First, it was the demise of the Oba of Beni, Oba Erediauwa that swept in, hitting Nigerians’ ear drums with an alarming shock … it was shrouded for close to three months though, but somehow, since the Lion’s sneak into the forest, was like smoke that could not be hidden, the news filtered in. Next, was the Ooni of Ife, whose journey to join his ancestors could not be enveloped in a capsule, as he inhaled his last breath in far-away from his domain – a London hospital.
And barely a week ago, the Olu of Warri, followed suit – joined the Ile Ife and the Oba of Benin Monarchs in their Royal trip to, as a Warri source cynically put it; “in their voyage to hold a Royal meeting with their ancestors.”
However, their respective sojourns to the great beyond, is not the crux of the matter now; what is, is that unlike their respective predecessors, finding a traditionally blessed and culturally accepted candidate to mount the thrones as demanded of the culture and traditions of all three kingdoms, is shrouded in uncertainty.
In Ile Ife, the king makers are relying on whose head the Oracle’ pendulum swings, but with members of one of the Ruling Houses – Giesi still at each others’ throat over the choice of a candidate from their Royal Home to present to the king makers, for their onward presentation alongside other Royal Families’ choices, who will in turn be presented at the Oracle Shrine, has been a knotty issue.
In Benin, the mute palace scenario that greets indigenes home and abroad, is, when a new Lion will move out of the forest to occupy the vacant stool in the palace. Hear our reliable source: “The issue is not whether the Lion has moved into the forest or not now, but who steps into his shoes? The weary scene of the hitherto cheerfully serene Royal Palace is quite worrisome. Tongues are wagging with speculations silently making the rounds as to the whereabouts of the heir apparent, whose head the throne or crown should traditionally rest … who the cap fits let him wear it and the Bini, whose culture and tradition, have no photo-copy, already knew their next king before the passing on of one; but wither him?” Our source wondered.
We gathered that, when the waiting gets too long as required by tradition though, “that is when the ancient kingdom’s King Makers would swing into action and something would be done.”
In Warri, just as obtained in Bini culture and tradition, the Olu of Warri “does not die, he undertakes or embarks on a voyage to meet his ancestors.” Again, as is done in the Benin Kingdom, so it is in Warri Kingdom. An Olu of Warri Palace source, who spoke to National Weekender on condition of anonymity, disclosed: “There are great identical similarities between the culture and traditions of the Bini and the Itsekiri, but that should be shelved for another premise … it’s an indelible historical relationship, which has culminated into an inseparable wedlock, if you permit me to use that phrase.
“ Itsekiri tradition demands, as it does in Benin, that, the first male child of the Oba or Olu, automatically steps into the Royal Shoes and wears the Crown left behind by his father, but as it were, there seems, I repeat, there seems to be a hiccup in the enthronement of a new Olu of Warri. When National Weekender pressed to know the cause of the traditional “hiccup, our source replied: “That’s all I can tell you now. The Itsekiri are poised to keep their tradition intact this time around and are not in any mood for Western invasion. But I can assure you that sooner than later, a new Olu of Warri will emerge,”
Culled from National Weekender.
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