A non-political group, Ibile G-7, has berated Oba Tajudeen Ajibola over the statement credited to him on the health status of the Olubadan designate, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin.
The group in a statement issued by Lanre Ogundipe and Olajide Laniyonu urged Oba Ajibola not to complicate the enthronement process through his inordinate ambition.
The statement reads: “It now appears that an High Chiefs in Ibadanland, who have now been classified as traditional rulers and who is a members of the Olubadan in council, has embarked on a mission with his utterances, to complicate the enthronement process of the Olubadan.
“Since the demise of Late Olubadan, Oba Lekan Balogun, there had been controversies over the State of health of the next Olubadan designate Oba Olakulehin, which we in Ibadan Ibile G7 group has continued to frowned at.”
The group said it detested the way this elevated chief had been carrying on with his uncouth statements which were detrimental to the Olubadan stool.
The group had also condemned the way the chief had been dragging the name of the Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, himself an indigene of Ibadan into the whole matter.
What is worrisome, according to the Ibile G 7 has been the division which the utterances of Oba Ajibola has been causing among other members of the Olubadan-in-council and the allegations that the Olubadan-designate have been going about greasing the palms of others to ascertained that he is fit to mount the throne when he is actually not well enough to be crowned the Olubadan “now”.
The Ibile G7 also frowned particularly at Oba Ajibola’s statement, which was an indirect attack on, particularly the Otun Olubadan, High Chief Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja who happens to be the next in line to Oba Olakulehin and the most senior high chief in the Olubadan-in-Council.
The group believed that the issue of Olubadan which concerned every bonafide indigenes of Ibadanland should not be used to settle personal scores, but for the progress and Unity of Ibadanland.
As a matter of fact, the group believed that “surreptitiously Chief Tajudeen Ajibola’s utterances to scuttle the process of Balogun of Ibadanland, Chief Akinloye Olakunlehin of becoming the next Olubadan is suggestive, to drag the Executive Governor of the state, purely into an issue that has no relevance with the traditions and chieftancy declarations.
“From the angle which some us in Ibadanland viewed the Press Conference of Oba Ajibola it is spurious , callous, malicious and wicked” to have brought the Governor Makinde into the process which is purely traditional at the early stage of the enthronement process.”
The group warned of any attempt to bring the reputation of the governor into disrepute through traditional matters
The Ibile G7 noted that those who were dropping the governor’s name, were doing so with the aim of looking for a safety valve after losing out and after politicising the seamless process of choosing Obaship in Ibadanland for over two decades.
“It is disheartening that some elevated High Chiefs to Obas during the governorship of Late Senator Abiola Ajimobi, and with the amendment, made the incumbent Governor Makinde, intended to use all these to upturn the ever cherished process of crowning the Olubadan, which has been in existence for ages and which is the most cherished all over the world.”, the group stated.
“The Ibile G7 feels that at this stage when tradition should be highly upheld and respected, no right thinking person or any group whatsoever, with the available historical background of Ibadan which they themselves are aware think otherwise, as if what is in existence now supersedes what has been several decades of historical records.
“We want to ask at this juncture, why has Chief Ajibola bent in throwing the peace of Ibadan into the trash bag, just because of self – glorification and agrandisement, despite spirited efforts of the Elders of Ibadanland for over a week to restore peace and calm frayed nerves among contending gladiators in the royal inner circles.
“It is apparent the discordant tune is deeply rooted in inordinate ambitions as emerged at Ajibola’s news briefing.
“Barely few hours after the centurion Chief Bode Amoo supported by many group of Elders, that comprised eminent captains of business and technocrats/lawyers and past/present leaders of the Apex Club – Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes of all cultural clubs had rejoiced that the siege was over for peace to reign, the 80 year old Otun Balogun of Ibadan, reneged to stage ‘a counter offensive’ that his immediate superior Chief Owolabi Akinloye Olakunlehin is not medically fit to occupy the throne due to trump up health challenges which everyone is aware is due to old age.
“We want to state here that Chief Ajibola’s vituperations before the newsmen is uncalled for.
“We equally want to ask, is it in his interest and that of Ibadan to throw decency to the winds as a member of the inner royal family in Ibadan to castigate the lineage that his own progenitor had benefited from?”
”Could it have been aptly said that this kingmaker is being used by who God knows to truncate the process and bring confusion, which serves no one any good including himself.
“We of the IBILE G-7 would unequivocally states, Governor Seyi Makinde should not be used in Ajibola’s drive to perpetrate injustice as High ranking Chief is determined to refresh himself with legal practice which he abandoned for royal pecks for years with Ibadan chieftancy declaration laws.”
“Mr. Governor your predecessors in office had to go through grinding when similar issue came up in 1999. His Excellency cannot claim to be oblivious of the challenges encountered by the immediate past occupier of the seat. Going by the records. Ajibola cannot claimed to be right in his assertion to say that because of the old age related challenges Olakunlehin should be denied his due promotion to the Olubadan stool.
“Ajibola should be reminded he once said his elevaton to wear a crown was long overdue, when the process that brought him had been overtly corrupted,” the group added.
However, IBILE G-7, the group stated, was patiently watching the drama – as aptly described in the works of Reverend Williams Anderson Scott an American Presbyterian minister and author in his book ‘Daniel a Model for young Men’ (1854) – ‘Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad’.
“IBILE G-7 would not want to believe nor share this. ” this avowed stance of Chiefs Ajibola and Hamidu Ajibade is a trajectory that breed bad blood in Ibadan.
“We, therefore, call on the Governor to use his good offices to step into this matter before it degenerates”, the group stated.
IBILE G-7 further stated that out of 11 Kingmakers, nine had endorsed the nomination of Chief Owolabi Akinloye Olakunlehin as the next Olubadan.
The group maintained that the traditional consultation called “kan-kun” (knocking the door) has gone round the kingmakers.
Meanwhile the Ibile G-7 commended Governor Makinde for declaring during his sallah message that what matters to him is the peace of Ibadanland and Oyo state in general and that he would do due diligence to the selection process when whoever is picked by the king makers is brought before him as the governor.
Also the Ibile G- 7 commended the maturity and level of understanding with which the Otun Olubadan, Senator Rashidi Ladoja has been handling the controversies surrounding the Olubadan issue since the demise of Oba Lekan Balogun and the ascension into the throne by the Olubadan designate, Oba Olakulehin.
The group said it had commenced mobilisation of other socio-cultural groups under the auspices of CCII to come out in their hundreds to welcome the Olubadan designate, Oba Owolabi Akinloye Olakunlehin as he would be formally presented to the public as the new Olubadan at the ancient Mapo Hall tomorrow.
