If not nipped in the bud quickly, an incident that would most likely shake Yorubaland to its very foundation would soon rear its ugly head. This would disrupt the peace and unity of the region as well as breed bad blood among the royal fathers.
On Thursday, May 15, a bill seeking to establish the Alaafin of Oyo as the permanent Chairman of the Council of Obas and Chiefs passed its second reading on the floor of the Oyo State House of Assembly presided over by Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin. The bill was subsequently referred to the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters for further scrutiny.
Also, part of the amendment to the chieftaincy law is that in the absence of the Alaafin, the Olubadan of Ibadanland will preside; and if both are absent, the Soun of Ogbomoso will chair the Council.
The development, Society Watch gathered, has drawn the ire of traditional leaders and stakeholders from Ibadanland and Ogbomosoland in Oyo, who have expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed legal amendment by the lawmakers.
In a joint statement issued on Monday in Ibadan and signed by Mogajis, Baales, monarchs, the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, the Ibadan Compounds Peace Initiative, prominent sons and daughters of Ibadanland, and Mogajis from the Soun Ruling Houses of Ogbomoso, the bill was considered as a distortion of historical tradition and an affront to other royal institutions in the state.
It was stated that the chairmanship of the council had always been rotational and should remain so to reflect fairness and equity among all royal stools in the state.
Reacting to the proposed bill, the President of the Ibadan Mogajis, Asimiyu Ariori, as well as the ICPI Coordinator, Nurudeen Akinade, reiterated that their opposition was “not driven by personal interest, but rooted in historical precedent and a desire to ensure unity and peace across the state.”
They, therefore, warned the House against creating unnecessary tension, while urging lawmakers to respect the tradition and uphold the rotational leadership model for the Council of Obas and Chiefs.
Culled from ThisDayLive
