Posted by By AKEEB ALARAPE, Ibadan on
One of the prominent traditional rulers in Oyo State, Olugbon of Ile Igbon, Oba Samuel Adegboyega Osunbade, Adeyelu 11, has described the controversial impeachment of the former Oyo State Governor....
One of the prominent traditional rulers in Oyo State, Olugbon of Ile Igbon, Oba Samuel Adegboyega Osunbade, Adeyelu 11, has described the controversial impeachment of the former Oyo State Governor, Senator Rasidi Ladoja as a futile exercise, in view of the frosty relationship now existing between Ladoja's successor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, over the State Council of Obas and Chiefs.
One of the offences of Ladoja was his alleged tampering with the Obaship council, through the planned reclassification of the state traditional institution.
Speaking with newsmen in his palace, Monday, Olugbon wondered whether the impeachment of Ladoja really worth it with the insistence of Akala to stick to the proposed re-classification of the institution of Obaship in the state as proposed by his former boss.
'If Governor Akala's government is now saying that they want to follow the principle or pattern enunciated by Ladoja government, then his own government will be called to question. Then we should start asking: ‘Should Ladoja have been impeached at all?," he queried.
Olugbon, who confirmed that he actually supported the impeachment exercise based on the perceived illegality in the re-classification exercise, however, said that the present action of Akala government called for concern.
'It is true that traditional institution should be dynamic and progressive, but not to the extent of putting those who have either been slaves, servants or tenants of other traditional rulers on top of their masters. It is traditional sacrilege to say that because certain Obas have certain number of local governments or are favoured by the government of the day, that is what will qualify them to be at par with the Alaafin."
'There was no forefathers of any Oba in Oyo State now, not to talk about other obas in other areas of Yorubaland that did not report to the Alaafin. How do we now, for whatever reason, say certain obas should now be rotating chairmanship with the Alaafin of Oyo.
By doing that, in the first place, we are defiling traditional rulers' institution in Oyo State and we will not be allowed to compete favourably with our counterparts in other states. Apparently, this is against the tradition as bequeathed to us by our ancestor, the great Oduduwa," the royal father added.
Olugbon, therefore, dismissed the much controversial rotation of the chairmanship of the state Council of obas and Chiefs among the Olubadan of Ibadan, Soun of Ogbomoso and the Alaafin of Oyo as being canvassed by the state government and prominent indigenes of the state, declaring that it would not work.
The highly respected oba warned Governor Akala against contributing to the distortion of the traditional history of the state and its royal institution, saying ‘the governor should be very careful not to destabilize traditional institution in Oyo State and thereby put himself in collision course with the obas."