From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo.
Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, has warned traditional rulers in Oyo State against acts capable of undermining peace, stability and progress of the kingdom.
Alaafin said it was undesirable and a bad omen for Obas, out of egoistic desires, to constitute themselves as irritants not only for their people but the entire state as a whole.
He also described Governor Abiola Ajimobi as a man of virtues, blunt, intelligent and whose sincere desires to transform the state for the good of all and sundry is bedevilled by global economic recession.
Oba Adeyemi gave the warning on Monday when about 20 traditional rulers from Oke-Ogun area paid him a solidarity visit.
Intelligence report reached the paramount ruler, who is also the Permanent Chairman, State Council of Obas and Chiefs, that some monarchs, mostly from Oke-Ogun area, are planning to pay a secret solidarity visit to the Ooni of Ife in Osun State, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi,
Ojaja 11.
The aim of the Greek visit, it was reliably gathered, is to seek financial assistance from the Ooni on the pretext that the state governor has not been caring for their well being, thus starving them of funds.
The Ooni was said to have called the Alaafin on telephone to intimate him of the secret visit.
He (Ooni) was said to have turned down the request for the visit, insisting that for such to be honoured, it must be approved by the Alaafin.
The Alaafin was said to have immediately alerted the governor and subsequently wrote strong-worded warning letters to all the royal fathers in Oke-Ogun area on the implications of the secret visit and the need to desist from it.
Jolted by the letters, traditional rulers from all the nine local governments in Oke-Ogun area converged at the Alaafin’s palace in Oyo town to register their unalloyed loyalty and support for the paramount ruler.
The traditional rulers, who spoke one after the other, extolled the virtues of the Alaafin, who they described as “caring, passionate and a trust-worthy father”.
They urged those behind the subterranean moves to stop ridiculing the traditional institution.
While acknowledging continued moral and financial support of the paramount ruler, the Oke-Ogun Obas hinted that were it not for the unflinching backing of the Alaafin, some of them would not have gotten
to the throne of their ancestors.
In his response, the Alaafin described the planned secret visit to the Ooni as “an act of ingratitude and
coveteousness”.
“The economic recession bedeviling the state is neither peculiar to the state nor traditional rulers. It also affects workers, as some are still being owed months of salaries. Governor Ajimobi is focused and determined and has not been handling matters relating to
traditional rulers with levity whenever I contacted him with any. When I called him to find out about the situation of things, it took the governor some minutes, for the first time, to respond. He took time to explain in details and even gave the breakdown of the state incomes and expenditures, even for verification.”
Oba Adeyemi explained that those traditional rulers who now thought it “wise” to pay a secret visit to the Ooni for financial inducement were largely beneficiaries of the state government.
“It is ridiculous for an Oba to leave his palace and beg for money. The governor was angry when he heard about it. If they had carried out their secret visit to the Ooni, the governor vowed to dethrone them as
soon as they return. How can an Oba tarnish the image of his state and that of the government for a pot of porridge? Traditional institution is a repository of not only for culture and traditions, but veritable avenues for consultations and advices to constituted authorities for
god governance.
Although the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Abdul-Ganiy Ajinase Ologunebi, was conspiquously absent at the event, all other traditional rulers were in attendance.
They included Iba of Kisi, Oba Oba MoshoodOyekola Lawal; Sabiganna of Iganna, Oba Saliu Oyemonla Azeez; Ona-Onibode of Igboho, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Adetoyese Jaiyeola; Olugbo of Igbojaye, Oba Oladimeji
Olatunji; Onigbope of Igbope, Oba Mathew Olaniyi Atoyebi11 and Bagijan of Ilaji-Ile, Oba Lawal Oyeleye.
Others were Olokaka of Okaka, Oba Iyiola Azeez Olaniyi; Oniwere-Oke of Iwere-Oke, Oba Raphael Olatunde Akinyemi; Onigbeti of Igbeti, Oba Emmanuel Oyekan Oyebisi; Onisanbo of Ogboro, Oba Salami Adedokun Adeteru 111; Ajoriwin of Irawo, Oba Musiliudeen Ademola Olalere; Oloje of Oje-Owode, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Oyinloye; Alamodu of Ago-Amodu, Oba
Lawal Adebowale Alao ; Alado of Ado-Awaye, Oba Folarin Oyetunji Abilawon 1 and the royal ambassador to the Alaafin, Are Ayanlakin.
The remaining royal fathers were Olonko of Baba-Ode, Oba Olusegun Adeseun Olorode; Elero of Ilero, Oba Deacon Emmanuel Afolabi Egunjobi ; Onimia of Imia, Oba Sikiru Adeniyi; Onisemi of Isemi-Ile, Oba
Kazeem Mustapha; Eleyinpo of Ipapo, Oba Ademola Atoyebi and the Onibise of Komu, Oba Thomas Opoola Olaore.
The Olugbon of Orile-Igbon, Oba Emmanuel Adegboyega Osunbade Adeyelu, and the Aresa of Iresa-Adu, Oba Jimoh Oloyede, whose visit was coincidental, were also in attendance.
