Kingship and Integrity in Yoruba Traditional Society

Abstract

Integrity in Kingship should be one of the most important components in the Yoruba Traditional Society, no wonder a town or a village does not exist without having a ruler. Unfortunately, the traditional process of selecting kings in some parts of Yorubaland is sometimes compromised with a preference for the highest bidder. The traditional method which vested the power on Orunmila is also sometimes manipulated. This consequently affects the character and the attitude of the eventual king. The paper addresses the procedure for selecting kings and administration in Yorubaland to ensure the integrity of the Kinship institution. It also seeks to address the integrity of kingship in Yoruba traditional society as specified in Traditional religion, to sanitize the society. The paper adopts a qualitative method of information gathering with a documentation method in analysing data. It is therefore recommended that the sanctity of the kingship in Yoruba traditional society should be maintained. The principles of checks and balances are enforced, to ensure the control of the institutions involved. Furthermore, that integrity, honesty and hard work which are the integral attributes of the Yoruba race should be upheld at all levels. The paper concludes that there is a need for proper reorientation of the whole society to know the implication of their actions and inactions. Once this is put in place, the Yoruba Traditional society will be a better place with high integrity and moral values.