From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
A foremost Ifa priest, Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon, has warned politicians to stop ‘indiscriminate removal of traditional rulers and respect the institution for posterity sake.
The Araba Awo of Osogbo, who spoke with the correspondents’ chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), at his residence in Osogbo, Osun State, on Thursday, condemned the disrespect to the traditional institutions by politicians.
Noting that the process for the installation of a monarch does not have anything to do with politics, Elebuibon maintained that the kingmakers are the only recognised body saddled with the responsibility of selecting and installing monarchs.
He warned politicians to steer clear of selection process of traditional rulers and allow those that have the rights to perform their duties.
“It’s not the duty of politicians to participate in the selection process of traditional rulers. It is subjecting the traditional institutions to ridicule for politicians to intervene in the process.
“Politicians are rubbishing our monarchs. A politician removed Lamido Sanusi and another one returned it. They are removing monarchs at will and installing them at will. Politicians have spoilt the traditional institutions.
“The Whites are not joking with their monarchs like us. The Queen of England is in a separate and respected place. That is how our politicians should respect traditional rulers. They make the monarchs irrelevant. That is why the monarchs are running after them because they know that politicians can remove them or deny them their salary.
“I want to say it that it is not the duty of politicians to select monarchs. The kingmakers are there. The herbalists are there. It is civilization that subjected monarchs to approval of the governor. It is not a good thing.
“A local government chairman will tell monarch that he should appear at the secretariat tomorrow and he must come. They ridicule the stool. And because the monarchs will not stay with the tradition. They will be running after politicians. It is a bad thing that should not involve politics.
“Politicians should be respecting Kings. They should give them their entitlement regularly and make them happy. They should not be looking for contract from politicians,” Elebuibon said.