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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, Telu I, has said he chose to worship the Almighty God and not idols, adding that those criticising him for not covering his head during the recent Hajj in Mecca are ignorant.
Recall that during the recent Hajj, a picture of the monarch not covering his head went viral on social media. There were widespread criticisms from Nigerians, particularly custodians of the Yoruba culture after the picture went viral.
Explaining the rationale behind his decision not to cover his head during Hajj in an interview with The PUNCH, Oba Akanbi said: “I respect and serve God. I have business with God, not with people. I went to Hajj to fulfil one of the pillars of Islam. Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. When we go there, we don’t wear clothes, caps, shoes, or underwear. Some presidents were there doing the same thing. Let me tell you, I’m not ashamed of the God that I serve. People can be very ignorant, so I don’t listen to or read their comments. I do what works for me and serve God. I ignore the noise in the market because it can distract you. For example, if you go to the market to buy mangoes and fishmongers are calling you, if you’re not careful, you’ll lose focus on why you came to the market. People are so ignorant.”
He further explained that the crowns that kings wear are mere symbols, noting that the invisible crowns are the authority that God gives to kings.
“It is those with insight who see the invisible crowns that God places on the heads of kings. Even if I don’t wear a physical crown, there is a special crown from God on my head. I aspire to be a great king, and my name will be remembered like King Solomon or David. I aim to leave a greater legacy than them. So when I went to Saudi Arabia to perform Tawaf around the Kaaba without covering my head, it was in obedience to God. Let people keep their superstitions to themselves. This is acceptable to my God,” he added.