The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, has described the allegation made against him by the Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, as irresponsible and it lacks substance.
The Ooni, who spoke through his spokesman, Moses Olafare, said such baseless accusation against the Monarch can only come out from an irresponsible person, adding that the palace was not ready to engage Igboho formally in the matter.
He added that the issue of the threat of violence against the monarch would be handled appropriately.
Recall that Sunday Adeyemo, while taking part at a virtual town hall meeting on Wednesday morning with Yoruba in Diaspora, attacked some South-West leaders including the former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu; Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and traditional rulers such as the Oluwo of Iwo, Abdulrasheed Akanbi, and the Ooni.
He accused the Ooni of “receiving dollars from President Muhammadu Buhari when he visited the Presidential Villa recently” and condemned the monarch’s comments while addressing the media at the villa.
He also said the Monarch should have boldly tell the President the whole truth and make the demands of the Yoruba people known to the President the last time he went to the Presidential Villa.
However, the Ooni’s spokesman, Mr Olafare, replied Sunday Adeyemo, saying “We have not made any official statements on the matter and the matter does not really make any sense to us. If somebody who identifies himself with the cause of Yoruba could be talking in that manner about the Ooni who is indisputably a spiritual head of the race, then one must wonder whether or not the person has been representing us truly. It gives room to people to suspect your motive.
“For a man claiming to be defending a race to be attacking the same people you claim you are defending leaves much to be desired”.
Speaking on the allegation that the monarch collected money from the president, the spokesman said the allegation is not only irresponsible but also lacks substance.
“He made some very irresponsible allegations. You know when you make allegations that you cannot back up with evidence, that can only portray you as an irresponsible man. If you make unfounded allegations and then you want to use allegations to further justify your claims as the generalissimo of the race, it is up to the public. It’s so unfortunate, if you say the Ooni has collected money, I expected him to show evidence. You say he has collected dollars. Irresponsible allegation is irresponsible allegation if you cannot back up whatever you allege with acceptable evidence,” Mr Olafare stated.
He added “If you’re doing something and people are hailing you, I don’t think you need to allow that credit to get into your head and start to misbehave. If you could open your mouth and call Ooni such unprintable names that you called him, that shows the kind of Yoruba man that you are.
“I do not see any reason that will make me describe a Baale, who is of lower rank on the traditional rulers ranking, with such unprintable names. If I cannot do that to a Baale, why should I say such a thing to an Ooni? It’s not good. It does not portray anybody as an Omoluabi, as a man of Yoruba virtues and values.
“In any case, if you’re fighting for the liberation of the people, this is a responsibility that is self-saddled, you choose to and for you to succeed, you need the same people that you’re representing, otherwise you would not succeed. Is this the way you’re going to get the support of the people you’re representing when you start attacking the same people? People will back out, that is just it. Whether you like it or not, some people are following you because of that same Ooni. They will back out.”
