…ENOUGH OF THIS ‘OVER SABI’!
By Sam. O. Ajayi
The furore generated over the burial of late Oba Awujale has got me thinking and how much we are killing our tradition in the name of modernism that is ONLY happening in Africa, especially in Nigeria and more especially, Yorubaland!
A traditional seat/position remains a traditional position.
I have been around enough to know some of the rites that go into installing a new ‘oba’ (king) in Yorubaland.
Same for his burial.
Some are not for the faint-hearted.
Let me digress.
One thing I love about Indians, Chinese and rest of Asians is the vice-like grip with which they have held unto their cultures; some of which many of us will find REPUGNANT and BIZARRE!
But they do NOT care about how the rest of the world feels about these cultures. They have not only held unto them, they have passed them down from generation to generation!
One thing that I will never understand is how Africans keep feeling, EVERY DAY, that our cultures are INFERIOR to other cultures.
Why? Why? Why?
Back to the kingship thing.
If you could put your religion aside and partake in the rites of ascension to the throne, drop that throne if you become a born-again Christian or Muslim!
Drop it.
The moment you become a king, you have become the property of traditionalists.
Ask a typical Yoruba elder: the moment you agreed to become a king, you are ‘lost’ to tradition!
I do NOT expect any of you to agree with me.
If you know your religion, IMPORTED ONE FOR THAT MATTER, will not allow you to carry out some traditional rites that your office as a king requires of you, INCLUDING HOW YOU ARE INSTALLED and HOW YOU WILL BE BURIED, do not take the throne!
Enough of the stupid and nonsensical modernism.
Enough.
We are Africans and Africans we will remain forever.
Everything done during the burial of Queen Elizabeth was TRADITIONAL as far as the English were concerned.
Parading the body of a king during burial is a SLAP on our tradition as Yorubas.
Indians will never do that if it is their tradition.
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