ỌBA MÁ BINU

I’ll focus my writing on a story of A King who deliberately bore the name Oba Ma Binu (Don’t be angry). For the proper import of the true meaning is one – who – may – be – annoyed. His temperament was not to be told the truth, so as not be angry.

His subjects were so mindful of this attitude that they always told him what he wanted to hear. So on an occasion, the king went out with his courtiers and by accident, his royal robe got rubbed with faeces. Of course, the stench was all over the place and the stench carried so much that most of the courtiers were lengthening the distance between them and the King, and were also turning up their noses.

They would not answer royal queries nor hail him as he would have wanted. When the stench was becoming overpowering, they applied the agency of their hands to their noses. The King now thoroughly embarrassed, demanded of the foremost courtier what the unsocial habit of the other courtiers was. The foremost courtier responded “It was caused by your name.” ”By my name?” the King was exasperated. ”What’s the matter with it?” he further queried. ”What would my name have to do with covering their noses with their hands?” he asked. “Isn’t your name the one-not-to-be-angered?” the courtier asked. ”Yes, it is, what has it got to do with it? He wondered. The courtier replied ”If they tell you what the matter is, you will get angry.’’ The King did not promise he would not get angry but he used his royal authority to compel a disclosure. ”Your Royal Highness”, the foremost courtier courtesying obeisance, finally told the King. ”You’ve rubbed your royal garment with faeces and the stench is all over the place but considering your name, no one would tell you so that you would not be angry.”

Unusual times demand unusual things. First, telling the truth as it is if people are honest enough with themselves. Sometimes to behave indifferent if that was possible and secretly hope that it is a bad dream and one would wake up to discover that the reality is in the country.