Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso 1, has described as a lie, allegations levelled against him by the new Ibadan kings, that he has been rubbishing the traditional chieftaincy system of Ibadanland, and that he has been running a one-man-show in the palace, by sidelining members of Olubadnlan-in-Council in decision making.
The monarch also said he has no objection to the return of the new kings, whom he referred to as his ‘embattled high chiefs’ to the palace, once they ‘remove their illegal crowns’.
Oba Adetunji, who stated this in his reaction to a statement credited to the new kings on Monday, said he was not responsible, in the first instance, for the desertion from the palace by the new kings, which he said led to a situation whereby the members of Olubadan-in-Council have purportedly abdicated their responsibilities to Ibadanland.
The new kings, under the leadership of the Otun Olubadan, Oba Lekan Balogun, had, after their meeting at Mapo Hall in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday, knocked Olubadan, levelling many allegations against him.
Olubadan, in a statement issued in Ibadan by his Personal Assistant/Director of Media and Public Affairs, Adeola Oloko, said rather than engage in blame game, “the embattled high chiefs, who are understandably afraid of what is likely to befall them after May 29, when power would have changed hands, should have been bold enough to apologise to the entire people of Ibadanland, in particular, and the Yoruba people, in general, for undermining our custom and tradition.
“There is nowhere, in Yorubaland, where two kings sit inside a palace. It is always the king and his chiefs. Apart from violating our customs and tradition, there is no law that backs the wearing of illegal crowns in Ibadanland.”
Oba Adetunji noted that he had expected the “high chiefs to comply with the Oyo State High Court judgment, which declared the state government reforms that produced the crowns as illegal, null, void and of no effect.
“When the high chiefs said their efforts to resolve the crisis have been frustrated, what they did not tell the public is that Olubadan should approve, through the back door, the crowns that the court has outrightly rejected. If the people of Ibadan want the crowns, I would have long ago approved it, but, all indications show that the majority of our people do not approve it.
“Contrary to allegation of the high chiefs, I’ve done no wrong, nor acted illegally. At any time, there was no stay of execution. Despite efforts made to hinder the smooth running of the palace by the high chiefs and their promoter, they must begin to wonder why the palace has begun to grow from strength to strength.
“The high chiefs exhibited little or no knowledge of our custom and tradition when they accused me of installing Mogajis and Baales without recourse to them. Section 22 (2) of the Chiefs Law, Cap 28 Law of Oyo State 2000 makes the Olubadan the prescribed and consenting authority on all chieftaincy matters in Ibadanland. The Olubadan-in-Council is merely an advisory council without any power, whatsoever.
“If anybody should be castigated for denigrating our institution, it is the embattled high chiefs, with inordinate ambition to become monarchs without domain, that should examine themselves. It is those who commit crime against Yoruba customs and tradition and do not repent that deserve to be castigated.
“It is those who run away from the palace and turn round to say they are not carried along. It is those who flagrantly disobey court orders. It is the chiefs who are sent to represent the Olubadan at the Local Government Traditional Councils, but seized Olubadan’s salaries that have violated our customs and tradition.”
In a chat with journalists at Popoyemoja palace of Olubadan before the statement was issued, Oloko also dismissed the allegation by the Ibadan new kings against wife of Oba Adetunji, Alhaja Rasheedat Adetunji, that she has been dictating to Olubadan on how to rule the city.
“She is not a member of Olubadan-in-Council, and she will not sit at the council meeting. The allegation against her was just a ploy to call her a bad name. It is not true.”