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Outrage trailed the action of a monarch in Osun State, the Timi of Ede, Munirudeen Lawal, who was recorded kneeling to greet the Emir of Ilorin, Sulu Gambari, at a social function recently.
In the video which had gone viral on social media, Lawal had walked into a hall alongside a woman, where the Emir and some people sat.
Immediately after entering the hall, Lawal, dressed in a white lace material, walked up to the Emir, bent and exchanged pleasantries with him. He was later seen kneeling beside the Emir as they talked for a few seconds.
This act prompted a reaction from social media users who condemned the Osun monarch’s action, insisting that kneeling to greet the Emir was sacrilegious.
Reacting to the video, a commenter on Facebook, Lasun Oyekanmi wrote, “A whole Timi Agbale ….Who did this to the Yoruba a race?”
A similar reaction from Timothy Adesanya, who also commented on the video, read, “This is a catastrophe – a major disaster to our culture.”
“This is not a laughing matter at all. It is indeed, sad,” another commenter, Fadipe Sanya, also wrote in reaction to the video.
Responding to the criticism over the Osun monarch’s act, his media assistant, Tijani Adekilekun said the action of the royal father was misinterpreted.
In a statement obtained in Osogbo, the state capital on Monday, Adekilekun said, “Our attention has been drawn to a video recorded in Ilorin at the wedding of Sheik Sulaiman Faruq Onikijipa’s son on Friday. Baba Timi did not denigrate his throne by greeting the Emir on bended knees.
“Oba Lawal, having an imposing frame, bent to exchange pleasantries with the Emir because Alhaji Sulu Gambari, possibly due to his age or other personal reasons, could not stand to greet the guests who went to pay him homage.
“At first, Oba Lawal leaned towards Sulu Gambari to greet him, but because the Emir could not still hear greetings from his visitor, Baba Timi had to bend and move closer for clearer communication to take place.
“We also note that it was not only Baba Timi that Emir Sulu Gambari did not rise on his feet to greet. The Emir did not leave his seat to greet any of the guests who entered the inner chamber to meet him.”
Adekilekun urged others who saw the matter as an avenue to ridicule the revered stool of Timi, to desist from such acts.
He called for restraint regarding comments on the matter, noting that the Nigerian Constitution, Yoruba customs and traditions have set boundaries to which any individual can go towards expressing an opinion about another person.
“Timi Agbale Olofana’s stool can’t be subjected to any form of ridicule no matter the status of those online, self-appointed moderators of morality, fanning the ember of hate against the current occupant of the stool,” Adekilekun said.
