By CLEMENT ADEYI (Osogbo)
After Saturday Sun publication of the simmering controversies surrounding Osun Osogbo since October 2018, the feud has spiralled into open brickbats between the Dr Adigun Olosun, the principal priest of Osun since the past 41 years and Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, Ataoja of Osogbo.
The Ajagunna of Osogboland, Chief Gabriel Oparanti, who is the head of the kingmakers and the de facto second-in-command to the monarch, has waded into the matter.
In this interview with Saturday Sun, he shed light on the lingering impasse between the Ataoja and Baba Osun, over the allegation by the latter that the former illegally deposed him and replaced him with another Baba Osun after which the Osun Osogbo deity was sold to a faceless team of foreigners.
We learnt that Baba Osun of Osogboland, Dr Adigun Olosun, and Iya Osun, the principal priestess, Adesiyan Olayiwola, were removed and replaced by Oba Olanipekun. What led to this development?
I am the leader of kingmakers who produced the current Ataoja, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun. Since he assumed the throne, he has never taken any decision pertaining to the tradition and culture of our people without consulting the kingmakers.
The Ataoja did not remove Iya Osun and Baba Osun. They were the ones that removed themselves. What Kabiyesi told us was that Ayo Kolade, son of Iya Osun, disrespected him and it is not part of our culture for a son of Iya Osun to disrespect the Ataoja because Ataoja is the owner of Osun. He was the one who appointed them.
The Ataoja said he asked Ayo Kolade, who was living with his wife in Osun House, to move out because it was a taboo for a husband and wife to live together in the place. But when Ayo Kolade disobeyed and thereby offended him, Ataoja told us that we, the chiefs of Osogboland, should instruct him strongly to vacate the Osun House.
So, we invited him based on Ataoja’s instruction to inform him and he promised to comply. But to our surprise, he did not vacate the house. After some days, on a certain Friday, the day of our sitting when chiefs all assembled, Ataoja said: “Ajagunna, you are the head of chiefs. I gave you people an assignment, but you all refused to do it.” Then I asked, “Which assignment is that?”
He said he gave us the assignment to vacate Ayo Kolade, son of Iya Osun, from the Osun House because he did not want to see him there any more since it is a taboo for Iya Osun’s son to live with his wife in Osun House, but we didn’t carry out the assignment.
We told him that we asked him to vacate the place but we didn’t know that he failed to comply. Then he asked us to re-invite him and ask him to leave. We did, but he refused to comply. Then we invited Iya Osun and informed her that Ataoja wanted her son to vacate the Osun House, which was formerly the Ataoja palace. We also informed her that the reason was that he disrespected the king.
Iya Osun said if her son must vacate the place, she, too, would leave. We told her that she needed not to leave because she was not the one that was asked to leave the place. What we saw next was that they came with two tricycles to pack their belongings from the Osun House.
Later, they came back and I asked them to go and meet Ataoja and ask him for forgiveness. But they refused.
According to history, Baba Osun and Iya Osun are from the same family, which means that Ayo Kolade is related to Baba Osun. That was why Baba Osun too decided to leave the Osun House because Ayo Kolade was asked to leave. As a result, Ataoja appointed another Baba Osun and Iya Osun. Later, we started hearing a rumour that Kabiyesi had sold the Osun deity.
Is it possible to sell Osun deity? If not, what are the implications if anybody dares to do so?
Nobody dares sell Osun deity. Anybody who even tries to set eyes on it apart from the priests that are in custody of the Osun House will go blind. Therefore, we didn’t believe the report because it was a piece of unverified information. Then we called the Ataoja and told him that we got a report that he had sold the deity. The Oba responded that he, too, heard the report. He, however, refuted the report, wondering why and how he would sell Osun deity that Osogbo people worship and also recognised by the whole world as a deity to worship. How would the king sell an Osun deity that has been of benefit to Osogbo town? He said he could never do that. The Ataoja stressed further that it was only Iya Osun and other priests appointed to work in the Osun House that are entitled to see the deity. He wondered how he could sell that kind of deity to somebody when it is a must that anybody else that sees it will go blind. So when we heard that the Osun deity has been sold, we said outrightly that it is false information.
If any of his predecessors (past obas) had sold the deity, would there have been any priest delegated to the Osun House as it is today?
How will this rancour, if unresolved, affect this year’s Osun Osogbo Festival?
The Ataoja owns the Osun deity. If he does not violate any rule of the tradition, nothing will happen. Osogbo will remain peaceful. Since new Iya Osun and Baba Osun have been appointed and the Arugba is intact, the Osun/ Osogbo Festival will be done successfully.
If the problem is not resolved, which of the two Baba Osun will be responsible for the preparation of the calabash for Arugba during the festival?
The Ataoja is responsible for the provision of 10 young ladies from among whom the Ifa will select one as Arugba and the lady will remain a virgin until she decides to get married. It is only a priest that has knowledge about Osun that would be delegated and charged with the responsibility to prepare the calabash, but not any how person. Like me now, I don’t know anything about Osun deity and can never be appointed to take the responsibility. Even if I am appointed, I will run away.
Does the king have the power to depose Baba Osun and Iya Osun?
Yes. If the king is misbehaving, we kingmakers can all decide to remove him because we made him king and crowned him. But in this case, the Ataoja is the only person that can appoint Iya Osun and Baba Osun. The Ataoja can only introduce the Iya Osun and Baba Osun to us the chiefs and kingmakers and the expected rites would be performed.
They pray for us and we also pray for them.
What efforts are you people making to resolve the impasse?
Before now we had invited Baba Osun and Iya Osun and they came to me. So, I told them that people come from abroad to see them in Osun House on tourism. I told them to remain so as not to lose the benefits of being the priests of the Osun House. So, I advised them to go and seek Ataoja’s forgiveness because he didn’t chase them out from the place, but they refused.
So, they were the ones that removed themselves. The Ataoja did not ask them to go. They were the ones that insisted on going because Iya Osun’s son Ayo Kolade was asked to vacate the place because he brought his wife there which is a taboo.
Even, Iya Osun does not have the right to bring her husband to the place. If she has anything to do, she can go out and do it before coming back. Her daughter cannot put her husband in the place. Her son too can not put his wife there. They can only visit and go back home because it is forbidden for husband and wife to sleep together in the place. That is why the Oba asked Ayo Kolade to vacate the place because he has his own house.
What is the implication of the former Baba Osun’s allegation that the Ataoja sold the deity?
We have organised a press conference and the Oba has decided to sue him to court and we the chiefs are in support. I learnt that people are going around gossiping that I am the one behind the Oba’s decision because they believe I am the closest person to him. But other people are saying that I (Ajagun) know nothing about this issue of Osun deity. But if it’s about the removal of Oba or other chiefs, the Ajagun can do so.
The Oba has said he must go and defend himself in court because there have been reports about the Osun deity in newspapers. He has spoken extensively about the issue.
The Baba Osun claimed that the Osun deity was sold for N15 million but refused to be taken away when the buyer got to Togo. The Baba Osun also said that he paid 15 million to recover the deity and that when he returned to Nigeria, he would collect it from the buyers and move its worship centre to Ibadan. But we said it is impossible.
Can the former Iya Osun and Baba Osun return to their position if the matter is resolved?
No, they cannot because other people have been appointed by the Oba to take over from them because they left the Osun House on their own. So, they can never return.
• It’s a lie. I remain Baba Osun –Dr Adigun
Dr Adigun Olosun did not mince words in his response to Ajagunna. He said unequivocally that he is still the bona fide Baba Osun of Osogboland. In this right-of-reply interview, the CEO of Iya Dudu Centre for Yoruba Arts and Culture, Germany, reiterates that the Ataoja of Osogbo has stepped out of his jurisdiction by interfering in matters pertaining to Osun. He spoke to MUSA JIBRIL.
Ajagunna gave a different perspective on the genesis of the present crisis, laying the blame on Iya Osun and her son
It is not true at all. There is no disrespect on the part of Ayo to the king. The king just wanted an excuse to get Iya Osun out in order for Bimbo to take over the temple. He wanted Bimbo and Iya Osun to live together in the palace but Iya Osun resisted because of the efforts by Bimbo to kill Iya Osun so she can take over the temple. One can live with one’s wife in the temple. It happened under many Iya Osun where son, wife and kids lived in the palace. And we told the king that a former arugba cannot live in the temple but the king decided to break the taboo. Ajagunna was right on one count: the king did not send me out of the temple, but telling lies against Ayo just to get Iya Osun out is unjustified. I cannot be part of injustice. The king has no right to appoint Iya Osun or Baba Osun or Aworo––it is our own duty to appoint out leaders or depose them, not the king’s prerogative. Osun temple is not under the control of the king according to the tradition.
He also faulted your position that Osun was stolen or sold. He said it is not possible.
If Irele in Ikirun and Otin in Okuku can be sold, what stopped fraudsters from selling Osun? They did it. The question is how did Osun get out of the temple? That is the question. Anyway, police are investigating the matter. And like I said, I repeat again: Osun Osogbo is with me intact.
If the standoff continues how would that affect this year’s Osun Osogbo Day?
Security agents will seize their-so-called Osun container if they dare fake it and try to take an empty Osun container out. The deceit will be exposed in the public for the whole world to see. We are waiting for the D-Day
If the issue is not resolved, according to Ajagunna, another Baba Osun can be appointed by the king to arrange the calabash on Osun day, he also claimed Osun belongs to the king.
Ajagunna does not know anything about Osun. He shouldn’t talk about it. He should leave the talks to those of us who know it very well. There is no ritual the king does for Osun chiefs. We perform our rituals ourselves.
The Alhaji Baba Osun appointed by the King was not part of us; he does not know how to arrange the calabash. If he tries it, he is putting a curse on himself and the whole community. The arugba only carries Osun to the river, she does not know anything about the preparation. Ataoja is not the one appointing Osun chiefs. We do that by ourselves and thereafter we will inform the king about the development.
Osun belongs to the town, not the king. Osun chiefs are different from palace chiefs. The king appoints palace chiefs, not Osun chiefs.
He also suggested that the impasse would have been over if you have begged the Ataoja
A couple can live together in the temple; Osun loves kids, and would not be against couple living together. Ayo did not offend the king; we stood by him and that was our offence. What kind of forgiveness should we be asking for? We did not commit any offence.
Are you not bothered that he said the king is going to sue you?
We will all meet in court. I paid 15 million naira to get Osun back; I had no idea what those who handed it to them collected. But those people alleged the king sold Osun to them. They told me that. I am ready to meet them in court.
From what he said, it is not possible for either you or Iya Osun Adesiyan to reclaim your position?
Let us wait and see. The future will tell. Until we are returned, there will be no peace. We may decide to move the Osun temple to another location as we have Osun with us and we have Iya Osun and Baba Osun that Osun herself wanted to be with. And like In stated earlier, Osun devotees all over the world are ready to fund the new Osun Osogbo temple.