How Custodians Of Ife Culture & Ooni’s Face-Off Resulted In Heavy Losses For Many Penciled Down For Chieftaincy Titles

Charles Oyelesi

Sunday, December 6, 2020, will remain unforgettable for many penciled down to receive chieftaincy titles at the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

After making the expenses of contracting caterers for food and drinks, special cloths and inviting friends and well-wishers from different parts of the country to witness the august and celebrate the august occasion with them – those penciled down for honors and their invitees ended up with huge disappointment.

“The event didn’t hold, it was shifted for about three months and everything, all the food and drinks, and the entire preparation went to waste.” societynow.ng learned.

Insiders disclosed the chieftaincy installation ceremony that involved a “huge number of people” was postponed on the day of the event as a result of the face-off between the Ooni of Ife and custodians of cultures in Ile-Ife.

Societynow.ng gathered that though the Ooni insisted on holding the chieftaincy ceremony, the custodians of culture and tradition in Ife overruled him based on a certain portion of the rites he would not be able to carry out.

“The Olori is supposed to pray for him at a point during but she just gave birth and was yet to return to the palace with the new baby in keeping with tradition, Ooni wanted to host the chieftaincy ceremony without observing this particular aspect which was why he didn’t postpone it and assured the beneficiaries the event would hold but the custodian of cultures were adamant on keeping faith with all the rules concerning the ceremony, they insisted it is either the chieftaincy ceremony is properly done or not at all and the Ooni was forced to give in to their demand on the morning of the event after those who were supposed to be decorated with chieftaincy titles and their guests had arrived.” Societynow.ng learned.

According to the digs carried out by societynow.ng because Ooni thought he would carry the day, the event was initially postponed from morning till evening before was eventually postponed for three months – for all the rites concerning the Olori and her new baby to be done with – based on the recommendation of the unyielding custodians of culture and traditions.

“It was a sad development. Many people wore long and gloomy faces because a lot of people fell into this category. All the food, drinks, expenses on special and fancy clothes and the trip to the Ile –Ife, accommodations of selves and guests and the entire arrangement wasted because of the attempt to circumvent the process” societynow.ng learned.

Further digs revealed that the few who went away with happy faces were those whose chieftaincy rites consider “do-able” by the custodians of cultures and traditions to save face and alleviate the import of the embarrassing episode that had a representative of the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as one of the special guests of honor.