Surulere LG: Ogbomoso Parapo cautions Gov Makinde over vesting 'sweeping powers' in Olugbon

Surulere LG: Ogbomoso Parapo cautions Gov Makinde over vesting ‘sweeping powers’ in Olugbon

Khalid ABRAHAM

Egbe Omo Ogbomoso Parapo Agbaaye (Home Headquarters) has urged Oyo state governor Engr Seyi Makinde to exercise restraint over the alleged appointment of Olugbon of Orile-Igbon as Permanent Chairman of Traditional Council in Surulere local government area of Oyo state as well as granting him prescribed authority over more than 100 villages and towns in the council area.

Recall a letter that was recently addressed to Olugbon of Orile-Igbon Oba Francis Olusola Alao by the Oyo state Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters jettisoned the age-long arrangement of rotational chairmanship between the Olugbon and the Aresaadu of Iresaadu, making Olugbon sole permanent chairman. The said letter as well unilaterally conferred on him prescribed authority over communities in the council area.

These have been generating furore as members of the Aresaadu royal families, chiefs and traditional rulers of other towns newly put under the Olugbon’s suzerainty have been raising ruckus, vehemently kicking against the moves, citing “historical antecedents, size of town, government’s previous Gazette and so on,” as the bases of their opposition. They argued, “Igbon has never been superior to Iresaadu. Those were the foundation of making the Chairmanship of the Traditional Council rotational biennially between Aresaadu of Iresaadu and Olugbon of Orile-Igbon. They have always been on equal terms and none ever made move to upstage another. This latest attempt is therefore strange and suspicious. We believe the government would not be manipulated to rape history and rupture peace in a council area that has always enjoyed tranquility.”

Ogbomoso Parapo home headquarters under the leadership of Prince Aderemi Olude has now also weighed in urging the governor to unambiguously confirm or disclaim the development against the backdrop that such matter of public importance shouldn’t have been disclosed through a private letter to a “party” in the matter but publicly announced by a competent government official.

The letter signed by Onpetu Prince Aderemi Oluwasegunfunmi Faruq Olude (president), Comrade Lere Fabode (P.R.O.) and Mr Johnson Adekunle (secretary) posited that making such alterations in the traditional and land structures in the council area would be like setting up a keg of powder in the open. They claimed Oba Olusola had a litany of litigations on land matters averring granting him such privileges would escalate cases like that.

They thus implored the state government to reconsider to avoid a ‘blow up,” adding their letter was sequel to their secretariat being inundated with protests by the aggrieved “victims.”

Read the letter titled, “Appointing Olugbon of Orile-Igbon as Permanent Chairman of Surulere LG Traditional Council and granting him Prescribed Authority over large areas will cause anarchy,” in full:

Egbe Omo Ogbomoso Parapo Agbaaye (Home Headquarters) wishes to add our voice to the festering issue of appointment of Olugbon of Orile-Igbon as Permanent Chairman of the Traditional Council in Surulere Local Government area of the state and granting him Prescribed Authority over swathes of land and Chieftaincies. Since the news emanated an uproar has been triggered in the council area and beyond, raising concerns this could lead to a crisis of monumental proportion.

In the light of this, Your Excellency, we wish to draw your attention to the matter so as to avert a looming conflagration.

Number one sir, we suspect the letter might be a scam, because we believe something as germane as that would not be broken in that manner. A personal letter we believe would neither be written to a party confirming him as Permanent Chairman of the Traditional Council nor confirmation of conferment of Prescribed Authority with such sweeping powers be announced through such a channel.

We believe the disclosure would have been made by a competent government official and not through a party to the matter. Perhaps he in his usual style cajoled some people to do his bidding. We say, from what we have observed, that allowing it to stand is like sitting on a keg of powder.

This looming catastrophe is not unfounded. On the bases of historical antecedents, size of town, government’s previous Gazette and so on, Igbon has never been superior to Iresaadu. Those were the foundation of making the Chairmanship of the Traditional Council rotational biennially between Aresaadu of Iresaadu and Olugbon of Orile-Igbon. They have always been on equal terms and none ever made move to upstage another. This latest attempt is therefore strange and suspicious. We believe the government would not be manipulated to rape history and rupture peace in a council area that has always enjoyed tranquility.

The letter purportedly written to the Olugbon also put towns and villages that are traditionally and historically under the suzerainty of Iresaadu and Iresaapa (its twin brother town) and those hitherto independent under the Olugbon. That amounts to a despicable aberration and this the Iresa people and others are contemptuously raging over.

Your Excellency sir, we make bold to say that the reigning Olugbon Oba Francis Olusola Alao despite the court cases over his right to the throne has not demonstrated good neighbourliness. There are many allegations against him regarding land grabbing, illegal doubling of Chieftaincies and such heinous misdemeanours, and so, giving him such undeserved sweeping powers would look like arming a tyrant with more devastating weapons. It is irksome that someone that should be facing litigations is being rewarded with undeserved favours. We don’t believe you are a party to this sir.

The victims have reached out to us as a body and that is why we considered it germane to inform and plead that Your Excellency reconsider to avoid crisis and if it is a misinformation there is need to clear air on it.

We pray that under your watch Ogbomoso will not burn due to an issue that is not worth it.

There is need to address the matter urgently.

Thank you sir, Your Excellency.