June 8, 2024
The royal family of Ogunmakin community in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State has appealed to former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, not to abandon them at this critical time of its quest to produce the next traditional ruler of the ancient Ogunmakin community.
Reminding Obasanjo that they were Owu people, whose ancestors founded the agrarian community, the family led by Prince Adeyemi Ogunmakin and Prince Kazeem Ogunmakin begged the elder statesman to come to their help quickly, lest an alleged stranger from Ibadan snatched the throne of their forebears from them.
The family appealed while addressing newsmen in Abeokuta, the state capital on Saturday.
The family affirmed that the progenitor of the community was Ogunmakin, their fore-father, expressing the concern that despite the overriding evidence of the family being a ruling house and entitled to produce the next monarch after the demise of Oba James Sodiya, there were intense plans by some elements to sideline them.
The family urged Obasanjo to take cognizance of the fact that injustice anywhere was a threat to justice everywhere, and that injustice to one was injustice to all.
The family added that a petition had equally been sent to Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Alake and paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo and the Ogun State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs over the issue.
‘We are using this platform to appeal to our father and former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun to come to our rescue Ogunmakin also has a root from Owu where Baba Obasanjo hails from, we beg to assist us to secure our rightful stool, against a plot by some elements to impose a non-indigene as next traditional ruler of Ogunmakin,’ the family said
“To set the record straight and contrary to Ayinde Busari’s press release of 23/5/2024, via MouthpieceNGR, we must now declare that our progenitor’s full name was Bello Ogunmakin, not Bisiriyu Ogunmakin’, the family explained
“His first-ever child from his first wife-Ekitiba was in fact male-Busari Ogunwemimo, not Omonayajo. It was Busari Ogunwemimo Ogunmakin who begat Surakatu Olawunmi Ogunmakin(Baale Orile Ogunmakin,2001-2014 duly installed with certificate by Kabiyesi Osile and was the only suitably qualified incumbent Baale Ogunmakin land, due to be elevated to Oba Ogunmakin in 2010 but was gifted to late Oba Sodiya.
‘’It is noteworthy to stress that, Pa Ogunmakin was a warlord. His Dad and Grandad from Agbole Asipa Adekalu(Oke Ago-Owu). His Granma from the Amororo Dynasty, Totoro. Upon distress calls from Ikerekus, he came through, engaged in a fierce battle with the Ibadans for 9 years.
“He fought fearlessly and selflessly, conquered the Ibadans, defending the borders, preventing them from invading Egba territory today called Ogunmakin land, where he then became the first ever settler.
“Whilst Pa Ogunmakin indeed had three wives, he begat male children and his wives were from neither Olounde nor Oniturupu villages as being bandied about by outsiders.”
