A book authored by Princess Ronke Ademiluyi titled Unspoken, A Chronicle of Women Kings in Yorubaland was presented to the public recently in Lagos. The launch which was done as part of the Celebration of women’s month, depicting the power of womanhood, their contributions to the upliftment of the society had the crem d’la crem, royals and distinguished excellencies in attendance while the Ooni of Ife, Arole Ooduduwa, Olofin Adimula Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi was the chief host.
According to her Excellency the First Lady of Kwara State, Mrs Olufolake Abdulrazaq it is important to engender and empower the rise of Women and girls.” I am happy to say that even today in 2022 we are working a program to improve the quality of maternal care in Kwara State. Working in the neo-natal intensive care unit to make sure that we leave no child behind. As we bring to contemporary life, the culture enshrined in our history, the first woman to become a king of the Oyo Empire and 21st Ooni. Our shared past has given us a special identify and a common future. Our universal well being as crowned, uncrowded or acknowledge Oba”.
She added: ” I am delighted to affirm today that we must embrace these women, rìse to our obligations and the fulfillment that history has bestowed upon us for our Women, menfolk, ecosystem of our community and for our leaders of tomorrow “.
Erelu Abiola Dosunmu, Fourth Erelu Kuti of Lagos who gave the second Keynote address informed that she found the word Unspoken quite intriguing having been an active participant in this area.
Her words: ” When it comes to women, it must be a hush and so this title is most apt.This were great women of history and culture. A lot of people must be curious because Lagos is very Cosmopolitan but people do not realise that we are a very cultural people and we have very deep culture that we still practice today”.
She goes on to buttress her presentation with experiences,how the first Erelu created her dynasty, history , other facts as well as practical stories. ” I will like to dwell on the prowess of the first Erelu Kuti of Lagos and my experience as the 4th Erelu Kuti. Female kingship is as old as mankind and the list of women kings is inexhaustible. The title of Erelu is also spiritual and a privilege of a female king. It is important and uniqueness must be brought to the fore”
Authored by Princess Ronke Ademiluyi, the one hundred and twenty-three-page book is about women who ruled over Yoruba kingdoms centuries ago. According to the author, who also published the book on the Legendary Queen Moremi, that was adapted into Moremi The Musical (a musical drama of the legendary Queen Moremi Ajasoro of Ile Ife) Oba Obirin aims to celebrate Women in monarchy and public leadership positions.
Princess Ademiluyi- an illustrious daughter from the Lafogido royal family in Ile Ife, affirms that women in many areas of the society were given a certain amount or range of power and authority to carry out certain leadership, “duties in areas such as trading, commerce, spirituality and even in royal affairs as found in women in positions such as Iyalode, Iya Oba, Olori and these women through their actions, counsel, and advice played vital roles in different spheres of the Yoruba scenery.”
These roles, she emphasised, show the respect accorded to women in the Yoruba society. “Invariably, there have been some women who have gone above and beyond these stipulated positions to become venerated women in history and have become kings in their respective Kingdoms, female kings and what we call Oba Obirin.” Says Princess Ademiluyi.
Published with bold illustrations depicting events at the time, Oba Obinrin is a meticulous excursion into the heroic past, a sweet elixir for the present, and a joyous prediction for the immediate and distant future.
In celebration of Women’s month, Oba Obirin will be officially released to the public at a prestigious exhibition and book launch tagged ‘UNSPOKEN’- A Chronicle of Women Kings in Yorubaland.