No fewer than 15 traditional rulers in Ola-Oluwa and Ayedire Local Government Areas of Osun State have demanded sanctions against the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Akanbi, over an alleged assault on Agbowu of Ogbaagbaa.
This was contained in a petition forwarded to Osun State Government with the Office of Assistant Inspector General Zone 11, the state Director of the State Security Service, Speaker Osun Assembly, Commissioner of Local Government Chieftaincy Affairs and the Ooni of Ife as the permanent President of the state Council of Traditional Rulers, copied.
Others were the Olubode of Bode-Osi, Oba Abioye Oyewale; the Ola of Ajagunlaase, Oba Ismaila Gbadamosi; the Oluwo of Iwo Oke, Oba Abdul Kadir Olatule; the Onigege of Igege, Oba Kazeem Adio Orioye; the Olowu of Ilemowu Oba Sikirulahi Omoyemi Ogunleye; the Oloke of Obamoro, Oba Tajudeen Adewale Ayofe;
Also among the petitioners were the Onikoye of Ikoyi Oba Hafees Badeji Adigun; the Ologburo of Ogburo, Oba Asimiyu Sodiq Agboluaje; the Oloja of Agberire Oba Oye Alajide; and the Onisara of Feesu, Oba Alamu Moshood Oparonke.
They called on Governor Gboyega Oyetola to immediately suspend the Oluwo as Chairman Iwo Traditional Council for engaging in physical assaults.
The aggrieved monarchs also begged the state government to create a separate traditional council for Ayedire Local Government Council and Ola-Oluwa Local Government.
Their demands also include: “That Government should kindly approve all pending applications at Ministry of Local Government Bureauof Chieftaincy for prescribed Authorities for the Part II Obas from Iwo Zone, which applications are being frustrated by the intransigence of Oba Adewale Akanbi.
“That all the Obas which Oba AdewaleAkanbi is fighting are recognized Part II beaded Crown wearers, like Oba AdewaleAkanbi, contrary to his erroneous and century mentality that he owns all our land. Under Yoruba Land Tenure System, it is family that owns the land and not the Oba.
“Oba can only lay claim to stool land. It is therefore illegal for Oba Adewale Akanbi to seek to appropriate all family and stool land in Iwo, Ayedire and Olaoluwa Local Government Areas.
“That we pledge our loyalty to Government in power at Local, State and Federal levels. However, no development can take place in an atmosphere of violence and fear.
“Finally we appeal to Osun State Government to consider Oba Adewale Akanbi the incumbent Oluwo of Iwo as a problem to be solved not a problem solver.
“We have never had any problem with any of his predecessor in office. We repeat that he should be suspended from office immediately and that the Police should prosecute him forthwith.”
Also, residents of Ayedire, Ola-Oluwa Local governments and part of Iwo local government on Monday protested to the Osun Statd secretariat, Osogbo to register their grievances against the Oluwo of Iwo.
The protesters described Oluwo’s action as barbaric and disrespect to the traditional institution.
The spokesperson of the protesters, Hon. Sikiru Araoye, who is former member of House of Assembly, demanded reaction from Governor Oyetola, saying the government’s silence on the issue could cause communal clash between Iwo and the people of Ogbaagbaa.
He said: “We are here to protest peacefully before the governor to remind him that his silence is not golden.
“The Governor cannot continue to keep mum on this issue. If a traditional ruler like the Oluwo has suddenly turned himself to boxer and beating his fellow monarch, he deserves to be punished. So, we, the people of Iwo, Ayedire and Ola-Oluwa demand the suspension of Oluwo.
Also, the Mosigbaola of Ile-Ogbo kingdom, Chief Popoola Olawore, condemned the Oluwo’s action and called for his dethronement.
The leader of the protesters, the Asiwaju of Ile-Ogbo, Chief Raphael Akanbi Nafiu presented a copy of petition through Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mrs. Funke Egbemode and the Special Adviser to Governor Oyetola on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters in Osun.
The Osun State Government has described as unfortunate and avoidable, the face-off between the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed and the Agbowu of Ogbaagbaa, Oba Dhikrulahi Akinropo, during a peace meeting at the office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 11, Bashir Makama, last Friday.
The government said it was aware that the State Traditional Council is looking into the matter. (The Nation)
