A
seasoned administrator and chartered accountant, Francis Oluwagbenro
Meshioye, the Olori Oluwo (Supreme Leader) of the Reformed Ogboni
Fraternity has said being a member does not stop members from practising
religions of their choice.
In an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, he explained the fraternity takes its roots from Nigerian culture.
On the negative perception of the group and what attracted him, Meshioye said:
“I
wanted to understand my culture, to know why I am here. Why was I not
born in India as a Hindu or in China to embrace their culture and
religion? This made me to begin to look within myself to know who I am
and I extended this to what I have within my area. I am a firm believer
in the Yoruba saying, ‘Animo ni peregun laso’ meaning you add to
whatever you have.“If that is the case, I wouldn’t
leave what I have found within my environment to embrace other things. I
do embrace other things, mind you, but I believe that there is
something we inherited from our source. I wanted to know why I am a
Nigerian, a Yoruba man, what is my culture like and what is wrong with
it amongst other things.“Aside these, I wanted to
know God my own way because if you know God and His laws, you will be a
better human being. Thereafter, I realised that what I wanted was in my
immediate environment. I looked at my culture and realised that it is
very useful to realise my oneness with God. Our culture does not cast
aspersion on any other and I found out in the Bible – I was raised a
Christian – ‘Thou shall not judge’. The bible also says ‘search all
things, find out the one that is true and hold on to the truth.’ So, I
looked at everything and opted for Ogboni. Incidentally, Ogbonism does
not prevent you from going to the church or the mosque.”Affirming
that one was free to engage in religous activities, he stated that:
“Ogbonism does not prevent you from doing whatever you want to do. It is
about understanding our culture which guides in living a better life
and improving the society. These were the things that prompted me to go
into our culture. I wasn’t particular about Ogboni but it satisfied my
urge of knowing what we have in our culture to assist in living a better
life, a respectable life. I love to be respected and I love to respect
people and I like to be a noble character.
“I had the same
line of thought about Ogboni as the public before I joined. When I was
contemplating joining, I had nobody to direct me because you don’t see
them easily but I had heard about them; so I said if they are bad I will
leave. I later found somebody who introduced me to a member and during
the period before induction, they were observing me but I was also
observing them. They love each other and are respectable people; so I
got interested and got glued to it. I found out that it is excellent and
what I had been looking for.”On the criteria for
joining the fraternity, the Leader said: “You must be known by someone
who is a member because we want people of good character. You must have a
sponsor who will attest to your good character. You must be an adult
according to the laws of the land; you must have a verifiable source of
livelihood and you must be industrious.
“You apply and your
letter will be sent to the state where your sponsor lives; you will be
investigated, apparently without your knowledge. If you are found
lacking in those key areas during the investigation period, we will tell
you sorry you can’t be our member. If you don’t have any shortcomings,
you come for an interview. You meet people who will discuss with you and
if you are successful at the interview you are on your way to joining.”Although
Archdeacon T.A J. Ogunbiyi started the fraternity on December 18, 1914
and named it Ogboni Onigbagbo, Meshioye, in the interview, explained the
name change to Reformed Ogboni Fraternity.
“At that time,
there were only few Christian members in the fold but soon after its
inauguration, they realised it’s not meant for Christians alone. It’s a
cultural heritage and you can’t restrict heritage to religion. In Yoruba
culture, we have Christians, Muslims and other faiths. That was why it
was changed to Reformed Ogboni Fraternity to accommodate people of
different religious leanings, race and political affiliation. It is
incorporated and recognised under Nigerian law.
“Our past leaders
include Sir Adeyemo Alakija, who was the first Olori Oluwo and he was
followed by Sir Adetokunbo Ademola. We have had members including Chief
Oladeinde Lawson, the late Archbishop Vining, Reverend David Mellor,
Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Sardauna, Ahmadu Bello, and Chief Samuel Ladoke
Akintola amongst others.”On the difference between Aboriginal and Reformed Ogboni, the Leader explained that there are in fact three types of Ogboni.
“There
is Ogboni Ilu, the governing council of a town. In Yorubaland, the
governing system in any reputable town is Ogboni Osugbo. So, we have
Ogboni Ilu, Ogboni Aboriginal and the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity.
However, the major difference between Reformed Ogboni Fraternity and the
others is that it focuses on the core principles and tenets of Ogbonism
without tilting to the right or left.”On the
forthcoming centenary centenary celebration of the fraternity on
December 18, Meshioye said he hopes people will have a proper
understanding of what Ogboni is from the perception of the ROF.
No comments:
Post a Comment
publisher,advertisement,fun,cool,interesting,news,travelling,football