At one point there was a discussion programme on NTA where the Imam of Abuja Mosque and one bishop sat down to discuss contemporary issues according to religious prisms.
At some point, while on the issue of Cultism Aming Our Youths, the bishop jumped key and started to talk about the Ogboni confraternity.
I immediately wondered how OGBONI could be in the same league as BLACK AXE, BUCCANEERS, SEADOGS and others, and all those expressions of juvenile delinquency.
He went on until he said “Ogboni was fetish” and mentioned the fact that the Church, through an archbishop had to start the REFORMED OGBONI FRATERNITY “which wasn’t fetish” to address the “evil tradition” of the customary Ogboni cult.
The bishop on that TV programme was a Yoruba man. He continued to talk on and on, but I had lost interest by that time, and started having a mild headache from hearing his rubbish and then I stumbled on Adeleke/Dino Dance video of a campaign about the same time.
This morning, I stumbled on this picture from Prince Obaloye Òtùkò Adimula.
When you look at pictures like this, you must begin to feel head and heartaches if you are a true-born Yoruba man with a SENSE OF VALUES AND DIGNITY.
These people are hell bent on destroying us.
As I write this story, my mind goes to Oyo. I was there two days ago.
There is an 85-year-old bishop who is currently breaking his neck, seriously struggling to sit on ALÁÀFIN’S THRONE
It is in this same Yoruba land!!!
- The OGBONI I used to know in our CUSTOM was CULT OF RESPECTED ELDERS in the community. Being elders, they are the custodians of our SHARED VALUES and they helped to regulate the society and that included monitoring the man who is KABIYESI, the people who are of the various PRIESTHOOD and even those people in whom ancient wisdom of esoteric knowledge is deposited (WITCHES).
The OGBONI is the supreme cult in the land and, BEING A COMMITTEE OF ELDERS, it supervises the activities of all other cults, who are by the way dedicated to various purposes.
The OGBONI acts as an advisor and to an extent, a check-and-balance for the OBA.
The MISSIONARIES came and they began to TUMBLE OUR SOCIAL ORDER.
They said our DRUMS were evil, but the same drums found their way into their churches.
They said our MUSIC/SONGS, the ones we sang to our Òrìsàs were “earthen” songs, but the same songs are the ones which have become gospel songs today albeit reworded and bastardized.
They say our NIGHT WORSHIP was witchcraft meetings, but the same people now do vigil services in their churches.
They say “Don’t give anything to idols” but the same people now do harvest services where they bring thing such items to their churches before the Holy Mary and Jesus.
They say “Don’t give Babaláwo your money”, whereas the Babaláwo were the BIBLICAL LEVITES…But the same people today won’t allow you to hear the word when they preach Malachi 3:8 and they bring offerings to their MoG.
They say OGBONI is evil, it’s the same people who has FREEMASONS, ROSICRUCIAN, ILLUMINATI and others. So, they formed ROF for you, so you can adapt it while they destroy you.
We are the ones who joke with our CUSTOM.
We joke with the CUSTOM ON MARRIAGE. You can take a Yoruba woman as wife these days without even knowing her parents or any member of her family.
We joke with the CUSTOM ON CHILD NAMING. You hear funny names being given to Yoruba children these days and you want to cry.
We joke with the CUSTOM ON BURIALS. You can decide to do whatever you wish with your father’s corpse and your extended family members will have to keep quiet and just shake their heads. No respect for any order.
We joke with the CUSTOM ON MORALS. Today, a Yoruba girl-child can be a prostitute and she will be feeding her family from it and nobody says anything. She can be a university student, rather than come home to collect money from the father, she sends money to him and his wife from school.
We joke with the CUSTOM ON ANCESTRAL WORSHIP AND SPIRITUALITY. Men like Adeboye and Oyedepo have spent the last 40 years of their lives telling you to HATE YOUR ANCESTORS, RUN AWAY FROM YOUR VILLAGE, TREAT YOUR CUSTOMS WITH CONTEMPT, BREAK FAITH WITH YOUR ÒRÌSÀS and generally become stupidly docile.
We joke with the CUSTOM ON OBASHIP. Today, every street, corner and hamlet in Yorubaland has A CROWNED OBA. Any fool can become an OBA, he only needs to know the political leader.
All manner of NUISANCES sit on ancient thrones and wear ancient crowns and together desecrate our CUSTOMS.
There is a serious problem in this Yorubaland, but we don’t seem to see it yet.
I will return.
© Adedamola Adetayo
