ABOBAKU SAGA

 
I was hoping the Abobaku fiasco was a joke although deep within me i know it is tradition.

For those who don't know,the Abobaku' is the King's right hand man,he is designated to die or be buried along with the king upon the King's demise, so that the king will not sojourn alone to the other side of the divide.

Wole Soyinka's classic Play Death and the King's Horseman succinctly depicts this whole scenario.In the play the King's horseman who is supposed to offer himself up to be buried alongside the King stalls  and tarries,he is reluctant to go on that suicide mission,he even bedded a young virgin at a time when he should be geting ready to join his ancesators.Of course his actions are met with a backlash..and he eventally commits suicide.

Now back to the present day Nigeria,the twenty first century.The year of our lord 2015 precisely.This  culture of burying people alongside the King doesnt augur well for us.It takes us centuriesback,if you ask me.I am a lover of our cultures and traditions quite alright,but one feels some of these inhumane traditions should be done away with.

Asking someone to die alongside a monarch is not palatable at all, and i don't really blame the Abobaku for reneging this particular 'duty'. As it is now people have to live in constant fear in Ile Ife,no nocturnal activities because the powers that are allegedly searching for heads to roll and sacrificed for the King's passage.

Let us abolish this archaic part of our traditions,it is not doing us any good.Imagine if twins were still being killed because of our beliefs that they are evil.Subjecting an individual to death should not top the list of our priorities.