The Yoruba Obas Forum (YOF) has condemned in strong terms the installation of Yoruba Obas in the diaspora, describing such practices as fraudulent and alien to Yoruba culture and tradition.

The Forum gave this stand in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Oba Asunmo Ganiyu Aderibigbe, who doubles as the Paramount Ruler of Odo Ayandelu Kingdom, stating also that having a Yoruba Oba in a state like Dallas in the United States of America (USA) and countries like France, Holland, and Ireland was nothing but a complete denigration of Yoruba culture and tradition.

YOF, comprising prominent Obas from across the South-West region, in the statement made available on Sunday to newsmen, also maintained that Yoruba tradition clearly specifies the procedures for installing an Oba in Yoruba land, adding that the law gives the state government the legal backing to give the final approval (with the support of the state legislatures) for the official installation of an Oba in the state across the region.

The monarchs said the traditional institution remained the only sacred institution that had endured the rigours of civilization, stressing that there was always a successive plan for the installation of an Oba in Yoruba land in order to avoid anarchy from the traditional institution.

“In Yoruba land, there are royal houses that are mostly qualified to appoint an Oba traditionally, and there are procedures that must be followed to sustain the culture and tradition of our race.

“The need to condemn the ugly trend became pertinent for us as traditional rulers in order to restore the lost glory of our race and that of the traditional institution.

“Nobody can duplicate our sacred culture abroad. It is never done anywhere in the world. It is very bad when some people masquerade as an Oba in a foreign land, and as the custodians of Yoruba culture and tradition, we would not allow them to misrepresent us to the world.

“However, it must be stated that there are other nationals in Nigeria, like Arabs, Indians, and Chinese, that are residents of Nigeria and don’t have an Oba in Nigeria,” YOF stated.

The monarchs, while further condemning the practice, said having a Yoruba Oba in the diaspora was despotic, unfortunate, and an open door for anarchy among Yorubas in the affected places, adding that the practice was “an aberration to our traditional institution.”

This was just as the Forum appealed to all the embassies to stop this trend in their respective countries, while equally appealing to all Yoruba sons and daughters in the diaspora to rise against the trend, which it said had been tarnishing the image of the race and causing unnecessary tension both within and outside Nigeria.

“We condemn it totally because such practice is an aberration to our traditional institution, and we are also appealing to other leading and prominent Obas in the South-West to rise against the ugly trend.

“We appeal to all the embassies to stop this trend in their respective countries. We are also appealing to all Yoruba sons and daughters in the diaspora to rise against the trend that has been tarnishing the image of our race and causing unnecessary tension both within and outside the country.

“Having a Yoruba Oba in the diaspora is despotic, unfortunate, and always opens the door for anarchy among Yorubas in the diaspora.

“We condemn it totally because such practice is only an aberration to our traditional institution, and we are also appealing to other leading and prominent Obas in the south-west to rise against the ugly trend.

“We appeal to all the embassies to stop this trend in their respective countries. We are also appealing to all Yoruba sons and daughters in the diaspora to rise against the trend that has been tarnishing the image of our race and causing unnecessary tension both within and outside the country,” the monarchs said.

“We have written several letters to the Ministry of External Affairs, but it is now time for the public to know that the Yoruba Obas Forum is not in support of having a Yoruba Oba in the diaspora, and we totally condemn the bad practice as it is a complete fraud and disrespect to the traditional institution,” the Forum added.

The Forum, however, restated the need for unity across the South-West, saying the unity of all stakeholders was key to actualizing peace, progress, and the development of the race both in Nigeria and in the diaspora. (Sunday Tribune)

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