Those who say that kings should not be remotely-controlled, monitored, or supervised by a political authority have clearly not seen a recent viral video in which an elderly man, perhaps in his early sixties, was oppressed and victimized by a power-hungry traditional authority. The video is a terrible reflection on Yoruba monarchy and unequivocal evidence that the sacred institution does not want thugs, jesters, or criminals to hide under the throne and commit atrocities.
When I initially watched the video, I had two thoughts about it. I viewed it as a skit. We are currently in the age of social media. I’ve seen numerous unbelievable actions made into skits. In this world of pranks and skits, you sometimes wonder if you can trust social media again. I also saw it as a probable conversation between a garage chairman, cult leader, or political thug and someone who had offended him. I only viewed the video and scrolled down, but I had to revisit after attentively reading the title, which revealed that a Yoruba king, his chiefs, and palace lads were included in the video.
Oba Semiu Ogunjobi, the Oloorile of Orile Ifo, was allegedly demeaning Chief Arinola Abraham. In the footage, Arinola is seen kneeling on the road while a man, presumed to be Ogunjobi, curses him and his family after accusing him and others of conspiracy. A yet-to-be-identified individual also slapped Chief Arinola on the head and forced him to prostrate for the enraged king in response to the requests of someone who appeared to be standing beside the king.
Why did Chief Arinola succumb so easily? Was he held at gunpoint? Were weapons like axes, knives, or cutlasses brandished at him? These are the questions posed by those who saw the film and noticed Chief Arinola shaking in front of the king and his boys. Kings are now joining cult groups. They now enable and interact with bad guys in order to seize lands or mistreat the people they rule over. If I were Chief Arinola, I would have prostrated flatly to save my own life. Have you read about a retired Commissioner of Police who followed the orders of an intoxicated but armed officer? It is not courage but folly to grandstand or demonstrate courage in the presence of someone who held you at close range.
After watching the video, I recalled Ipebi as an institution. Why was Ipebi formed? Kings are not regular humans. They represent towns and community interests. They are ancestral emblems, thus they must be properly reared and schooled as crown princes in order to fit the huge shoes they will be wearing as kings.
In Ipebi, kings are traditionally and historically linked to their origins. They learn to dress and speak in public. In truth, they learn the personalities of their forefathers, yet the bulk of the current generation of kings we have now are ‘royalty miss path’. They are more concerned in fame, show business, and land sales than in promoting the ideals they stand for. Although modern monarchs may eat in public, seize territories, or elope with their subjects’ wives, such reckless behavior does not make them ordinary. We will continue to rely on government to restrain the behaviors of thugs and jesters. They make kings.
It is encouraging that the Ogun State Government has promised to investigate the situation. And I sincerely hope that the king will be severely punished for serving as a deterrent to others. The likes of Oba Ogunjobi are common in our system. We find them in our families, companies, schools, and communities. They want to be feared. They feel that a leader can only be revered if he or she is feared. They expect respect rather than earning it. They silence opposing voices. I also know a police DPO who seems to his subordinates as a lion because he has ego and self-esteem issues. He feels that the only way to instill discipline is by severity and exalted arrogance.
If some argue that a DPO is not morally obligated to relate sensibly with his subordinates, is a monarch not entitled to be morally conscious as a figure of representation for a distinct set of people? We can implore a DPO to be reasonable and morally upright, but we can not expect a Yoruba king, who is supposed to be a moral figure that people admire, to be rational.
When you see, watch, and notice how some kings conduct themselves in public, you wish they were constitutionally assigned certain tasks. I am concerned about the extremes of power intoxication and enthusiasm that some rulers have demonstrated in public. If one monarch is not stealing people’s lands, the other is arranging for lads to beat up those who disagree with him, whether in secret or publicly. If one king does not misbehave in public, the other will most likely be accused of sleeping with the subject’s wife or wrapping cannabis. When jesters hold thrones, we can expect them to ridicule the monarchy they represent.
If kings continue to misbehave and insult the institution they represent, we shall advise the government to further restrict them. Atleast they made them king.
