Stay Off: Burial Of Traditional Rulers Belong To Us- Traditional Worshippers
The Osugbo Remo in Council and Traditional Worshippers have warned the Ogun state House of Assembly not to pass the proposed Bill, No. H. B. No. 036/OG/2020, titled “Ogun State Traditional Rulers (Installation And Burial Rites), being sponsored by Hon. Balogun Akeem Agbolade.
This was contained in a Communiqué issued at the end of their deliberation on the Proposed Bill which has passed second reading on the floor of the state House of Assembly.
The Communiqué was made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
According to the Secretary of the Council, High Chief Johnson Olaseni Adeokun, he alleged that the promoter of the bill, was being sponsored by Oba Sikiru Adetona, the Awujale Of Ijebu land with the intention of eradicating parts of Yoruba culture.
He said the traditional institution is headed by the Osugbo and that they are responsible for the installation and burial of kings, noting that the agitators of the strange doctrine and the sponsor of the bill that Obas in the state should be buried according to their religious beliefs should be called to order
He said the bill is null and void.
“Even the Nigerian constitution, according to Section 10 of the 1999 amended constitution, entrenched everybody’s right to practice the religion of his or her own choice without any interference with other people’s belief and religious doctrines.” Adeokun said
He added that the proposed Bill, if passed into law would empower Muslims and Christians to perform the burial right of an Oba that claimed to be either a Muslim or Christian and that it would constitute an infringement on the rights of the traditional worshippers and could lead to crisis, chaos and pandemonium.
“Obaship institution is contained under the traditional institution, and as such, anybody who voluntarily gives himself out or permit or volunteer himself to be crowned and installed as a king under the Yoruba culture and or Yoruba traditional institution, will immediately attain the position of ALASE EKEJI ORISA.
“Having agreed, accepted and concurred to fall in line and abide with rules, regulations, doctrines and practices of such tradition, of course, such person cannot be heard to be complaining thereafter.’
