Ibile G7, a non-political organisation comprising professionals, technocrats, intellectuals who are core Ibadan indigines, has read the riot act to a traditional ruler and member of the Olubadan in council, Oba Tajudeen Ajibola, to desist from embarking “on a mission with his utterances, to complicate the enthronement process of the Olubadan.”
The group, in a statement sent to Platforms Africa, particularly came down hard on Ajibola, describing his statements on the health status of the Olubadan-designate, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, and the attempts to drop the names of Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde, and his predecessor, Rashidi Ladoja in the matter as “suprious, callous, malicious and wicked.”
Here below is the full statement e-signed by Lanre Ogundipe, and Olajide Laniyonu, who identified themselves as President and Secretary, respectively.
IBILE G-7 PRESS STATEMENT
OLUBADAN STOOL: RAGING CRISIS…
Synopsis :
1. Purge yourself of the inordinate ambition and embrace peace, group warn
2. Don’t complicate the enthronement process of the Olubadan..group warns
3. Urge inhabitants of Ibadan to welcome the new Oba
It now appears that an High Chief in Ibadanland, who has now been classified as traditional ruler and who is a member of the Olubadan in council, has embarked on a mission with his utterances, to complicate the enthronement process of the Olubadan.
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This was observed by the Ibile G7, a non-political organisation comprising professionals, technocrats, intellectuals who are core Ibadan indigines, while reacting to the statement credited to Oba Ajibola.
Since the demise of Late Olubadan, Oba Lekan Balogun, there has been controversies over the State of health of the next Olubadan designate Oba Olakulehin, a development thr Ibile G7 group said it continued to frawn at.
“The group detests the way this elevated Chief has been carrying on with his uncouch statements detrimental to the Olubadan stool. The Ibile group has also condemned, the way this chief has been dragging the name of the Governor of Oyo State, Governor Engineer, Seyi Makinde, who himself is 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”.
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The Ibile G7 also frowned particularly at Oba Ajibola’ statement, which was an indirect attack particularly on 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 in the Olubadan in Council.
The Ibile G-7 believed that the issue of Olubadan, which concerns every bonafide indigenes of Ibadan land, should not be used to settle personal score but be used for the progress and Unity of Ibadan land.
As a matter of facts, the group believed that “surreptitiously the Chief Tajudeen Ajibola 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 suprious, callous, malicious and wicked” to have brought the Governor Seyi Makinde into the process which is traditional at the early stage of the enthronement process and with, this, we do not want anybody to bring the reputation of the Governor into disrepute.”
The Ibile G7 noted that those who are dropping the governor’s name are doing so with the aimed of looking for a safety valves after loosing 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 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, which is equally known not to be superior to what had been on ground , which has not even eroded the Olubadan line.
“We want to ask at this juncture, why is Chief Ajibola bent on 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 frail 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 whom 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 a similar issue came up in 1999. His Excellency can not 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 that he once said his elevaton to wear a crown was once overdue, when the process that brought him had been overtly corrupted.”
However, *IBILE G-7* is patiently watching the drama – as aptly described in the works of Reverend Williams Anderson Scott an American Presbyterian Minister an 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 breeds bad blood in Ibadan. We therefore call on the Governor to use his good offices to step into this matter before it degenerates. ”
IBILE G-7 can disclose that out of 11 Kingmakers 9 has endorsed the nomination of Chief Owolabi Akinloye Olakunlehin as the next Olubadan The traditional consultation called “kan-kun” (knocking the door) has gone around the Kingmakers. The Thursday presentation of the new King – IBILE G-7 learnt has been shifted to Friday, April 12, 2024, at the ancient Mapo Hall.
Meanwhile the Ibile G-7 has 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 maker is brought before him as the governor. Also the Ibile G- 7 has 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 and the ascension into the throne by the Olubadan designate, Oba Olakulehin.
Meanwhile, IBILE G-7 has commence 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 the new Olubadan.
The presentation will be done by Kingmakers at the ancient Mapo Hall. High chief Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja will be leading 10 other the Afobajes who doubles as the High Chiefs. The short ceremony will be witnessed by invited eminent Ibadan personalities, including the President General of the Apex Council of all Ibadan cultural clubs, Barrister Ajeniyi Ajewole
Shortly after, the unanimous decision of Oba Olakunlehin nomination would be forwarded to the State Governor for assent, and consequent approval would determine the coronation date.
Lanre Ogundipe,
Olajide Laniyonu
April 10,2024
