A socio-cultural group, Oyo Development Initiative, has advised the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, to caution his media aide, Mr. Adeola Oloko, on his consistent use of abusive, derogatory and denigrating words in reaction to issues especially to elders.
The group, in a statement at the weekend by its coordinator, Dr. Adesola Okanlawon, said that verbal aggression and words deployed by the Olubadan’s media aide in the wake of the Oyo State Government’s 1959 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration review and subsequent elevation of some traditional rulers and chiefs had been very inflammatory and inciting.
Okanlawon emphasized that such outright disrespect for elders were unknown to Yoruba culture and at variance with the noble role of the palace in the preservation of culture.
More importantly, he said, such disrespectful and abusive use of language end up heating up the polity.
The group said that the statement credited to Oloko, the former Chief Press Secretary to Governor Rashidi Ladoja and now media assistant to the Olubadan, in which he stated that members of the Ibadan Elders Forum were serial liars and opportunists was one taken too far.
The group added that it was unbecoming of a Yoruba man to his elders, emphasising that his utterances towards the elders on behalf of the palace fell short of both moral and cultural standards of the Yoruba concept of “Omoluabi”.
The group therefore called on the Olubadan to caution his media aide noting that the spoken word possesses strong social and political mobilisation potentials and should be delivered with care and a high sense of responsibility to the audience.
He stressed that the language of today should be that of peace and not hate.
He said, “the abusive statements credited to Mr. Oloko against the Ibadan elders, traditional chiefs amongst others haven’t helped in any way to douse the tension but rather escalate the disagreements.
“We all know that Ibadan people know how to resolve their differences. However, seeds of discord sown through verbal and abusive words especially to elders might be irreparable.
“We commend the Ibadan elders for truly being the elders they are. Only true elders can tolerate the insult of the magnitude of being called serial liars and opportunists.
“Their decision not to dignify Mr. Oloko with a response is commendable and their names shall be etched in the annals of Ibadan for towing the line of peace at this crucial time.”
Okanlawon also urged the media not to fan the embers of discord by publishing and broadcasting such abusive, disrespectful and inflammatory statements and remarks particularly in this period that the nation is waging a war against hate speeches.
