. Oranmiyan begot the first Alaafin if you read the history. So how can the grandson claim to be in the same position with his grandfather? Oranmiyan was the sixth Ooni and Oranmiyan begot Sango who was the first Alaafin. How can somebody, the grandson of Sango, claim to be the father of Oranmiyan? I don’t know where they got their study.”
Are you saying the Ooni is higher in hierarchy than the Alaafin? The reporter asked. He is far higher. You cannot compare them. As a human being, Alaafin has his own reason. But his reason on this is not a good one. It is very confusing. I will not say he is a confusionist but he must not confuse the hierarchy. He is the one teaching heresy. If I say this water on the table is blood, I am teaching you heresy.”
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