When an elder stoops so low as to play rough with kids,he not only loses the respect of the kids,he loses the respect of everyone.A lot of people including myself actually doubted if Oba Rilwan Akiolu made the derogatory remarks attributed to him against the Ibos till Video evidence surfaced.Where we saw and heard him in broad day,telling the honorary Eze and representatives of the Ibo in Lagos to vote for Ambode of the APC or see what will happen to them after the Guber Elections.
In what could be likened only to the incantations of a witch doctor,one of the most respected monarchs in Nigeria condemned only would-be Jimi Agbaje Ibo voters to the Lagoon.The refusal of the palace to tow the path of honour; a public apology makes it all the more disgusting to say the least.But to be frank, expecting an apology is expecting a camel to walk on two legs if the Oba in all his years as a senior Law enforcement agent can forget that the Constitution in which the Right to Freedom of Association is firmly enshrined,supercedes everything including the doctrines of any Lagoon Hippo or Mermaid,then it would be safe to presume anything could come out of his palace but an apology.
This man and his cronies are bringing the esteemed throne to disrepute.The only thing decipherable from their response is a most insulting message-we only saw and heard but didn't understand what we heard and saw.I pray Nigerians in general,not only the ibos are not being used to test the potency of the Oba's lagoon spirits.
Now I understand some traditionalists would want to preach about the implications of an Oba apologising in public and if anyone would stoop so low then they should be ready to face the bitter truth:No traditional ruler or father to borrow from their context, should dabble into politics publicly in the first place for the simple reason that a father should not be seen to love a child more than the other.They have every right to tell me I don't understand their customs and traditions as much as they do but I come from a place with the highest reverence historically,for traditional institutions in Nigeria; the North.In ancient Nigeria,Northern Emirs were the most powerful monarchs with practically unfettered authority while the Yoruba Obas had the closest thing to a democratic structure where other office holders served as a check on the Oba and could present him with an egg symbolizing death if he had overstepped his bounds.My knowledge of these issues may not be top notch but believe I have not said anything wrong.
The Ibos are the most pleasant guests I know having grown up with a lot of them in Kaduna.This much you may be able to tell if you heard them giving the Oba a round of applause while he was issuing them threats.
Lagos is not the Oba's as he claimed and even if that were the case,he popped up in the wrong generation and it would most definitely miss the Ibos if he kicked them out or bewitched them into relocating to the marine kingdom.Imagine what Alaba international Market would be like for starters.
As a Muslim,I take offence with the Oba saying Insha Allah (God Willing) while perishing people to the lagoon.My religion leaves no one room to swing both ways so to speak.He can not be a servant of Allah and the King of Lagos Marine Kingdom at the same time and less importantly,I apologize to all those whom I have had cause to describe Prof. Pat Utomi as a honorable man to because I just found out he is not.How a man like this could suggest the Oba might be joking is baffling.Okay, lets assume he was,would any reasonable person accept a joke that silly from a man of that age?.I don't think so.This is one of such moments where Silence is golden and the only edible words are ones that convey an apology.
No publicist alive can possibly spin this.I look forward to something Oba Rilwan Aremu Akiolu said he would do after the Elections and this is fulfilling a promise to expose corrupt Nigerian leaders.From the look of things,its best I lower my expectations because the lagoon spirits might just have instructed otherwise.
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