Giving Up On Tradition, Reason Yoruba Obas Losing Relevance – Olowu-Kuta

Oba Adekunle Oyelude a prominent traditional ruler of the Olowu-Kuta, in Osun State, has disclosed that Yoruba monarchs are losing relevance because they have abandon tradition due to their quest for foreign culture.

This is as he berated recent practices in the process of installing traditional rulers in Yoruba land, restricting period of seclusion to just three or seven days.

He cautioned kingmakers and traditionalists in the region to as a matter of urgency, revert to tradition which stipulates period of seclusion for any Oba-elect to between three months to four months.

Speaking with newsmen at his palace in Kuta, Ayedire Local Government area of Osun State on Friday, the monarch lamented that most traditional rulers in Yorubaland have abandoned their major duty which is preserving traditions and culture, hence they lost relevance in the society.

According to him, the long period of seclusion allowed a monarchs to go through proper training both physical and spiritual on being custodian of tradition in his kingdom, as well as being fortified against any kind of evil within and outside his domain.

“Many traditional rulers in Yorubaland are misbehaving because they did not go through the proper traditional seclusion properly. I spent three months and then days in seclusion and each day has its significant. And because traditional rulers are adopting foreign tradition and culture, they are losing relevance on a daily basis.

“No one is made a traditional ruler in Yorubaland to become a religious leader, but a custodian of culture and traditions which reflect in the ways one is selected and prepared for the task chosen to perform.

“Our kingmakers and stakeholders must see to it that we revert to tradition as it was originally. Today some traditional rulers go into seclusion for just three or seven days, what did they learn in those number of days and how will they impact on their communities positively. It is better we revert to our core tradition before we start paying others to teach us how to preserve our ways of living”, he said.

The monarch also warned that except traditional rulers embrace core traditional values and culture, they would continue to remain stooges to politicians.