Aide explains why the Osun king knelt to welcome the Emir of Ilorin.
When Munirudeen Lawal, the Timi of Ede, a monarch of Osun State, was seen kneeling to welcome Sulu Gambari, the Emir of Ilorin, at a recent social event, it caused outrage.
Lawal and a woman entered a hall where the Emir and a few others were seated in the social media video that went viral.
As soon as Lawal entered the hall, he approached the Emir, bowed, and said hello while wearing a white lace garment. Later, he was spotted kneeling next to the Emir while they briefly conversed.
Social media users responded to this gesture by denouncing the Osun monarch’s behavior and claiming that it was impolite to kneel down to meet the Emir.
A Facebook commentator named Lasun Oyekanmi responded to the video by writing, “A whole Timi Agbale ….Who was responsible for this to the Yoruba race?
Timothy Adesanya, who also left a comment on the video, responded similarly, saying, “This is a catastrophe – a major disaster to our culture.”
“This is not anything to giggle about. In response to the video, another commenter, Fadipe Sanya, similarly said, “It is sad, indeed.”
His media assistant, Tijani Adekilekun, responded to the criticism of the Osun monarch’s deed by stating that the royal father’s action was misunderstood.
“Our attention has been drawn to a video recorded in Ilorin at the wedding of Sheik Sulaiman Faruq Onikijipa’s son on Friday,” Adekilekun stated in a statement that was retrieved in Osogbo, the state capital, on Monday. When Baba Timi greeted the Emir on his knees, he did not disparage his throne.
Because Alhaji Sulu Gambari, perhaps because of his advanced age or other personal issues, was unable to stand to greet the guests who had come to pay him homage, Oba Lawal, who had an imposing frame, bent to make small talk with the Emir.
Oba Lawal initially leaned in to meet Sulu Gambari, but Baba Timi had to stoop and approach him in order to have a clearer conversation because the Emir was no longer able to hear his visitor’s pleasantries.
Additionally, we observe that Emir Sulu Gambari did not stand up to greet Baba Timi alone. None of the visitors who came into the inner chamber to meet the Emir got up from their seats to greet them.
Adekilekun advised anyone who viewed the issue as a chance to make fun of Timi’s revered stool to stop doing so.
He urged moderation in remarks on the subject, pointing out that the Nigerian Constitution and Yoruba traditions and customs have established limits on how far one can go in voicing one’s view about another.
“No matter the status of those online, self-appointed morality moderators, stoking the flame of hatred against the current occupant of the stool, Timi Agbale Olofana’s stool cannot be subjected to any form of ridicule,” Adekilekun stated.
