Obalefun Crown would have backfired against Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour if he’s not truly Yoruba son” – Chief Oloyede

By KEMI KASUMU

The Olorisa Parapo Agbaye in the Badagry Division, Lagos State has come out fully against the attempted misinformation about the title of Obalefun recently conferred on Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.

Those who are carrying this misinformation about say a non-Yoruba cannot be conferred with the title but the traditionalists argued that such notion – though correct – is not only an insinuation that is erroneous but also smack of attempt to impossibly malign the personality of the doing well architect as, according to them, “if Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour had not been a true Yoruba blood, the crown of Obalefun he wears would since have become overburden on him.”

They said Gbadebo is a bonafide son of the soil not only of Yoruba Land but also a thorough indigene of Lagos State from one of the IBILE Divisions of Lagos Island in the Oke Popo area.

It would be recalled that the governorship candidate of Lagos Party (LP) during the 2023 election in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, was crowned the Obalefun of Ijo Olorisa Parapo, because of certainty of knowledge that he is a Yoruba son.

Questions have been asked as to the meaning of the title conferred on the vibrant youthful leader and the type of people entitling to such crown.

It was gathered that the main reason for the decision of the core deciders of the customs and traditions in the Ijo Olorisa Parapo to crown the “brilliant and very highly professional architectural expert, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour”, with the Obalefun title and Peace Ambassador of the Isese establishment is in his belief and support for Yoruba culture and traditional practice.

They said the crown is not an all-commer affair except for verified true blood of Yoruba, who also dedicates all his life on the course of Yoruba progress.

Investigated further, other qualifications that make a person entitled to Obalefun, according to Chief Abiodun Oloyede, Head of Olobatala in Ogun State who is also known as ‘Ifa White’, include anyone Yoruba son who has appeased Ifa (oracle) and his Ifa allows for Obatala appeasement. Such a person, Chief Oloyede explained, cable Obalefun and also be addressed as Oba Aala.

Ifa White speaking in Yoruba said, “Ojulowo ọmọ Yoruba ni wọn fi n j’oye naa nitori bi Gbadebọ ko ba ki n ṣe ọmọ ọkọ Yoruba to si dade Ọbatala, o yẹ kọrun ti wọ ọ (meaning: only a true blood of Yoruba is given the title because, if Gbadebo is not Yoruba and he wears the crown of Obatala, he would have been struck by the spirit).”

Generally the Ijo Olorisa Parapo described Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour as one that is not only absent in the promotion of Yoruba culture and that there is nowhere he goes that he does not confidently express his cultural attachment to Yoruba and that he is beyond a son to point the left finger to his father’s house that is he does not belittle the cultural heritage of his father’s indigeneity.

They went further to say Gbadebo, a successful businessman with vast and deep knowledge of the information and communication technology, makes huge effort in ensuring that culture and traditions of Yoruba Land are well placed globally.

The newly crowned Obalefun that Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour has his family background indigenously established in Lagos Island precisely at 38 Igbosere Road, which the family actually donated as its own contribution as thorough bread Lagosian to the building of what continues to exist today as Lagos City Hall.

In his own words, Architect Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour said, “Aṣa Yoruba jẹ ọkan pataki lara awọn iwa Ọmọluabi, eyi to nii ṣe pẹlu orukọ rere, eyi to tunmọ si diduro lori ọrọ ẹni, ati jijẹ eeyan daradara lawujọ (meaning: Yoruba culture is an integral part of good character called Omoluabi which is connected to good name, meaning standing on one’s word, and being a good person in the society)”.

Speaking further, he said, “Apart from this, Yoruba culture is also about learning language and knowing language. This is why many of us, especially my own generation up till today, many Yoruba children cannot speak Yoruba Language.

“Reason for this is because parents do not speak the language to their children as they grow up or the type of grammar school where Yoruba speaking is seen as vernacular they attended and where they are punished for speaking Yoruba in such school. For this reason, we have a lot of responsibility to let our children begin to learn and speak Yoruba Language.

“Today I, myself, am enduring my children learn Yoruba Language to avoid their facing in the future the kind of challenges I have faced now that it is as an adult I am now learning my own Yoruba Language.

“There is nothing wrong in promoting our culture as Yoruba people such as Ogun, Ifa, iyen Orunmila, Sango, Obatala, Oya and others because they are what have been on the ground here.

“What Ifa means, the good and the bad, it’s foundation leads to computer that we use today, even it has led to the invention of telephone that we hold in our hand, many Nigerians don’t know this.

“It was when the white came and learnt about what Yoruba have that they went started inventing all the things they do but hide the secret from us,” Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, an undoubted believer of God, said.

Our investigations revealed to us that smooth and cordial relationship exists between Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and all Obas of Yoruba Land till date, most especially in Lagos, his state of origin and indigeneship.