One year after crisis erupted due to the elevation of High Chiefs to Obaship status, the Olubadan-in-council will reconvene this morning.
Oba Lekan Balogun, the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, made the disclosure in an interview with Sunday Punch.
The council is made of 11 individuals- the Olubadan, 9 High Chiefs and the Iyalode of Ibadanland
The elevation and installation didn’t go well with the Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, who later sued the state government. The matter is still in court.
Only former governor Rashidi Ladoja, who is the Osi Olubadan, refused to be elevated.
A peace meeting had, last week, been initiated by Ladoja and Dr. Lekan Are.
Speaking on the outcomes of the meeting with the monarch and former governor Rashidi Ladoja, Balogun said that “No single meeting can resolve all controversies in the world. However, the meeting held with the Kabiyesi resolved the immediate crisis between us. On Monday (tomorrow), another meeting will be held; so the peace meeting continues.”
Asked if he and other high chiefs that accepted the governor’s crowns will return to the old nomenclature without the king appellation, he replied: “Now I can see you want to create another controversy. I have said that we are back together as one family. There is no more problem. We will meet again.
“You journalists are controversy creators. We are back as the one united family we used to be. How we relate with ourselves will tell the world what is going on. People will see that we are back as one family. What is the genesis of the crisis? Whether I am called Dr Lekan Balogun, Otun Olubadan or King Balogun, there is no difference. There is love in existence. The high chiefs are not lawless people. If we have to start looking for all solutions then the court will take care of that. But we are back as one family. Our normal meetings will resume on Monday.
“The Olubadan is the President of the Obas-in-Council. He is our common father. Time will solve other issues.”
Balogun, however, said that there was no need to speak on the pending court cases, explaining that “I have no case against anybody. Whatever I say now will create another controversy. We don’t need that again. In any case, the judiciary will take care of the cases in front of it.”
Balogun also confessed that “I am no longer in politics. Oyo State people should choose the best candidate for the state. The right person to become the next governor of the state should be committed, the people must have depth of understanding about the person and he must be intellectual. His mind must be well developed. If possible, the people must look for someone that can manage politics without creating controversy.
“Democracy should not create division. We, as a family, must be able to go and vote for our choice without fighting over what the choices are. I look forward to a day when we will make a choice without the influence of financial gratification, violence and thuggery at the polling units. This is what civilised world is all about and we should be part of it now.
He revealed that he has seen aspirants with the needed qualities “but I don’t have to name them. I am just urging our people not to make the wrong choice. We might have the right people and still make the wrong choice for subjective considerations.”
On the withheld salary of Oba Adetunji, Balogun said they took the action because he failed to recognize him and others as Obas.
According to Balogun, “We all agreed to return the money to the Olubadan. We did not sit on the money; it was kept in a separate account in the system. We only withheld it for a while. The matter has been resolved so he is getting his money back. I am seeing the Olubadan with my council cheque of N1m. That is what I have in the Ibadan South-East Local Government. We only demonstrated to the Olubadan that everybody has a role to play in the system. A point was made and because he is our father, he gets his money back. Everyone is doing the same irrespective of the letter.”
