by Kolapo Olapoju

Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, the Alaafin of Oyo, was recently photographed in one of the largest and most expensive shopping malls in the UK, the Westfield Mall in London.

The Alaafin travelled outside Nigeria to celebrate his 76th birthday, and he went shopping with his four wives.

Royal flamboyance

Several Nigerian royal fathers live flamboyant and extravagant lifestyles, which has over time, prompted queries of the source of their income and immense wealth.

Nigerian monarchs do not pay tax, despite receiving monthly payments from local governments, state governors and the federal government.

The exact figure being received by the royal fathers has never been officially disclosed in public, but there have been reports that it’s as much as ‘tens of millions.

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In 2008, former military governor of Kaduna, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, revealed that the Emir of Kano was paid about N86 million per month from the 43 local governments in the state.

He said, “Kano State has 43 Local Government areas. Each, Local Government pays the Emir of Kano two million naira every month, gratis. The Emir of Kano has about N86 million a month. That money comes from the oil revenue of the Niger Delta.”

In recent time, the issue of taxation of royal fathers has come to the fore.

In 2012, the Olubara of Ibaraland, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Oba Jacob Omolade, said royal fathers and other influential Nigerians should be compelled to pay tax.

The 72-year-old monarch said this during his 20th year coronation anniversay. He revealed that he had spoken to fellow mornachs about it, but while some of them shared his point of view, majority of them opposed him.

Kolapo Olapoju