Different time of death

Oba Okunade Sijuwade

 BY NELSON UTIP

Death can be whimsical; one of the greatest play wrights William Shakespeare in his historical Tragedy Macbeth says that death is a necessary end that will come when it will. He also said that when beggars die, there are no comet seen, but heaven itself seem to react to the death of a royalty.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade was a first class traditional ruler in the country, he was first in recognition in Yoruba land, being the Oba of Ile Ife which prides itself as the cradle of the Yoruba race.
The reason I dedicate this piece to him is that the Ooni was the chancellor   of University of Cross River State whom I was a student. I can vividly remember the Opulence, grandeur, and affluence he displayed when he came visiting during convocation ceremonies. His entourage could be likened to the visit of the queen of Sheba to the legendary king Solomon. Of particular note were the bald headed bards know in Yoruba parlance as ‘gorimapa’ When the Ooni was in town, three things associated with power were in display. Money, sex, and merriment. Truly speaking, some female students awaited the ceremonies with high hopes and expectations, they can bribe the ‘scouts’ heavily to be considered for a connection to one of the visitors. Some were ‘lucky’ enough to deserve a follow up visit to either Lagos or Abuja. Generally, it was fun, the spectacle, the display of wealth was legendary.
The Ooni is no more, that is no more news, but the clash of culture and tradition with modernity that is playing out is still the news. Traditionally, it is an abomination for the Oba’s death to be announced except by the council of chiefs of Ile-Ife, any offender would have been severely punished in olden days. It was not even possible for someone to dare the gods by committing such an atrocity. The ancient Ife people and Yoruba race as a whole did not reckon with modernity with its internet, cyberspace, social media etc. in those days of yore, an Oba would not be taken to a faraway land for treatment no matter the ailment, with abundant witch doctors, native doctors, Babalawo’s Ifa priests, there would have been no ailment that they would not handle. In the case of Oba Okunada Sijiwade, he was flown to London in an air ambulance he was treated at one of the best hospitals in Paddington area of London. The management of the hospital has no respect for Yoruba traditions and customs, they must document all occurrences around the hospital, births, major operations, and of course death. His death was immediately documented, and with the modern information technology, it went viral! This is the bane of African traditions in the face of modernity; this is the clash of traditions and modernity, one of the predicaments of modern day Africa.
What the traditionalists in Ile-Ife are trying to do now by denying that the Oba is death amount to closing the door of the ban when the goats has already escaped. This is not a theatre of the absurd; this is theatre of reality when tradition and modernity clashes, customs bear the consequence.
Somewhere in Akwa Ibom State, another spectacular form of death occurred almost the same time the Ooni of Ife joined his ancestors. A young man, Steven Onna, a graduate of Federal Polytechnic Oko in Anambra State decided to play the son of Lucifer. He lured his friend into his apartment around 3am, drugged him though his brand Orijin before slaughtering him like a goat. The story went wild, and Uyo stood still as people gathered in groups to discuss this bizarre act by this son of Satan. The internet became awash with the nauseating pictures of the dismembered parts of Daniel Bassey Solomon from Uruan Local Government Area stories has it that Steven was dating Daniel’s sister who got missing some two months ago. Steven gave his victim a loan to set up a barbing Salon which he was not able to pay back.
It took the vigilance of Steven’s landlord to detect this abominable crime. The landlord noticed blood that led him to the scene of the crime Stevens’s apartment. He quickly alerted the police who jumped into action, his phone was tacked, and the villain fell into the trapped set the police with the landlord calling him to come and balance his rent. Steven Onuna was arrested with three mobile policemen guarding him. Taken to the state police headquarters at Ikot Akpan Abia, he sang like a cannery, confessing his crime. Displaying the dismembered parts of Daniel Solomon like a goat seller at Akpan Andem Market.
This heinous crime throws up many questions begging for answers. Certainly, Steven Onuna is a ritualist, he is in the business of human part sales. Who are his customers? Who are the end users, how many Akwa Ibom People has he butchered? Where is his girlfriend Daniels sister? The immediate past police commissioner Mr. Gabriel Achong promised to get to the root of the matter; will his retirement not give the culprit the chance to twist judgment? Journalist in the State should make sure that they follow this story to its logical conclusion.
This heinous and bizarre act should not be swept under the carpet please. I want to commend the good people of Akwa Ibom State for their maturity in handling the situation; there is no attack on the Igbos in any part of the state. Truly, we are a peace loving people, but justice must be done to sustain the peace. I know what would have happened if this atrocity was perpetrated by an Akwa Ibom man in any part of Igboland, our peaceful nature should not be seen as cowardice. I expect the investigation into this matter to uncover many bizarre acts, I expect Steven from Njikoka local government area of Anambra state to lead the police to unveil his accomprices whenever they are for the spirit of Daniel, maybe his sister to be at rest.
Steven was said to have told his colleagues in African publishers, Uyo branch where he is a staff that when he travelled home, all his mates are driving big cars and building high rising houses all over the place, he promised to make money to rub shoulder with his mates even if it means killing somebody.