By Chukwudi Nweje
The National Association Public Affairs Analysts (NAPAA) has lashed out at former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his alleged disparaging of traditional rulers during the commissioning of the College of Agriculture and Renewable Energy of Ladoke Akintola University (LAUTECH), Iseyin, Oke ogun area of the Oyo State last Friday.
A statement signed by NAPAA President, Prince Seun Adelore and General Secretary, Mr. Jare Ajayi respectively on Sunday demanded that the former president tender an unreserved apology to the Obas and other traditional rulers “to ameliorate the consequences of the desecration of our core values.”
Obasanjo, who was guest of honour at the event had reportedly tongue-lashed the Obas for not standing up to welcome Gov Seyi Makinde and him.
It was gathered that Obasanjo had before his opening remarks following the governor’s opening address, ordered the Obas in attendance to stand up and after they complied, ordered them to sit down, an act the NAPAA said is akin to the manner in which “a headmaster commanding primary school pupils or an army general commanding his troop.”
The statement said, “We call on former President Olusegun Obasanjo to tender an unreserved public apology to the traditional rulers particularly those in Yorubaland. This is to ameliorate the consequences of the desecration of our core values that his reported ridiculing of monarchs last Friday amounted to.”
NAPAA said the Obas who had arrived in Oyo earlier in the day for the commissioning of Oyo-Iseyin Road had been waiting for Gov Makinde and former President Obasanjo for over two hours before the ceremony commenced behind schedule.
The group condemned the manner in which Obasanjo treated the Obas noting that it contributed to Nigeria’s underdevelopment.
The statement further said, “The desecration of our core values and tradition has contributed and is still contributing in no small measure to the under-development that we are experiencing even after we gained independence.”
The group said that countries like India, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Israel that have made it in the world did not jettison their cultural values.
“Although some of these countries too were colonised at one time or the other, espousing their traditional culture has been helping them tremendously not only in sustenance but also uplifting their countries into the league of the advanced and respected nations. In our own case, our political leaders and elites have derided our languages, our religion, our culture and traditional institutions. The result has been the desecration of our values and collapse of most of the fabrics that used to keep the society on a sound moral ground where injustice and corruption were at the minimal level.
“Otherwise, how can a person who is known to have a lot of chieftaincy titles including a high-ranking traditional title in Ibogun, Ogun State, be so disdainful of Obas in Yorubaland?”, NAPAA queried.