Posted by By Kolade Larewaju on
HOPES of a new Alake of Egbaland emerging this week suffered a set-back yesterday as the Ogun State, Chief Judge, Justice Charles Oluremi Jacobs, ordered that all the selection process for the new Oba be halted immediately.
ABEOKUTA - HOPES of a new Alake of Egbaland emerging this week suffered a set-back yesterday as the Ogun State, Chief Judge, Justice Charles Oluremi Jacobs, ordered that all the selection process for the new Oba be halted immediately.
Chairman of the Alake Regency Council, Chief Edmund Adeyemi Adeboye, who is also the Oluwo of Egbaland, had told journalists on Tuesday that a new Alake would emerge before the end of the week.
Justice Jacobs, however, issued the order restraining the kingmakers following an application brought before him by the Lupo Musoluka and Lelu Eringin Ruling Houses claiming that it was the turn of Lupo Musoluka Ruling House to produce the next Alake, contrary to the claims of the kingmakers that it was the turn of the Laarun Ruling House.
Restraining all those involved in the selection process from continuing, the Chief Judge said that the order was necessary to preserve the res in the case.
He said that his plea on Monday that all action should be stayed on the selection process when counsel to the plaintiffs, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), brought an ex-parte motion was ignored by some kingmakers as he learnt that applicants for the stool were screened.
Saying that he has chosen to believe that the flouting of his earlier order was not intentional, Justice Jacobs said: 'In the interim all the parties are hereby restrained from taking any further action towards the process of filling the vacant stool of the Alake of Egbaland. In the interest of justice, the parties are enjoined to keep strictly to the issue of this order".
Chief Fawehinmi had told the judge that the kingmakers had already started the selection process against his earlier order and that if allowed to continue would amount to injustice to his clients.
He said that Egbaland being the cradle of civilisation should not bastardise the issue of Obaship, pleading with the judge to expedite action on the case. But counsel to the kingmakers, Chief Adetunji Fadairo [SAN], told the court that his clients were not properly briefed about the case as no paper filed has been received before yesterday's hearing. Justice Jacobs then adjourned hearing into the case to July 12 and 14, 2005 for hearing
Of the motion ex-parte, with a charge to Chief Fawehinmi to ensure service to all the parties. Justice Jacob ruling came on a day workers in the judiciary under their union (JUSAN) began their strike prompting his Personal Assistant to act as the Registrar by calling the case. He said while service should be effected in the next three days, statement of defence should be filed within seven days of service. The plaintiffs -- Lupo Mosuleka and Lelu Eringin Ruling Houses- in their writ of summons had pleaded with the court to recognize them as ruling houses as contained in the Justice Adesanya Commission Report of 1980 and that it was the turn of Lupo Mosuleka to produce the next Alake.