The Living Perfect Master and founder of One Love Family, Satguru Maharaj Ji, has charged His Royal Majesty, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye, the Soun of Ogbomoso to follow the Yoruba kingship traditions.
He stated this in a statement through the One Love Family Minister for Information, Ojo Mogbadewa which he personally signed and made available to newsmen in Ibadan.
Recall that Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye was a pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Washington DC, USA. His wife, Pastor Omo is in charge of the RCCG Jesus House, which is one of the largest Redeemed Churches in America. The church is located in Silver Spring, Maryland, an area known for ethnicities and racial diversities.
The Soun of Ogbomoso Ghandi Olaoye was actively involved in pastoring since 1992. He has served in three RCCG churches in Nigeria and also led RCCG parish in Bonn and Germany before moving to the United States.
The statement reads in parts: “Ther is nothing bad in a pastor or Imam becoming a traditional ruler because he’s a product of Isese as a prince, that’s why he recognizes the stool that’s not in the Bible or Quran if the crown prince is a Muslim.
“One must first recognize, like and believe in a system before aspiring to be part of it and even head it. The Soun of Ogbomoso is being made a king not because he’s a pastor but because he’s a traditional prince from a recognized royal house.
“Princeship and kingship are cultural in Yoruba land. So Kabiyesi is not going to inherit Jesus’ crown (Ade Jesu) but the traditional crown (Ade Isese) of Ogbomoso people – the crown that is older than the Oba and that had passed through many royal heads and traditional rites of cleansing and fortification.
“No matter how many new crowns a new Oba of a real Yoruba town procures like fez caps, there’s always an old traditional crown, at least, he must inherit and must be put on his head for special cultural events, particularly on his coronation day.
“Oba Olaoye would have watched, I assumed, “Ogbori Elemoso”, a super epic Yoruba film by Baba Lere Paimo a.k.a Eda Onile Ola, for him to know how the name of the town, Ogbomoso, and the Soun title he’s going to bear henceforth was created through the heroic struggle with fortified local guns, incantations and traditional juju by his forebears. How Soun Ogunlola ably played by legendary Lere Paimo beheaded Elemoso in an epic battle for dominance and territorial integrity.
“Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye, the Soun of Ogbomosoland should watch the film if he has not, for him to appreciate that the town he’s presiding over traditionally was not created by holy Ghost fire, miracle or with blood of Jesus and that’s the reason Ogbomosoland is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible.
“There’s nowhere in the Bible that Jesus Christ or any of his disciples handled Irukere (horsetail) as a symbol of authority, to pray for people or to acknowledge greetings. Not even King David nor the renowned multiple polygamist and men’s mentor and role model, King Solomon used “Irukere Oba” to assert their authority for once. Now (Pastor) Oba Soun Ogbomoso will henceforth use Irukere (horsetail) right from Ipebi (royal seclusion). That’s cultural Yoruba royal heritage.
“As the new Soun of Ogbomoso land, you’re going to be widely greeted by a jubilant crowd with an ovation of “Kabiyesi ooo! as the crown descends on your royal head, staff of office and Irukere in your hands. Kabiyesi’s coronation was not done in the church or at “Ori Oke” (prayer mountain).
“It will be done in the palace or any public square if their tradition permits that. And from that moment, you’re forbidden from prostrating for any living soul including the King’s mother and father. Your senior pastors, General Overseer, classmates, wife, side chicks, elder brothers and sisters, friends and chiefs no matter their ages, will start prostrating for you by tradition except if he decides to waive such palace protocols.
“As the new Soun, you should be prepared to be called and addressed as KABIYESI, the one person whose power is unquestionable. No one dares ask or question your authority. This may not be in accord with Kabiyesi’s Christian faith that only God is supreme with unquestionable power, but as a traditional ruler and a pastor, he should know how to balance the equation.
“I don’t think the Isese people have anything to fear but a lot to watch and advise the king. Since GO and the pastors are not the ones to crown the prince to become king, that will be done by traditional chiefs, after observing all the traditional rites as revealed by Ifa Orunmila. Since the new Soun, though a pastor, won’t change the traditional name of Ogbomoso to Jesumoso to distort the traditional history of the town and his people, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.
“Since Kabiyesi won’t stop Egungun Danofojura the fire masquerade, Ari Igba Asotesun, other masquerades and other traditional festivals in the land of Soun Ogunlola, there shouldn’t be any anxiety about the handsome gentleman. And since the Oba won’t proscribe Amala and Abula with orishirishi eran or ban “Eko yangan,” the popular traditional food of Ogbomoso and replace them with burger, shawarma, fried rice and jollof rice, there’s no need to lose sleep.
“When a pastor or an Alfa becomes a traditional ruler, a custodian of his people’s culture and tradition including Isese religion and beliefs, it’s more of a promotion to Isese tradition, if he doesn’t end up being a riotous Oba Igbolabi of the riverside town, that wants to impose his religion over others and attempt to destroy other faiths for his personal agenda. It’s more of gains than losses to the tradition and its faithful because it means that the person appreciates Isese, wants it and loves to be part of it by compromising his own faith belief. Obaship is one of the other best ways to sell and promote Yoruba culture and tradition beyond its frontier to the outside world.
“Unlike Oba Igbolabi by the riverside, and as a well exposed traceable educated person, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwo, the kamikaze king, his utterances and actions smark of desecration of Yoruba kingship traditions, rites, and observances.
“He behaves like a political thug. Before he became king he was fully aware of the role of a Yoruba king as the chief priest of Yoruba deities. He knew he’s opposed to the deities and would not perform such rites, why did he agree to ascend the throne? What was he thinking about? Enough of his tomfoolery. He’s lucky he still remains on the throne. By now he should be languishing in exile. Iwo people in particular and Yorubas in general, must fight and reject Oluwo’s disrespectful acts and violence against Yoruba symbols, deities, traditions, faith, and the jealously guarded shrines in Yoruba palaces.”
The Living Perfect Master posited that Soun Afolabi Olaoye is expected to balance his new Christian faith with his Isese inheritance faith by virtue of being a prince now a king. He’s now a father to all faiths and faithful by the reason of Isese cultural throne he now sits as the traditional king of Ogbomoso land.
