The proposal of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) to pursue reforms in the Olubadan Chieftaincy System has created a crack in the rank of Ibadan Mogajis under the aegis of Council of Authentic Ibadan Mogajis.
Members of the council on Tuesday came out in support of the proposal and disowned their spokesman, Chief Wale Oladoja, who had cautioned the CCII against the proposed reformation of Olubadan and chieftaincy system.
The CCII, an umbrella body of all Ibadan sons and daughters at home and in the diaspora, in a statement signed by its President, Chief Yemi Soladoye; its legal adviser, Kunle Ishola, and the publicity secretary, Ademola Alabi, on the need to establish some practices in the obaship and chieftaincy system in the city, stated that “it discovered the need to immediately address issues especially in the face of some recent events n our traditional system in order to continue to protect the homogeneity.”
But in Oladoja’s words, the Ibadan chieftaincy system and more importantly Olubadan-in-council is self regulated as attested to by the CCII itself.
In a telephone conversation with PUNCH, he querried: “Why the ambiguity in their statements and what did they intend to achieve with the proposal?”
Speaking further, he said: “The CCII should busy itself with how to complete the modern palace for the Olubadan. Besides, I have yet to receive a copy of the CCII constitution that gives such power to the body.
The president, Chief Yemi Soladoye, is my friend and I have called his attention to it but he seems unperturbed. The CCII is being misled. They should face what will benefit the people of Ibadan.
“And I wish to call on the state governor and our brother, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, to caution them. I equally use this medium to call on Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji Ajeogungunniso I, not to worry himself about the statement. We have many issues to be addressed than continuous dabbling into the obaship and chieftaincy system in Ibadan”
But in a swift reaction, his colleagues dissociated themselves from Oladoja’s criticism. They expressed their support for the proposed reformation by CCII and said Oladoja spoke for himself, not the council of Mogajis.
Two of the members, Mogaji Ademola Olasomi and Mogaji Abass Oloko, said the council did not have anything against the CCII’s proposal, stating that all Ibadan indigenes had respect for the umbrella body.
Oloko said, “The Council of Authentic Mogajis had met since December and frowned on the way and manner Mogaji Oladoja has been arrogating powers to talk on issues of Ibadan without recourse to other Mogajis.
“We had since agreed that all issues should be brought to our hearing and we collectively take joint decisions on it but he kept on parading himself as spokesman without carrying members along. On this issues of the CCII matter, we wish to dissociate ourselves from his position because the aforementioned Mogajis were not carried along by Oladoja”.
