Youths in Iree town have warned the Osun State Government that plans to impose a monarch on them without following the laid down traditional rules and regulations will not stand.
The youths, who also warned that they are aware of plans by the State government to appoint an Aree of Iree, added that such imposition will fail.
The aggrieved youths also accused the Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Adebayo Adeleke of appointing the Iyalode of Iree, Chief (Mrs) Serifat Adebayo into the council of Kingmakers.
The Iree Kingmakers had earlier warned Adeleke against his decision to appoint a woman into the Council of Kingmakers.
DAILY POST had reported that the Kingmakers led by Chief Saliu Atoyebi, the Aogun of Iree rising from a meeting maintained that it was alien to the tradition and culture of the town for a woman to be appointed as a member of the Kingmakers.
The Iree Kingmakers also alleged that the Commissioner who is an indigene of the town is sponsoring a candidate for the Aree stool.
Defending himself, Adeleke, the Osun Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs had stated that the appointment of a warrant chief is the sole responsibility of the government.
He maintained that such appointment was always done through the local government authority and any person of repute in the affected community can be appointed.
“The chiefs or anybody else does not have the right or power to reject anybody appointed by the government as warrant chief,” he said.
While noting that there was need for the Kingmakers to be enlightened on what the law permitted, he revealed that several warrant chiefs had been appointed in such situations.
Regarding the appointment of Chief Serifat Adebayo, the Iyalode of Iree as a kingmaker, the Commissioner noted that the appointment was carried out as a replacement for the Eesa of Iree who died a while ago.
There have been divergent views on the development as some indigenes of the town have accused the Kingmakers of holding the community to ransom over the selection of Aree of Iree.
They also noted that some of them refused to place the interest of the community above personal and political interest but instead have been going about blackmailing the government.
Led by Adebayo Afolabi, they stated that substituting a Chief for the late Eesa should come from Oke-Eesa.
While questioning the rationale for rushing the process and installing a new Aree, they accused the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Adebayo Adeleke of frustrating the commencement of the selection process.
