Ruling Houses and other stakeholders in Iree town of Osun State have accused the panel constituted by Governor Ademola Adeleke to review chieftaincy issues of not inviting them during its sittings.
This is as they insisted that they will not accept another monarch unless the incumbent Oba joins his ancestors.
we recalled that on November 7, 2022, the selection of Oba Raphael Ademola Oluponle was approved by the Adegboyega Oyetola led state government, and he was subsequently presented with the staff of office after completing all the traditional rites including the compulsory four days seclusion.
The Ademola Adeleke administration had on assumption of office in November 2022, through an Executive Order, suspended the selection processes of monarchs installed in the twilight of the Adegboyega Oyetola administration.
Adeleke also set up a review committee headed by Bunmi Jenyo to look into the selection processes of the monarchs and come up with a White Paper which would form a government decision.
we also recalled that on Thursday, January 18, 2024, the Osun State Government had through a White Paper signed by the Commissioner of Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, suspended the selection processes of the Aree of Iree and called on the kingmakers to withdraw their case in court to pave way for a fresh selection process.
Also, on the disputed Akirun stool, the government directed that the parties await the outcome of the case before the Court of Appeal.
The White Paper also declared that the stool of Akirun of Ikirun and Owa of Igbajo remained vacant.
Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday in Iree, the Secretary of the Ruling Houses, Gbenga Olatunji, stated that the outcome of the White Paper was unfair and unjust.
Olatunji said, “The news of the said White Paper came as shock and surprise and least expected from a government that always place emphasis on due process and rule of law. We are going to resist it through the instrumentality of the law.
“Throughout the sittings of the committee constituted by the state government, it is important to state that only the petitioners were invited while none of the respondents, either the ruling house that produced the King or warrant chiefs or the King, were invited for interaction to get fair insight to the selection process.
“We therefore wonder how they arrived at the conclusion of setting aside valid and legitimate selection process.
“We see the decision of Governor Adeleke as politically-motivated, ill-conceived and capable of destabilising the peace of Iree.
“It is an unpopular decision meant to serve the interest of a very tiny set of people who have decided to feed fat on the Obaship matter. The resolve of those people, particularly among the Chiefs is to continue to hold the people of Iree to ransom and frustrate attempts to have a generally accepted monarch like Oba Oluponnle, so that they can continue to live large.”
