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| Alaafin Owoade I |
The story is told of a school teacher who was an atheist. Everyday in class he told his young students about how "God does not exist."
But one day a student stood up and said," Excuse me,sir. I think there must be God, either in real form, or in people's conscience. The fact that you're always talking about Him shows He exists, otherwise you won't be talking this much about Him. People don't usually talk about what does not exist. Do they?"
It was a confounding moment for the teacher!
Over the last few weeks, people have written a lot to remind us about Alaafin led Oyo empire and it's influence in Yoruba land. Another group has also mocked a lot to remind us about the empire and it's influence in Yoruba land. Of the two, I think the latter deserves the trophy. Like a meticulous shoe shiner, they have put in tremendous effort, through their contradictory claims and accusations, to bring to light the far reaching influence of the historical Yoruba empire. They were always at it. One moment they would post about how the empire was only Oyo and Aawe. some minutes after, they would mock about how "their king died while fighting to take back Ilorin." In the morning, they would post about how the influence of the empire was only felt in Tede, by afternoon they would be mocking about how "Lisabi defeated their army to break their hold on Egba". etc
The thing is, like it or hate it, it is the only prominent Yoruba empire recorded in history. You can haul anything at it to belittle it, but certainly not reputable books of history, where is firmly established. Even a journalist Dare can only resort to frolicsome narratives without references. Even a journalist Wale can only attack with pun and other artistic repertoire that warrant no references making his antics a mere entertainment by an artist that he is.
No one trying to disparage the empire has been able to successfully use reputable books of history as his missiles. This is because the influence and the glory of the empire are well entrenched in history as recorded by several creditable books.
But for sheer hatred or other sentimental reasons, certain people want to travel back in time like "The terminator" to alter the age long history of the Yorubas as it happened. Their heart burning against the central role and status of the Alaafin in Yoruba history has pitched them against all reputable historical books and records. Certified historians, both dead and alive are now either biased in their accounts or bribed to write their books. All historians that ever wrote on Yoruba history of early times, Nigerians, non Nigerian Africans, Europeans were all biased to them - Talbot, CR Neeving, Allan Burn, Samuel Johnson, Saburi Biobaku, Kemi Morgan, Ade Ajayi, Obaro Ikime of historical society of Nigeria, Ghanian Adu Boahen, etc and all authors of history books we use in secondary school back in those days all conspired to be biased in favor of Alaafin! And the Queen of England too was also biased in favor of Alaafin for recognizing him as the paramount King that the British met!
At a time these set of people even started blaming the film producers. They questioned why nearly all epic films about Yoruba race must have something to do with either Alaafin or Oyo. But the fact is that it is at the instance or in relation to the head or the headquarters that the most significant or memorable events of history always occur, both the sweet and the sour ones - power, power struggle, declaration of wars, ceasefire, rebellion,detente, coup, regicide, secession, cultural initiatives, etc. Oyo kingdom back then served as the watershed from where many tributaries of Yoruba people and their cultures flowed to different parts of the country and beyond. It was the rally point for the fast expanding Yoruba race. Oyo as the capital is sometimes used in the historical context for the mainstream Yoruba body, the same way Washington or Abuja is sometimes used for US or Nigeria today. Oyo was the Yoruba body under the leadership of the Alaafin whose capital or seat of power was always Oyo, regardless of location.
Since in wartime, the capital and the head of government are always the main target of the enemies, change of location may occur for reason of war or other strategic reason. That does not diminish the status of the leader as some are trying to imply.
Dr Victor Omololu Olunloyo once reacted to such flimsy impression: " Capitals sometimes move or get moved. There used to be governments at all three levels in Lagos at one time. Local government was in the city hall, state government briefly on the Marina before going to Ikeja/Alausa and the federal government on Marina or Dodan barrack/Ribadu road. The seat of the federal government was later moved to Abuja, first Aguda house, then finally Aso Rock Villa, etc. Does that make the president of Nigeria a refugee among our native kinsmen farming around Aso Rock?"
Source; Oyo Empire Dairy
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