Despite fast erosion of Yoruba traditional beliefs and customs, Ile-Ife remains one town that has managed to Spartanly hold on to its past while not completely wishing away civilisation, reports Vanguard.
Since becoming monarch in December, 1980, Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, Olubuse II has clearly remained the symbol of Ife cultural beliefs and those of Yoruba race in general.
Despite being an elite monarch, the manner he managed to combine fashion with the demands of the revered stool , the Ooni has left many people in doubt, if on his demise, his successor would be able to raise the ante.
Also, the perfect way modernity complements nature as reflected in the arrangement and aesthetics of buildings, preservation of monuments and sites within Ooni’s palace is another credit to Ooni Sijuade.
However, since the death of Ooni Sijuade was reported and the subsequent denial of the death by Ife Chiefs, newsmen and other interested people from every part of the country have been besieging Ile Oodua, the palace of the monarch to find out what has happened to him.
During one of the visits by Saturday Vanguard, a source within the palace, who pleaded anonymity in an informal chat, said the monarch would not have traveled out of the country, but changed his mind on advise of one his personal physicians.
The source said the royal father was apparently having a premonition of the inevitable, when he shunned all pleas to have him treated outside the country, until he caved in under family pressure.
“His health was being carefully managed at ripe age of 85 years. It is not a hidden secret that Baba was struggling to cope with the demands of the stool. If he had not gone out of Nigeria, probably, this controversy about him would have been avoided,” the source said.
Leading our correspondent round the palace during the visit, the source, who claimed to have Iived in the palace in the last 35 years of the reign of Ooni Sijuade, said there were ominous signs the 50th Ooni might have “slept”.
He pointed to a particular tree at the entrance of the palace and said that the mysterious tree appears to be mourning.
According to him, the tree usually, whenever in good mood, would respond to greetings in manner that only inhabitants of Ile Oodua understand.
He added that since the Ooni was reported dead and later refuted, the atmosphere around the palace appears moody and the tree at the entrance of Ooni’s palace, in response, is showing strange signs.
Described as a philanthropist, Oba Okunade Sijuade, the source said feeds about 1,000 of his subjects daily and would always be ready to attend to their needs.
“Ooni Sijuade is loved by Ife people because of his generosity to people. He feeds almost 1,000 people daily and attends to their needs even when such would discomfort him.
“Whenever any of them, whether highly placed or not has any issue that requires his attention, he would attend to their problems promptly. We will surely miss him”.
This is what happens when Ooni of Ife dies.....
For at least 12 days — between his passing, the funeral and beyond — commercial activities in the town and neighbouring places will grind to a halt, while some markets will close for an indefinite period. To focus on the financial disruption doesn’t begin to describe the sheer magnitude of it.
It will be an event unlike anything Ile-Ife has ever seen before.
It will be a strange, uncertain time till another Ooni of Ife ascends the throne. It is however expected that detailed plans will have been put in place for handling the announcement.
Once this announcement is made, all big celebrations that may be linked to the Ooni will be cancelled.
And there will be a resurrection of Ile-Ife culture and tradition.
Given the Ooni of Ife’s significance, it will almost certainly be the top news story all over the country and it will trend on social media.
What will happen inside the Palace?
A particular door at the backyard of Ooni’s palace that had been permanently closed since December 1980, when Oba Okunade Sijuwade ascended the throne, would be opened to indicate that the throne is vacant.
Flags in the state may be flown at half-mast.
A star-studded funeral will be planned and it will be led by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria(Anglican Communion), the most senior figure in the Anglican Church of Nigeria.
Once the funeral is concluded, it’ll be time for the interment. The king may well have already decided this.
After a certain appropriate period of mourning, there will be a coronation. It’s a highly ceremonial affair.
Expectedly there will be changes taking place in the state in weeks and months ahead.
But right now this is all academic — and hopefully a long way off yet. In December 2015, the highly-revered Ooni of Ife Oba Okunade Sijuwade would be 35 years on the throne!
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