My dad in his lifetime was a prince from a particular ruling house in the Ijebujesa country. I remember how my dad would fill my head with admiration for my heritage, whenever he would joyfully refer to me as “Ọmọ Ogboni” or simply “Ogboni.” My head would swell, and I feel kingly in such beautiful moments.
The then Oba Ajayi Palmer, Ajifolokun- the second, was then the Ogboni of Ìjẹ̀bú-Jẹ̀ṣà. And he ruled us from 1974-96. The originality of his Obaship was in the peculiarity of his title: “Ogboni.” The quality of its timbre struck a mixture of fear and respect for our Obaship at the time, in the perspective of a growing child. Or any growing kid in the same circumstance.
Somehow, some folks came together and decided to change that title. I guess they felt it too ‘fetishistic’ or ‘paganistic’ even. The Oba of Ìjẹ̀bú-Jẹ̀ṣà is now to be known simply as the ‘Elégbòrò.’ Such a water-down title for such a royal stool! Perhaps the Eleyinmi could have sound cartoonishly better.
Neocolonialism, under the guise of Pentecostalism is destroying the Yorùbánesàn. It has already destroyed the fundamentals of our cultural allure. I called one of my nephews the other day. His name is Jùwọ́n.
Me: “Olajuwon o!
Him:”daddy, Jésùjùwọ́n lórúkọ mi sir!”
Totally exasperated at his generational-idiocy, I looked at him blindly, shook my head sorrowfully and gently walked away from him before I did something regrettable.
My conclusion is that- plentiful Dìndìnrìn are born every damn second in the Southwest of Nigeria on a daily basis. One is already in my family. Only Èdùmàrè knows how many more are still undercover, waiting for just the right time, the right moment to exhibit their inbred idiocy! And that’s scary as shit!
–Odolaye Baa Waki Aremu sourced from Facebook.
