Ibadan Chieftaincy: Ajimobi may reverse Ladoja, 8 other High Chiefs elevations by Olubadan
By; Bayo Akamo, Ibadan.
There are strong indications that Oyo State Government may reverse last Friday’s elevation of High Chiefs Lekan Balogun and Rashidi Ladoja as Otun Olubadan and Osi Olubadan and 7 other Ibadan High Chiefs.
An indication to this emerged as Governor Abiola Ajimobi vowed that Oyo State government will follow due process on the elevation of the 9 High Chiefs by the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana last Friday in defiance to a directive issued by the state government mandating all High chiefs to submit their medical certificates of fitness as well as facing DSS screening before they could be elevated.
Governor Abiola Ajimobi in a statement by his Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, Mr Yomi Layinka, said Oyo State government is ready to take judicial notice of the matter and follow due process.
“The government will take judicial notice of the matter and follow due process in its consequent actions. For now, the position of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs subsists as contained in its letter of December 31, 2015. Any further developments will be made public as appropriate.”
It will be recalled that Oyo state government in a letter signed by the Director of Chieftaincy Matters in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Z. O Jayeola, addressed to the Head of the Ibadan South East Local Government administration, on Thursday, 31 December, 2015, directed the High Chiefs “to submit a medical report certifying them fit for the positions in line with extant chieftaincy laws”.
“In line with Section 14 (2) Cap 28 Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000, our ministry has commenced necessary steps towards the executive governor’s approval of the filling of the vacant stools of Balogun and Otun Olubadan of Ibadan land and seven others. In compliance with the dictates of the aforementioned law, the office of the Department of State Services had been requested to carry out security checks on the prospective occupants of the stools,” it reads.
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Let me say I am born and bread in Ibadan and also a true son of the soil. Ibadan kingship system has nothing to do with the governor of the state until when a king is to be handed staff of office. How chiefs are elevated from the lowest level to either of the two highest key assistance (Otun and Balogun) have never been subject to be regulated not even under military rule. I can see the political coloration in this episode, as the incumbent governor, Ajimobi from APC who is been challenged by Ladoja governorship candidate of Accord Party in the last general election, is among the newly elevated chiefs in the land. For me, politics should remain politics and not mixed with chieftancy titles of the land.
If indeed Ajimobi is a true son of Ibadanland, he would have read history of Oba Akinyele of blessed memory, how some forces in the land against his been elevated to the position of Balogun simply because he was a christian and declined to have anything to do with idolatry, which they said that Balogun’s staff of office required human blood sacrifice and Akinyele will never do such thing. It was to that effect that Ibadan has two staff of office for Balogun till date. The same scenario repeated itself when he was to clinch the seat as the King but it was resolved in similar way to that of Balogun’s feud. In all these issues, the then king and kingmakers were warned of impending doom that will befall the land should anyone be cheated in anyway once such has been on the ladder towards the highest traditional office in the land.
Not too far ago, when late Oba Ogundipe, the immediate past king was to be installed, a certain controversial high chief and a very big politician not only in Ibadan but across the nation, almost use his political influence to scuttle it all claiming that the late monarch has eye problem. Well, he and his cohorts were also warned repeatedly not and never to cheat anyone already on that ladder through any means. I know many of us knew his motive then, thinking by jumping Ogundipe, he will soon reach the level of being confirmed as the king. Unfortunately today, he is lying six feet under.
We know that government pays the kings, but the money is not coming from Ajimobi family neither from Ladoja family or other so called bigwigs. So in the real sense, let the government of the day allow the sleeping Dog to lie jeje. If Ajimobi is from Ibadan and interested in becoming the King, let him also go through our proper channel and get himself on the ladder rather than looking for trouble when there is none. God Bless Ibadan! God Bless Oyo State!! God Bless Nigeria!!!