Yoruba youths knock Oluwo for adopting Emir title, turban

The Yoruba Youth Socio - Cultural Association has come down heavily on
the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Adewale Akanbi, for allegedly adopting the title
of an Emir and for wearing a turban instead of the Yoruba traditional
cap or the crown .
The National Coordinator of the YYSA , Mr. Olalekan Hammed , in a
telephone interview with our correspondent on Sunday , said the Oluwo
' s action could precipitate crisis in the future if not checked now .
The monarch has been dressing like an emir and wearing turban
occasionally and he again wore the turban on Saturday when he
installed Yakub Abdul- Baqi Mohammed as the Waziri of Yorubaland in
his palace in Iwo.
He installed the Waziri contrary to the warning given to him by the
League of Imams and Alfas in South -West , Edo and Delta states that
he had no such right to confer an Islamic title which cut across the
entire South - West on anybody.
The YYSA leader said , "If there is animosity among the Obas , he
should work towards resolving it; he cannot just take the title of an
Emir. What he is doing now is contrary to the tradition and history of
the throne he occupies. Oluwo is not an Islamic title , it is a
cultural title .
"We have had a Christian as the Oluwo in the past ( from 1958 to 1982)
. What if another Christian becomes Oluwo in the future ? Will he be
allowed to change the title to that of evangelist or what or will he
be referred to as an Emir of Iwo? It is not proper . Even the Oluwo is
not in the position to install anybody the Waziri of Yorubaland
because it is an Islamic title . The League of Imams has that power .
"As the Oluwo of Iwo land , he his restricted to Iwo land . Obas are
custodians of culture and traditions and Oluwo should behave like one.
Wearing a turban is like importing the culture of some other people
into Yorubaland . He should wear the crown or Yoruba cap . What he is
doing is contrary to Yoruba culture and he should lay a good example
for the youths ."
However, the Oluwo has denied adopting the title of an Emir contrary
to media reports .
Speaking through his media aide , Mr. Ali Ibrahim , in a statement
issued on Sunday , the Oluwo explained that he had never dropped the
title of an Oba for an Emir.
The statement read, "Oluwo has never adopted the Emir title . He only
said he could also be called an Emir by the Hausa and ardent Muslims .
Oba Akanbi is an Oba for the nation with special attachment to the
Yoruba . He promotes Yoruba culture to the admiration of many youths .
Just because of Oluwo dress code today , many children are attracted
to Yoruba culture of wearing the aso ofi .
" I said so to integrate the Nigerian nation as an indivisible entity,
all working tools are available for the integration and unity of our
dear country . I `ve visited the North several times , core Hausa
hardly pronounce Yoruba words correctly . They called me emir when I
am with them . Is there anything wrong in answering such ? Even, the
Hausa in Iwo here call me emir . Will I stop them from addressing me
as such ? No , I am a father to the nation being a first - class
paramount ruler. "