Chief Imam: Tension as supporters of Ejide, Open Salau exchange flaks in open letters
Khalid ABRAHAM
The controversy over the continued stay in office of the Chief Imam of Ogbomoso, Sheikh Taliat Yunus Oluwasina Ayilara, has continued to escalate as supporters of two leading Islamic personalities and who are community leaders have tore into each other following an interview granted an online tv platform, Imole TV, during the week, which was considered injurious to the cause of the Chief Imam and his supporters.
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In the blunt video interview which went viral, Engr. Muftau Open Salau, who is Giwa Adinni of Oyo state and Executive Assistant Project Monitoring to the Oyo state governor Engr. Seyi Makinde, asserted that the Soun Royal House owns the Central Mosque Oja’gbo, and as a result have the power to remove the Chief Imam.
“He who hires can fire,” he had declared matter-of-fact.
Obviously, this was discomfiting and unacceptable to the supporters of the Chief Imam and Alhaji Lamidi Ejide Monsuru (a staunch supporter of the Chief Imam), prompting the open letter by them, which though was not signed.
They blasted the Giwa Adinni saying he took the side of Soun to protect his position as a chieftaincy holder of Soun as Babalaje of Ogbomoso.
They denounced him noting he chose secular position over religion faithfulness and loyalty.
But swiftly, a rejoinder was released equally unsigned except reference being made to a group – Ogbomoso Muslim Justice Forum (OMJF) – in the letter. OMJF is in the forefront of the struggle to remove the Chief Imam over the controversy of his true origin.
The writer of the rejoinder flayed the authors of the open letter and launched pungent attack against Ejide, stating Open Salau would never be a party to disrespecting the Oba.
Below are the two open letters – unedited:
OPEN LETTER TO OPEN SALAU
This open letter is hoped to meet Engr. Open Salau in a condition of reasoning that’s dissenting from that in which he granted the so-called interview with Imole TV so that his conterminated mindset will be easily disinfected by the contents of the letter.
Every right thinking man by convention will see the outpouring of Engr. Open Salau as far as the interview granted is concerned as one of the inevitabilities of life considering the two factors to be delved into.
One, Engr. Open Salau, of late, is the Babalaje of Ogbomosoland as conferred and decorated by His Imperial Majesty of blessed memory, Kabiesi, Alayeluwa, Oba Jimoh Oladunni Oyewumi Ajagungbade III, the immediate past Soun of Ogbomosoland the office Engr. Open Salau must protect. Although, a man of sound and healthy faculty of reasoning will place religion which has been made to our understanding by Allah as a guide both on earth and the hereafter over a mere ephemeral chieftaincy title. It bifurddles the mind that Engr. Open Salau has taken preference for one of the worldly fragments at the expense of what will become of him in the realm above.
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Two, one of the evergreen factors why Omo Opadoyin, late Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala will forever remain fresh in the memory of every Ogbomoso indigene is that he would never distort facts or paint anything black white because of political affiliation or the likes. However, Engr. Open Salau’s age long political and social grudge being nursed against Alhaji Monsuru Ejide, who is a sworn ally of truth being radiant in all the Islamic activities of Imam Teliat Yunus Olushina Ayilara II, the Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland, but gets transferred into the burning Soun-Imam crisis has spoken volume of why he had since all this while forfieted the franchise to click on his desired political ticket(s).
But all hail to the God-sent Engr. Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, the Executive Governor of Oyo State, who rescued you from the narrowly deep mud of political depression but whose interest you’re eventually up against today – what a let-down!. Alhough Open Salau, talking politics, still has odour of breast milk around his mouth but we stand to call the attention of the Oyo State Governor to one of his boys – Open Salau – who has failed to protect your glittering fragment at the level of Ogbomoso and at the same time has intended to cause commotion as well.
Engr. Muftau Open Salau, in his words, returned to Imam himself what could forestall normalcy to the relationship between the Soun of Ogbomosoland and himself forgetting the fact that or perhaps he’s unaware of series of endeavours employed and deployed by Imam Teliat to make him realize the authenticity of his pertanity in Ayilara family of Ogbomoso, frequent efforts of the aggreived to secure the Soun’s royal influence on their removal-seeking mission, and the persistent pronouncement of the threatening expression, ‘…I am going to remove you if you don’t go back to your family and appeal to them”.
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Aftermath of all these efforts of Imam Teliat to disillusion the Soun but all to no avail navigated him to court of law in protection of his office. It’s never a crime for Open Salau to be unaware but what makes it a crime of stupidity is his failure to enquire into details of the matter. How old is he anyway? Fatness makes people think he’s aged so we shouldn’t be provoked for his factual goof.
Conclusively, the public are therefore enjoined to just ignore the baby politician and his rantings in his game of transfer of aggression and allow him to protect his office of Babalaje of Ogbomosoland – the office for which he has no capital investment(s) to show as it was the case with his predecessor, late Chief Adebayo Amao Alata – while we wait for the end to justify our means to their disappointment.
RE: OPEN LETTER TO OPEN SALAU
It is with great joy that some gullible and uncensored minds have finally got the gut to reply to Engr Open Salawu FNSE video which was broadcasted by Imole TV. The video is expected to humble those dissidents and social misfits who are parading themselves as a religion Scholars but their vituperation against a well coordinated response of Babalaje to their pedestrian submission has really shows their level of intellectual nakedness.
Reading through the shallow write up,it was obvious to those that have the needed intellectual stamina to discern the identity of those behind such a virulent and odious reply which do not merit any responses but the need to put the records straight would not elevate our silence.
Power belongs to God and he give it to whoever he wishes,who is Alhaji Monsur Ejide to give power to anybody when God has not approved such?,how can Engr Open Salawu be a sworn enemy of someone who spent most of his resources to promote the ambition of Senator Teslim Folarin and failed. Why should any rational person be in support of a religion bigot who claims to be an Islamic Scholar but his ways of life underscore such claims.
It is totally absurd for a rational being to hold any grudges against someone who lacks the political clout to even ensure electoral victory of his State Honourable candidate despite turning his living room into a strategic enclave for the A.P.C candidates who seeks to defeat Governor Seyi Makinde in 2023.
It was appalling to alleged Engr Open Salawu was trying to protect the Babalaje title because he decided not to join those who wishes to disrespect the King and ridicule the the revered stool of Soun of Ogbomoso land like their lord of manor whose sole aim is to entrenched his authority over all and sundry in the land. It is quite unfortunate that this elephantiasis of a person could not openly associate with the last Chief Imam that came from his own Family House could now be parading himself as a preserver or protector of the stool of Imam.
Engr Open Salawu do not belongs to the class of those who blow their trumpet beyond the limit of their opportunities and will not make unnecessary publicity about his investment just to please some gullible minds whose parents have never worked to the extent of being able to acquire any tangible properties not to talk of means of livehood.
Ogbomoso pristine Islam should endeavour to tell the whole world the major reason while their obese patron failed to support Hon Shittu of the Accord Party during the federal election despite his so called deep interest for Islam and Muslims?.
The arrogance of power on the side of those who failed to know the boundaries of their authority will not stop the likes of Engr Open Salawu to support any religion hypocrisy that is tailored towards the humiliation of the King.
Ogbomoso home and abroad should not allow this renegades and pseudo jihadists to cause a disaffection between Muslims and Christians in Ogbomoso. The immediate past Soun of Ogbomoso land was a Muslim who intervened and resloves several squabbles in several Churches in Ogbomoso when he was alive and at no point in time has any Christian priest questioned his authority to do so.
It is therefore a display of rascality and lawlessness for some privileged few to attempt to relegate the Kabiesi into one of his errand boys.
The Muslim Justice Forum will not be intimidated and cowed not to speak up against any dissidents who tries to attack anybody that is on the side of truth,fairness and justice which Engr Open Salawu aptly fitted into. We appeal to our Muslim brothers and Sisters to maintain total and absolute respect for Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye and should not allow a few misguided elements to cause disharmony in the town.
