Posted by By Kolade Larewaju on
A crisis in Joga Orile in the Yewa North Local Government area of Ogun State over the siting of a new market and the celebration of a traditional festival has pitched two traditional rulers in the State, Abepa of Joga Orile, Oba Adeyemi Adekeye and the Olubara of Ibara, Oba Jacob Omolade against each other.
ABEOKUTA - A crisis in Joga Orile in the Yewa North Local Government area of Ogun State over the siting of a new market and the celebration of a traditional festival has pitched two traditional rulers in the State, Abepa of Joga Orile, Oba Adeyemi Adekeye and the Olubara of Ibara, Oba Jacob Omolade against each other.
Already four traditional chiefs of the town have been deposed while no fewer than 50 fully armed mobile policemen have been deployed to the sleepy town to prevent a complete break down of law and order.
The suspended chiefs, Seidu Adeniji (Adele), Jimoh Alokolodo (Jagunmolu) Amodu Ajiboye (Are) and Musulimi Bankole (Seriki) were accused of attempting to foment trouble and planning a civil unrest.
Trouble was said to have started when the suspended chiefs allegedly began the planning of a traditional festival, Efe, during which scathing remarks were usually made about prominent personalities and their misdeeds in the area.
Coming immediately after the directive of Oba Adekeye for the movement of the market in the town to a new site was disregarded, the Oba was said to have ordered that the planning of the festival be suspended. Alleging that the four chiefs were being sponsored by the Olubara of Ibara, Oba Jacob Omolade, the Abepa of Joga Orile, Oba Adekeye immediately deposed the chiefs and explained that it was to prevent the break down of law and order.
Chief Seidu Adeniji who was until his deposition as the Adele Oba accused Oba Adekeye of 'absolute disregard for the feeling of his people" while the 76-year-old deposed Seriki, Chief Musulimi Bankole, alleged that the Abepa assaulted him with a horse whip.
Reacting to the allegation by the Chiefs, the Abepa of Joga Orile, and Oba Adekeye denied assaulting any chief and blamed his travails on the Olubara of Ibara. He said 'nobody can intimidate me. Olubara is for Ibara. I am the Abepa of Joga-Orile."
He should stay in his domain"". But in a swift reaction, the Olubara of Ibara, Oba Omolade who although declined a press interview said that eminent persons in the state had intervened and were already working to resolve the crisis.