The Oluwo of Iwo and Agbowu of Ogbagbaa royal rumble

The sun gleamed above the city of Osogbo, when adrenaline got flowing between monarchs. What happened on February 14, 2020, between the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, and Agbowu of Ogbagbaa, Oba Skirulahi Akinropo, at a meeting in Osogbo, Osun state was not the kind of royal rumble described by Wikipedia.org as “a professional wrestling event, produced every January since 1988 by professional wrestling promotion,’’ but it was an event of fitful gusts of adrenaline which they may not be proud of in years to come.

Gone are the days when fighting was considered the duty of the aristocracy. At that time, noble men became knights in the service of their father’s land. In other words, the king who proved to be the bravest and strongest of them ruled over the other kingdoms. At that time, the interests of the people were harnessed for the benefit of all but today democracy and the rules of laws are enshrined into our system; the core values and traditions are lying in ruins. Today, individuals are corrupt, the vast land given by the creator have divided citizens between competing ethnic groups. Today, some of our leaders are now seduced by wealth and they use the wealth to perpetrate their evil.

In the past, the traditional rulers protect and preserve the purity of traditional institutions; they display high level of discipline by restraining themselves when angered because they are the cynosure of all eyes at all times and more importantly, they are were seeing as the second to the deity. The implication of the two royals fighting each other is that their subjects are disintegrated to fighting one other and eventually, a reprisal attack is imminent if all the stakeholders do not as a matter of urgency wade into the imbroglio.

From newspaper report, the issue was an alleged selling of land. Red flames in the heart swiftly grew into a brawl. A monarch does not allow his wrath blazed in consuming flame in public but eschews anger with wisdom. Now that it has happened, what is the responsibility of people who love peace? It is to build a wall of accord among differing parties. The Osun state government must prevent escalation of this misunderstanding and avoid a proxy war between these two regions. The state government should reassert its control within the ambit of the law to ensure peace reigns between these two monarchs.

The Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, promptly responded by declaring that the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, and the Agbowu of Ogbaagbaa town, Oba Sikirulahi Akinropo, desecrated the traditional institution for fighting in public. Egbemode noted that the state government was aware that the Osun State Traditional Council is investigating the case and awaits the outcome. What we need is not a proxy war but peace between these two monarchs. We must avoid the cry of hatred between these monarchs; we must extinguish the ember of discord that grows into becoming strife, conflict and war.

Otherwise the two towns where the monarchs come from might be knocking at the thresholds of unbolted crocodile… eni ori yo odile. That is not what we want.

Olusanya Anjorin,

Lagos

[email protected]

+234 8032826650

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