Posted by From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan on
Traditional rulers in Ibadan outer cities have challenged the authority of the Olubadan, Oba Samuel Odulana, to stop the bid to elevate them to beaded-crown wearing monarchs.
Traditional rulers in Ibadan outer cities have challenged the authority of the Olubadan, Oba Samuel Odulana, to stop the bid to elevate them to beaded-crown wearing monarchs.
They also faulted a claim by Oba Odulana that he alone has the legal right to wear a beaded crown in Ibadan.
They said in a November 27 letter to Oyo State Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala that there was nothing in law that confers such a privilege exclusively on Oba Odulana.
The monarchs urged Alao-Akala to disregard the protest by Oba Odulana over plans by the state's Council of Obas and Chiefs to give them beaded crowns.
The monarchs said they supported the council's proposal to make other monarchs who have just been included in the council to wear beaded crowns.
They wrote under the auspices of the Association of Ibadan Outer-city Traditional Councils.
The letter was signed by Onijaye of Ijaye. Chief Oladejo Egunjobi; Onilalupon of Lalupon, Chief Rabiu Akinmoyede and the Onido of Ido Chief Benjamin Isola.
Oba Odulana had criticised the proposal by the council to elevate Ibadan outer chiefs to beaded-crown wearing obas.
The Olubadan-in-Council warned the governor against approving the proposal, stressing that only the Olubadan has the authority to wear a beaded crown in the Ibadan.
But the outer city monarchs said Oba Odulana's claim that only the Olubadan could wear a beaded crown was "untrue and illegal."
They said the tradition of Ibadan did not even allow the Olubadan to wear a beaded crown; adding that the customary law does not exclude any qualified baale to wear one.
They declared as illegal the word 'Ibadanland' which goes with the title of the Olubadan, adding that it should not deprive them of the right to wear beaded crowns.
They said there was no documentary evidence to back up the Olubadan's claim that only him can wear a beaded crown in Ibadan.
According to them, what is contained in the Oyo State Legal Notice No 3 in the Oyo State Gazette No 2 volume 15 of January 11, 1990 is Olubadan of Ibadan.
They said only the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland had such an appellation in the old Oyo State chieftaincy law.
The letter reads in part: "We wish to inform Your Excellency that the tradition of Ibadan does not even allow Olubadan to wear a beaded crown and that the customary law does not exclude any qualified baale to wear a beaded crown in Ibadanland.
"The application for the change of title of Baale of Ibadan to Olubadan of Ibadan addressed to the Colonial Resident on July 7, 1936 in which the Ibadan chiefs stated among others that the title 'Olubadan' does not confer upon the holder, the rights to wear a beaded crown and it is hoped that no holder of the title now or in future shall have such aspiration.
"From the above statements in the application of Ibadan to change the title, we wonder from what source the Olubadan derived his authority in his letter of objection to the wearing of beaded crowns by obas and baales in Ibadanland.
"Rather than objecting to the wearing of beaded crowns by baales in Ibadanland, it is