Reputable Nigerian monarch, Oba Adekunle Hammed Makama Tegbosun III, chats briefly with the Editor, FOLORUNSHO HAMSAT, on the state of the Yoruba nation, the traditional institution in Nigeria, and the state of the country in general. Excerpts…
Kabiyesi, there is this ongoing controversy regarding the true history of Yoruba origin. As a custodian of the Yoruba heritage and tradition, how would you react to this?
I don’t think we should tag it as controversy. The history and origin of Yoruba is direct. We have Yoruba intelligentsia, we have Yoruba historians and the apex traditional ruler in Yorubaland is His Imperial Majesty the Ooni of Ife. What the Ooni of Ife and Yoruba scholars are saying is the same. So, I align with whatever you heard from The Source.
How would you describe the value and honour accorded traditional rulers now compared with how it was in the past?
The value and honour accorded traditional rulers in the past was great, it was natural. You can’t compare it with what we have now. There are no more powerful traditional rulers. What we do have now are influential traditional rulers. Gone are those days.
Is kingship a full or part time job; are you king by day and night or you get busy with other vocations?
Kingship is a full time job. Kingship is not a part time job in Yorubaland. This is unlike Europe where you can abdicate if you’re tired. It’s when you die that the throne becomes vacant here. The schedule of traditional rulers here is always filled up. Traditionally, we’re the closest to the grassroots. In the night, there are other conventional things that we still do to keep the kingdom going.
You were honoured by a group of Muslim clerics recently. Tell us about it and what do you think encouraged such an honour.
Thank you. I was honoured as royal patron of the Southwest League of Islamic Preachers Association of Nigeria. The Osun State chapter is led by the Imam Sheikh Olohunlomerue. The league’s national president is Sheikh Muhideen Ajani Bello. The zonal secretary is Sheikh Akewugbagold. So, Imam Olohunlomerue led the delegation to come and confer on me the Royal Patron of the Osun State League of Islamic Preachers.
Why do you think you’re qualified for such an honour from the Muslim community?
Laughs… that was the first thing I asked the Muslim scholars when they came for the conferment. I did ask if they believed I was qualified for the honour. I actually begged them to look for any of my colleagues who may be more qualified. One, my hands are full. Two, I don’t want to dabble into any controversy. I am a traditional ruler, not a religious leader. But they said that they have searched very well and discovered that my attributes and disposition towards issues qualified me for the honour.
You are said to be an unusual king. What are the things you’re doing differently in Kuta town that others who were kings before you did not do.
I don’t know why I’m qualified to be addressed as an unusual king. I do my things the way God has ordained me to do it and the way my ancestors are directing me to do it. To the glory of God, it has been easy all along. I don’t discriminate. I’m not a religious bigot. I’m a king for all and I give my all to the service of Owu Kuta land and mankind in general. So, I’ve attained a lot of feats that my predecessors did not attain. And I’m leveraging on my wider contacts, friendship and I don’t dabble into controversy. I understand the core mandate of a king and why I was made the king for my people and I observe the rules strictly.
How else do you source funds for the developmental projects you do in Kuta, apart from spending from your private pocket?
That’s a very critical point you’ve touched. I leverage my contacts with friends across the divides to draw developments into my community. I make sure I leverage my closeness to the authorities. So, it’s not easy. But through friends and contacts we have been able to do the little we’re doing.
Do you have issues with Yoruba traditional rulers who do not recognize traditional worship?
I don’t have issues with any Yoruba traditional rulers. But I’m disturbed if anyone has been crowned as traditional ruler in Yorubaland and the person deviates totally from that mandate of maintaining and preserving the culture. Ours is aristocratic; that is how it was founded. We’re not installed to be a Bishop or a Sheikh. We’re installed to preserve those archaic cultures. So, any traditional ruler that deviates from that certainly does not understand the basis on which he was installed. If they wanted us to be religious leaders, our instruments of office would clearly state so. In Yorubaland, we’re traditional rulers, custodians of cultures. Part of our culture is masquerade, part of it are various things that you may term as voodoo. Every tribe and every race has their cultures. The Egyptians, the Arabs, the Jews have their cultures. So, I see no reason why any traditional ruler should deviate since nobody was forced to ascend the throne.
What is your candid opinion of the supremacy battle between Yoruba traditional rulers?
My candid opinion is that we should not have any supremacy battle. All of us know that the Ooni is the head. No mistake, no error. So, I see no reason why anybody should be having supremacy battles. For what? If I say I’m above you, can I come be king in your kingdom? No. There are rules. This is not happening in the North. We should rather unite and focus.
What is your assessment about different ethnic liberation groups calling for the breakup of Nigeria despite the fact that the country has enjoyed uninterrupted democratic experiment for 25 years?
I believe in this united entity called Nigeria. But there’s nothing wrong with sitting down and dialogue. Every document is subject to a review. If the majority thinks that we should review our existence as a country, yes reviewing it is what some would call restructuring or whatever you may term it. There’s nothing wrong with that. But I believe in the corporate existence of Nigeria.
What is the kind of politics traditional rulers should play if they must?
Every traditional ruler should be pro-establishment. Every traditional ruler must be father to politicians and must display unflinching support for any government of the day in order to drive developments to their kingdoms.
There are issues when kingship is being contested for. What is your current relationship with other princes who contested the Kuta kingdom throne with you?
They are my children. Incidentally, two of those who contested with me have passed on. And I’m relating very well with the rest. In the time of our forefathers, if you contested for the throne and you lost, you were forced to leave the community. Our forefathers believed that if you remained in the community, you would not be loyal and you would be disgruntled forever. But in this generation, we relate well. Only one among many princes would be crowned the king. But I give them their dues and respect and they support and respect me as well. I relate with them very well because I’m sitting on our common patrimony.
