The
controversial traditional ruler of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi who is
probably one of the most misunderstood traditional rulers in the
country, has talked down on people who still eat Isi ewu (goat head).
Controversial traditional ruler of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi
While speaking in an exclusive interview with The Nation,
flamboyant Yoruba monarch and the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed
Akanbi who is the controversial traditional ruler of Iwo, a community in
Osun State, opened up on his understanding of the traditional
institution, why he is being criticised, his spiritual powers, among
other issues.
Here are excerpts from the chat;
How do you feel being a king?
I’m serving my people. It is about service to my people. I’m not
the king, only God is the king. This throne is the throne of God on
earth, because only God can be king. I cannot say in front of God now
that I’m the king. It is not possible. God is telling me to serve his
people. If you don’t see me in Bentley or helicopter, it is because I’ve
used all the money to serve the people. My people know. I’m imitating
one aspect of God; that is being a servant. That is how God became God.
I’ve found out spiritually, He is our servant. I took the best path
which God wants; that is service to humanity and service to my people.
What God wants us to do is to serve humanity. When you serve
humanity, you’re helping God. When somebody is hungry and is asking for
food, when you give that person food, you are serving God, because that
person will not disturb God for food again. Because if that person asks
God, God will go and find food for that person. So, that is why I took
the best path, which is the service to humanity.
I’m not the king. My role in this town is that of a father to them.
That is why you see so much love in the air. I’m taking them from
people that always want to oppress them, people that take so much from
them and give them peanuts; people who always use them for nothing;
people who always want to kill them. Those people are their enemies.
They are the enemies of the town. I’m taking them away one by one. When I
identify the enemy of the town, I bring him closer, I identify his
weakness and that is where I take him up so that he won’t inflict my
children any more.
I love my people. This is the time God wants me to serve them. All
the spiritual things, God shows me. I don’t read books. I get all I want
spiritually. If God wants me to go to any place, He will put me there
spiritually, even if he wants to take me back 2,000 years, 3,000 years.
You spent most part of your life abroad. How come you are
so versed in the language, religion, tradition and the culture of the
Yoruba people?
My Yoruba changed. Before, when I spoke Yoruba, people used to tell
me that I was from Edo or Igbo. But the day I became king, my Yoruba
changed and people noticed that. I don’t know myself how it happened,
but my Yoruba changed and people would think have never left the shores
of this town. It is spiritual.
You said Yoruba tradition is the best in the world but some
time ago, you chose to wear suit on the throne; an act many considered
an aberration. If it is true that Yoruba has the best tradition, how
come you chose that path?
I want to ask you a question: if Oduduwa were to be alive today,
will he be jumping on the people’s back? Is he going to be riding on
horses or cars? The cloth I’m wearing, what does it stand for?
Civilization. When I got here, I showed them the modern world. It is
time for civilization. During the time of Oduduwa, there were no shoes.
Would he wear shoes today? Why would he wear it today? Civilization. It
is about emancipating people from their old ways. We need to move our
culture and tradition and change some things in them.
Why would some people still be eating isi ewu (goat head)? What is
good in isi ewu? Just tell me. Is there meat on the head of a goat? You
are just eating the brain of a goat. You can even catch disease from
that. Our own voodoo requests somebody’s breast when you want to do
money rituals. Our own voodoo is the one that asks for eyes. It is the
one that demands for all body parts. Somebody who could become president
in the future, you take him and kill him for rituals. Of all the money
making ritualists in Yorubaland, how many of them are as rich as Bill
Gate or Dangote? They don’t even have money. Go and look at those who
did money rituals, they don’t have money and they die. It is only our
idols that demand human beings; the future leaders that will develop the
land. What your idols are doing is retrogressive.
Your wife is not a Nigerian. The first time she introduced you to her parents, what was their reaction?
I’ve always loved women, especially those that I have relationships
with. I always love them to a fault. I respect women a lot because they
are the ones that can serve humanity; men can only try. Women are the
only ones that can serve humanity after God, because it is a woman that
gave birth to you. She gave you life. And because she gave you life, if
you don’t sleep, she doesn’t sleep. If you don’t eat, she doesn’t eat.
It might not be up to that of God, but the same feeling God has for you,
a woman has for her children. They are very strong. They are the most
beautiful thing God has ever created. That is why I respect women.
What would you say has changed since you became the Oluwo?
We are redefining the history of this land, and since I came, I’ve
redefined a lot of things. Where they put the history of Iwo, I’ve taken
it from there and moved it on. Nobody knew that Oluwo is a true son of
Oduduwa. I unraveled that mystery. Oluwo is the crown, not the person.
Everything we are doing here is spiritual. On this throne, I don’t
do a thing without a reason. Was Awolowo not controversial? Was Jesus
not controversial? Was Mohammed not controversial? When I do something
and people say, ‘Haaa, you are putting Iwo in the news,’ I say, did you
hear about Iwo in the news before now? How does that hurt you? We have
to be in the news. One thing I know in the code of journalism is that
good news is not good but bad news is good. I love it when people
criticise me. They make me better. I love it. I’m enjoying it. I love my
enemies a lot.
I love it when people are fighting me. There is no way you will
fight me if God didn’t tell you to do that. I’ve recognised that every
principality or evil way is all decoy and it is the work of God. Who
created the devil? Who taught devil what he is doing? Then if somebody
is criticising me, should I not take that as the work of God? But as
long as you have faith, they can never bring you down. Because Moses
identified this, he was able to overcome.
If you don’t have enemies, it means you are not progressing. If you
don’t have enemies, you are not moving forward. If you don’t have
enemies, you are as good as dead. You need enemies to grow. Enemies are
your food to survive. If you don’t know that, you have a problem.
Click here to read the full interview with The Nation.
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