26th September, 2016
A traditional ruler in Idanre Local Government in Ondo State, Oba Olusegun Akinbola, has urged fellow monarchs to strive to uphold cultural values and tradition to guard against Western influence.
Akinbola, spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos on telephone, against the backdrop of his 21 years on the throne as “Aladeokun of Alade Idanre”.
The traditional ruler said that the norms and traditions were gradually fading away, because of the advent of Western civilisation which should not be.
“We are gradually shying away from our culture and tradition, the norms and ethics of the people are being ignored and replaced with civilisation and politics,” he said.
The traditional ruler said that most monarchs that got converted to foreign religions eventually adopted culture that was alien to their indigenous tradition.
“Our culture is not idolatry but a tradition that protects the sanctity of norms and ethics of the people. We are custodians of this culture and should not be mere administrators.
“The traditional ruler was initially seen as a demigod, a mediator with the almighty but the reverse is the case because they are not being taken care of by the government,” he said.
He complained that monarchs were not being given the type of protection they deserved.
Oba Akinbola said that this was mainly responsible for the recent spate of kidnapping in the nation.
The traditional ruler told NAN that such neglect by the government could be the reasons behind the involvement of some monarchs in questionable deals.
“Yes, it could be true that some monarchs got involved in some dirty deals; it is like a child you did not give food to and he decides to find an alternative.
“Monarchs have to be cared for, because they are the recognised mediator with the people, so they deserve adequate protection.
“They should be provided with adequate security just like other government functionaries so that they would not fall victim to the antics of hoodlums,” he said.