Ravenous appetite of Ooni of Ife and new wives

Ooni and new wives

The ancient Ife kingdom and the royal family is in the news, and it is about Ooni of Ife and new wives. While the rest of the country struggles with insecurity, economic downturn and ravaging floods – the King, called the Ooni, has decided it’s the perfect time to improve his harem by filling it with beautiful women.

Many have asked – How did royalty develop in our world? Why did they come to have such expansive privileges and behave in a manner that smacks of insensitivity to the plight of their peoples (and always get away with it)? Why is royalty acceptable to mankind? Or at least most of mankind? Tarquinius Superbus, the last King of Rome was exiled in 509AD, and the Russian and French peoples murdered theirs relatively recently.

The concept of royalty is thousands of years old. We know there were royals in the ancient civilizations of the Uruk and Akkadian kingdoms over 6000 years ago (4000BC). And there is evidence of Kings and Queens in Africa for well over a thousand years. But how did Royalty come about and why is it acceptable to mankind?

It originated with the feudal systems and the rise of very powerful landowners. The landowners became lords of their lands and progressed to crowned kings. As they increased their holdings, often through wars and dispossession of other landholders, they would name some of their subjects as titled nobles who were granted administrative power to manage the kingdom. Finally, as time passed, rules of succession and inheritance developed, and a variety of elaborate traditions and rituals grew up around monarchy. In short, it grew manifestly on us, and we could do nothing about them – well, except the Russians, the French and a few others.

New wives and Ooni

Now, the Ooni has married six wives and counting. All the new wives are gorgeous, classy and high achievers. Many Nigerians believe this is evidence that the idea of the independent woman is a fallacy and that women only make rules for broke men! And yes, there is drama in the palace already as two wives allegedly traded blows over a parking space – Ooni of Ife and new wives in the mud.