Ola Ajayi
4 December 2008
The Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), yesterday warned the Oyo State Governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, to put on hold the request of four chiefs who are longing to be elevated to full-fledged kings, saying granting it would be tantamount to invitation of anarchy and chaos in the state.
CCII's statement was signed by its National Secretary, Mr. Gbade Ishola. The chiefs include the Onido of Ido, Chief Benjamin Isola; Baale of Ijaye, Chief Oladejo Egunjobi, and Baale of Lalupon, Chief Akinmoyede Olahanloye.
They had applied for their elevation at the State Traditional Council of Obas and Chiefs under the headship of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.
The council alleged that the requests of the chiefs was the handiwork of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.
The statement alleged that the state traditional council under the leadership of Alaafin, was in support of the upgrading of the village heads (baales) and the Olubadan had made his position known that he remained the paramount ruler of the town who should wear beaded crown, promote or remove any baale.
But, the Alaafin through his Personal Assistant on Media, Prince Azeez Fehintola, said it was the chiefs who made the requests on their own volition and the prerogative to grant their requests solely depended on the approval of the governor.
"It is left for the government to approve or not the request. Since 1992, the Baale of Lalupon has been granted the approval of wearing beaded crown by the then Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Asanike, during the administration of former Governor Kolapo Ishola."
"If he and others are now demanding the authenticity of the approval and seeking elevation, why would it be the headache of the Alaafin?"
The Alaafin is in no way behind the agitation, so the Ibadan leaders should get their acts right," he advised.
CCII stated that the governor would only invite chaos and anarchy adding that the state government would exercise restraint in order to arrest a "patently combustible development".
It added that the motive behind the clamour was to diminish the status of the Olubadan.
According to the council, "the worrisome aspect of this bizarre development is that these elements are illegally being prompted and actively encouraged by Kabiyesi, the Alaafin of Oyo"
Wearing beaded crown was not meant for every Dick and Harry one and that it was not the best that Alaafin would be in the position to encourage the outer chiefs against the olubadan.
The CCII went down the memory lane that the same Alaafin had, in 1992 expressed disgust at the appellation that some community heads assumed saying, "now we hear of Baale Bodija, Baale Orogun, Baale Ojoo etc., very soon, this category of village Heads will begin to clamour for the right to wear beaded crown. May God forbid".
CCII. referring to the traditional council, in the statement said, "hungry political scavengers and charlatans with a Lord of the Manor presiding" advising the chiefs whom it referred to as "pawns in the chess board of power play to retrace their steps and submit to the authority of Olubadan".
Rather than the government to support the divide and rule tactics being used by the Alaafin in Ibadanland and Ogbomoso land, to emasculate the affected Royal fathers, "this government should seek genuine reconciliation among the three paramount rulers. For decades to come, the crisis will remain for as long as the Alaafin continues to arrogate to himself any imaginary preeminence".
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