From Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
Residents of the ancient city of Ile-Ife in Osun State, will lie low tomorrow between 9.00 am and 4.00pm, when the official announcement of the demise of the Ooni, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, will be made.
The Awara of Iwara-Ife, Oba Layi Adereti, who disclosed this yesterday, while speaking on the preparations ahead of the burial of the revered monarch, who died at Saint Mary Hospital in London about two weeks ago. He said all the residents of the ancient town were expected to remain indoors because the traditional Oro rite would be performed during the period to mark the announcement and transition programmes.
Oba Adereti, who doubles as the head of Oro cult in Ile-Ife, also declared that after the Oro rite and proclamation, more rites would follow.
He, therefore, appealed to residents to heed the restriction order from the palace and remain indoors, when the Oro deity would be out for the rite.
The monarch stated that though only females were normally barred from coming out during the Oro festival, this time round, it had no respect for any gender.
“This is an official statement from the palace of Awara of Iwara-Ife, who is the head of Oro deity that on Wednesday, August 12, 2015, there will be an official proclamation of the demise of the Ooni of Ife. The announcement will be made public during the Oro rite, being the final rite on the demise of Ooni of Ife,” he said..
“The residents of the ancient town are therefore, urged to keep away from the streets between the hours of 9 am and 4 pm during which, the Oro deity will be out.
“With this announcement, people are advised to stay indoor for the period when the Oro deity will be out,” he said.
According to the traditional ruler, who spoke for the first time on the reported demise of the foremost monarch, the Oro rite was the final rite of passage for the Ooni.
Since the news of the demise of Ooni was reported in the media, traditional chiefs in Ile-Ife had continued to deny the report, saying the monarch was alive and hale. However, developments at the palace had continued to confirm the demise of the monarch.
A few traditional chiefs, even after the closed-door meeting with Governor Rauf Aregbesola on July 28, 2015 at Oke-Fia Government House in Osogbo, still denied the report, insisting that he was still alive.
Also, residents of the ancient town had expressed divergent views on the reason for the ongoing Oro festival in the town; with some of them saying that it merely coincided with the death report.