From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo.
The Ago-Are community in the Atisbo local government area of Oyo State has raised an alarm over clandestive moves by a group known as Okeogun Professionals to distort historical facts about the community’s chieftaincy affairs with the aim of fomenting trouble.
A statement signed by Princes Salam Kazeem Oyewole and
Olalekan Olaniyonu of the Edu Ruling House in Ago-Are community said Oke-Ogun Professionals is not
speaking the minds of the royal family in particular and the Ago-Are Community in general, let alone competent to act as the community’s mouthpiece or spokesman.
It stated that the community has a well-organised vibrant Native Assembly, the Ifelodun Ago-Are Parapo that will not delegate its duty to others.
“Our preliminary investigation shows that the so-called professional body is just a group taking side with a candidate whose selection did not follow the due process recognised by the chieftaincy laws at the instance of one of the family members of the kingmakers associated with it.
It added, however, that it is not surprising to the Royal Family to see emergence of such a group at this critical period when it has called for cancellation of the selection of Prince Abodurin Kofoworola, which was carried out through dishonesty and abuse of power, but which the said secretary-general of the unknown and faceless group now calls due process.
‘’Indeed, more and other actions by selfish interest groups are
expected by the Royal Family which is fully aware of desperation of sponsored mischievous elements in the society striving to determine weak unsuitable leadership and a bleak future for Ago-Are by misleading and cajoling the general public and authorities to accept the culture of immorality and impunity demonstrated by the six kingmakers who betrayed the Throne and their privileged position by jettisoning the age-long tradition stipulated for appointing the Aare
of Ago-Are land.’’
Ago-Are, the release noted, is “not a club house or an association where members conduct simple majority vote to determine their leaders. It is also not a political party whose leadership must come through party politics. Let the defenders of the wrongfully selected candidate and the six kingmakers tell the world anyone out of the past 13 paramount rulers in Ago-Are history that was so enthroned from Ajibesin Adensile down to the immediate past Oba.’’
‘’The media campaign to pressurise our highly respected monarch, Iku Baba Yeye, the Alaafin of Oyo and Oyo State Government to approve the fraudulent selection process of the candidate in question and to suppress the truth started weeks ago with posts on Facebook and publications in some newspapers. Just some days ago, blatant lies were published in The Nation Newspaper that all the candidates signed
a document accepting the wrongful selection of Prince Kofoworola. We have already challenged the entire six kingmakers to show proof of that claim.’’
It went further, ’’for avoidance of doubt, the Ago-Are customs and tradition, which has been duly supported by the Chieftaincy Declarations, never put the selection of a candidate for the throne of the Aare of Ago-Are land at the whims and caprices of the kingmakers. Checks and balances are incorporated in the selection process starting with family meetings of the Edu Royal Family for the purpose of
nominating any number of candidates among the male descendants.’’
It, therefore, advised the so-called Oke-Ogun Professionals to go for enlightenment on the traditional process of appointing the Aare of Ago-Are land and indeed recognised obas in Yorubaland.
