HALTING THE EROSION AND EXTINCTION OF WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP VALUE IN TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP IN
BY
FA OLASUPO
DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT STUDIES
FACULTY OF ADMINISTRATION
ILE-IFE
OSUN-STATE
E-mail:faolasupo@yahoo.com
GSM: 08034065576
ABSTRACT
More than four decades ago, United Nations have been promoting gender balance in virtually all fields of human endeavour that does not exclude governance. The dividend of these have radiated to Africa that has produced her first women heads of state (Perry Ruth as interim head of state and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as democratically elected president) in Liberia and not less than three Vice-Head of states in not less than three countries: South Africa, Uganda and Gambia. Though Nigeria is yet to achieve this at the national level, she has at both state and local levels where women now occupies executive positions as Governor, deputy-Governors, Chairpersons and vice-chairmen respectively.
However, an intensive research on female traditional rulers in Nigeria by a research group on female kings in Nigeria based in the department of local government studies, Faculty of Administration, Obafemi Awolowo University, has unearthed startling revelations that challenges United Nations as the precursor of gender balance promoter in governance. In most communities in Ondo, Ekiti and parts of Anambra and Delta states, there is tradition of male and female kings each having its own separate palace, cabinet members and duties concerning the administration of their respective communities.
This gender balance in governance is variously discussed by different authors. For Amadiume in her book titled Male Daughter, Female Husband: Gender and Sex in African Society, it is seen as reversal of role showing that what men can do women can do as well. Similarly, what women can do, men can do as well. But the quartet of Uchen, Adepeuju Adereti, Chinweizu, and Akinfemiwa see it as “dual-sex political system”. Uchen discussed it as: “Each sex generally manages its own affairs and had its own kingship institution, age grades, and secret and title societies… The dual-sex political system …allowed women and men to carry out their responsibility without infringing on the others’ territories. It was a highly developed form of democracy that existed, in that decisions were reached only after lengthy debates and persuasion either in the respective milieu or as a whole community”. Adepeju Adereti expressed her view of the concept by citing one case of such balanced-sex political system. According to her, “Moreover, the villages and towns were ruled jointly by the Obi (male ruler or Chief) and the Omu (female equivalent of the Obi) The Omu ruled in conjunction with the Obi. A clear division of functions existed between them and neither is superior to the other. Omu ruled the women just as the Obi ruled the men”. To Chinweizu: “in some African and Native American societies, women did have their structures of political authorities parallel to and countervailing those of men… (female councils which are counterweights to male councils)”. For Akinfemiwa, Lobun (Obabinrin) (Female king), she is in charge of female affairs and the markets. She is also the priestess of “Aje”: The god of wealth and trade. She is installed by Jomu Lobun (Female kingmaker). The “Olulu”, her crown, is a piece of white cloth tied round her head with red feathers stuck in it. The female king, Oba Adetomiwa, herself confirmed this in her interview when she said “I have my own crown too”. (Akinfemiwa, 1994:24, Abiodun, 2007:19)
Over the centuries however, particularly under colonial rule and not least after independence, there has been systematic erosion and gradual extinction of these valuable customs and traditions (that accommodate women in executive authorities) not just by the colonial authorities but more deeply by the male kings who see their female counterparts not as partners in traditional governance anymore but rivals; more so that they (male kings) now enjoy five percent of local government allocation for their (traditional rulers) up-keep.
This paper is therefore concerned with steps being taking to reverse the gradual, systematic and consistent erosion and extinction of male/female traditional rulership in favour of mono male rulership. More importantly is to show-case to the global community that gender balance in governance originated in
