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Tag: Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi

  • Oluwo urges monarchs to renounce membership of secret societies

    The Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, has urged Yoruba monarchs to renounce membership of secret societies.

    In a statement by his Press Secretary, Ibraheem Alli, the Oluwo said it was enslavement for monarchs regarded as superior to their subjects to submit their sovereignty by being members of secret societies.

    He urged leading traditional rulers, including Ooni of Ife Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, Alaafin of Oyo Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, Owa Obokun of Ijesaland Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran, Awujale of Ijebuland Oba Sikiru Adetona, Alake of Egbaland Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, Osile of Oke Ona Egba Oba Adedapo Tejuosho, Oba of Lagos Rilwan Akiolu and others to make monarchs in secret societies renounce their membership.

    He also advocated for the inauguration of Central Council of Yoruba Obas, where he said only non-members of secret societies should be allowed.

    To strengthen the traditional institution, he said urgent revolutionary steps must be taken to liberate traditional institution from the slavery imposed on monarchs by secret societies’ dominance.

    The Oluwo, who particularly urged the Ooni and the Alaafin to take the bull by the horn and lead the change, lamented the dominance and spread of secret societies in the country.

    He linked the incessant ritual killings of innocent Nigerians, most especially students, to the unrepentant activities of the secret cultists, describing monarchs promoting cultism as enemies of their people.

    He said: “Our foremost Yoruba traditional rulers must defend the status of their long reign. As kings, we have exclusive authority over our subjects. No office or status should be more powerful, influential and command more respect than our position as monarchs because we enjoy divine appointment.

    “Many of the criminal activities in the country today are linkable to these secret societies. So, no labour is lost fighting against existence and membership of the cults springing up at alarming rates in the country. I am giving an assurance of my support for the emancipation of enslaved monarchs, who have already submitted their authorities to these inferior secret bodies in expectation of false spiritual and monetary gains.

    “Which assemblage could be as strong and virile like one comprising the Alaafin, Ooni, Awujale, Owa Obokun, Alake, Akarigbo, Olugbo, Oluwo, Oba of Lagos, Olofa, Deji Akure, Olubadan, Osile, Oniru, Elegushi, and Orangun among others? What influence, authority, power, contact, and luxuries are you still searching outside this assemblage? God has divinely made us install other leaders, but because we run blindly, secret societies have hijacked our roles, subject some Obas to their whims and caprices. And this is worrisome.”

    Read Also: Selection for new Olowo to begin soon

    According to the monarch, the best to achieve this is through the launching of Central Council of Yoruba Obas (Ijo Oba).

    “The body (Ijo Oba) will be a supreme council for discussing Yoruba affairs and will be an apex decision organ in the land. It will comprise only Obas and must mandate those willing to join to renounce membership of their secret societies. I trust the capacity of the Alaafin, the Awujale and the Oba of Lagos to live up to expectation and lead the revolutionary liberation from the subjects turning themselves to our lords,” he said.

     

  • Osinbajo enjoys God’s grace, says Osun monarch

    The Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, Telu I, has described the averted chopper mishap of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, as a grace of God.

    He said Osibajo is a man enjoying the divine grace because of his a clean heart and passion for the survival of a peaceful and united Nigeria.

    In a statement by his press secretary, Mr. Alli Ibrahim, the Oluwo, who said only those serving with pure mind escape incidents of such magnitude, prayed for the vice president that he would continue to enjoy God’s favour in all fronts as he discharges his duties to the nation.

    Describing Osinbajo as an asset and factor in Nigeria, the first class traditional ruler further prayed that he would live long to render more service to the nation and humanity.

    He said: “I pray for God continued mercies on you and your aides. No evil shall befall you because you have a clean heart to support survival of a peaceful and united Nigeria. God will preserve your dear live to render more service to this great nation.

    “I am using the opportunity of my position as the representative of the almighty God on earth to arrest and re-direct all calamities on your way becaus you are His beloved.”

  • Osun monarchs hail Oyetola for starting his first day with prayer

    Two traditional rulers in Osun State, the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, and the Oloba of Oba-Ile, Oba Adekunle Oyeyemi, have commended Governor Gboyega Oyetola for starting his first day in office with prayer.

    They said he had started well and prayed for him to have an “happy ending” like his predecessor in office, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola.

    The Oluwo hailed Oyetola for demonstrating a sense of preparedness within his first two days in office.

    The Oluwo, who addressed reporters after the interdenominational prayer session at the Governor’s Office to usher in the Gboyega Oyetola administration in a Osogbo, Osun State capital, said his comportment and punctuality at his first official assignment as governor is “a   mark of a leader ready to serve.”

    According to Oba Akanbi,  punctuality of Governor Oyetola in commencing the prayer session at 10:00am prompt was encouraging, therefore advising public servants and political office holders to respect to emulate him.

    Describing the immediate past governor, Mr. Aregbesola, as a teacher, who had laid a good foundation for his students to build on and surpass, the Oluwo said: “I hope to see an improvement on the digital  infrastructural facilities initiated by the former Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. Aregbesola is great, Oyetola will be greater.

    Read Also: Oyetola states plan to sustain hope

    “The interdenominational prayer session to usher in his administration commenced at 10:00am as scheduled. He came at exact time and many people missed the program. Punctuality is the soul of business. He started well and I pray he should end well. That is the one of the marks of a leader ready to serve. He is prepared and I have the hope that he will record laudable achievements.”

    He equally appealed to the state’s machineries to exercise fear of God as manifested in the virtues of Oyetola, hoping to see improvement on the infrastructural facilities initiated by the former Governor of the State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregebsola.

    “As the chairman of welfare committee of Osun State Council of  Traditional Rulers, I am calling for inclusion of monarchs in governance. I can assure our governor of our support as traditional rulers. I pray that God will give him the wisdom to lead the state and build on the foundation of the immediate past administration of Rauf Aregbesola.”

    Meanwhile, the Oloba of Oba-Ile in Olorunda Local Government Area of Osun State, Oba Adekunle Oyeyemi, has charged the people of the ancient town to rally support for the Gboyega Oyetola administration in the interest of future of the state.

    Oba Oyeyemi prayed for success of the new administration, stressing the need for people of Osun to support Oyetola in order for him to be able to consolidate on the gains of the immediate past administration of Rauf Aregbesola.

    He also called on indigenes of the community, the Oloba-Ile in-Council and members of the Oba-Ile Descendants Union (ODU) to appreciate the efforts of the former governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, for his “unparalleled achievements” in his eight years in office.

    In a statement, the monarch said Aregbesola in a letter dated November 5, 2018  approved the elevation of the Oloba of Oba-Ile to the position of Deputy Chairman of Osun State Council of Obas.

    The statement read in part: “By itself this act of elevating Oloba-ile within my two years on the throne is significant and the position to which the elevation places Oloba-ile on the Osun State Council of Obas is not only significant and huge but it also attest to the level of good working relationships we maintained with Aregbesola’s government and our traditional institution in the state.”

  • Tinubu is an asset to Nigeria – Monarch

    The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, has described the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmmed Tinubu, as an asset to Nigeria.

    He said he was proud of him as his Yoruba son and for his contribution s to political, social and economic survival of Nigeria.

    The Oluwo, who spoke with reporters in Osogbo, Osun State capital on Saturday, said Tinubu as a progressive politician and a non tribalistic  nationalist and has commited his resources to Nigeria unity.

    According to the first class monarch, everything about Tinubu is provision of quality representation as exemplified in the digital turning around of Lagos during his tenure as governor.

    The Oluwo, who pointed out the tempo of development in the state known as Centre of Excellence, described Tinubu as the architect of modern Lagos.

    Oluwo further described the APC national leader as a symbol of unity, saying with his economic and political contacts and establishments across Nigeria he had contributed to a united Nigeria.

    Read Also: ‘Farmers, herders crisis: What Tinubu said’

    Oba Akanbi appealed to Nigerians to pray for past nationalists and rally support for current nationalists to encourage them to pilot the nation to a constructive end.

    In his words: “Tinubu is an asset to Nigeria as a whole. He made the first mega city in Nigeria and turned it into a digital metropolis. He is the architect of modern Nigeria and a rallying point to all even across geo-political zones of the country.

    “He is a leader of merit, committing his resources to national integration through his  economic and political resources. God has used him to make many Nigerians in different capacities. He is a complete Nigerian of no discrimination, nepotism nor division. He is a force and a rallying point. I am proud to have him as my son. He is making me proud. Spiritually and traditionally, I am his father.

    “I am proud to have children of national and international stature like Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. I consider this as a blessing to me. They all made me proud and I easily make reference to them. It is one thing to be influential and another thing to commit the influence to the growth of your country. So, I charge aspiring young Nigerians to emulate Tinubu in the promotion of national unity, survival and development of this nation.”

  • Slave trade: Oluwo apologises on behalf ancient kings

    The Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, Telu I, has tendered unreserved apology, on behalf of ancient kings, to the past and existing victims of slave trade in Sub-Saharan Africa and across the atlantic oceans.

    A first class and natural Yoruba traditional ruler said now is the time to apologize because of the participation of the crowns in the bizarre and inhuman enterperise.

    In a statement by its Press Secretary, Alli Ibraheem, the Oluwo regretted involvement of traditional institution in selling the blacks to slavery for minute gifts like hot drinks, cigarettes, gun bullets among others.

    Describing slave trade on African soil as very costly mistakes on the part of the ancient monarchs on whom the people looked up to for their security and decent living, Oba Akanbi said apologizing for wrong of the past is an affirmation of readiness to make progress and move away from the evils and things that still tie us to the bizarre past.”

    According to him, tendering apologies on behalf of the ancient kings and the traditional telling “our children about our roles during slave trade era” would go a long way in assuaging the pains and remove the low esteem of the victims.

    Read Also: Oluwo urges Fed Govt to review unfair policies

    In the statement, Oba Akanbi said: “I regret the involvement of traditional institution in slave trade. Monarchs were one of the stakeholders that promoted the ignoble trade. We sold our children for wall clocks, tobacco, alcohol, guns, glass cup, wine, necklace, food plate, sweet among others for which today many black Africans are permanently  suffering stigmatization and unfair treatment till date.

    “So, I am taking the bull by the horn to apologize for the role kingship played in slave trade because of material objects. Many black Americans are yet to recover from the wound of slavery. I am apologizing to the accidental blacks in Cuba, Brazil, Caribeans, America and other parts of the world. I want the victims to accept our apologies and regret for the past deeds and collaboration of the ancient kings so that we move forward as a race.

    “White men never forced us to sell our children as slaves. Our fathers voluntarily released their children on excitement to receive peanut. Then, there was no means of payment. Human were offered in exchange for glittering material gifts. Such ignorance shouldn’t have survived without  monarchs consent, who by then were the heads. So, as a paramount and natural ruler I am taking the lead to tender our apologies.

    The Oluwo, who took a cue from President Mohammadu Buhari’s apology to Nigerians and the family of the winner of the annuled June 12, 1993 presidential election, late Chief M.K.O Abiola, pointed out that admittance of past ills of the office is one of the qualities of a good leader.

    The foremost Yoruba monarch called for a collaborative efforrs among key stakeholders in curtailing the evil and survival of modern slavery in Nigeria.

    Condemning frequent reported cases of  loss to lives of many Africans, including Nigerians on the seas of Libya, he warned against modern day slave trade in the  form of.human trafficking.

    Oba Akanbi, tasked the Federal Government to ensure there is a strict penalty for whoever engage in human trafficking.

  • Emir title: Muslim group holds solidarity rally for Oluwo

    Muslims on Saturday held a solidarity rally for the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, over his purported adoption of Emir title.

    Leading the rally, the National President/Founder of Jamaatul Ta’awun Muslim Organization of Nigeria, Sheik Daood Imran Molaasan, said the “outburst of the misinformed people against the Oluwo is an indication of the genuineness of his mission for the adoption of all titles ascribed to traditional rulers across various ethnic divides.”

    He advised that people should rather judge the mission instead of the surface content of the intention of the first class monarch to promote national integration and unity.

    The religious group lauded Oba Akanbi for his sacrifice, saying the recently held peace meeting among Osun State Council of Obas was one of the testimonies of his unity sermon.

    According to Molaasan, any threat against the Oluwo on his recent Arabic regalia is a move against the Islamic faith.

    He said as human the kings must be attached to their faith.

    He said: “Monarchs are human beings with their respective religious attachment. The recent uproar for dressing like an emir is a threat to Islam. We have Obas going to Church or confraternity meeting with peculiar garment. Why then will some people condemn the Oluwo for dressing like a devoted Muslim to Jumaat and Islamic occasions?

    “They said the Oluwo has changed his title to Emir. Is it possible? Oluwo only said he is an Oba for the entire Nigerians, with valid claim to institute traditional institution in the promotion of national unity and integration. It is a welcome notion that should be applauded and supported by meaning Nigerians.”

    The group pledged unflinching support for the Oluwo, saying his peculiar conduct is in respect of the place of Iwo in the Islamic faith.

    He admonished those castigating the Oluwo to be educated about the history of Iwo before making any negative comment.