THE Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso 1 , yesterday replied to the allegations levelled against him by the estranged members of his council.
The high chiefs, led by the Otun Olubadan, Oba Lekan Balogun, accused the monarch of denigrating the Olubadan institution by what they described as “illegal practices and apparent lack of regards for the council”.
But, the Olubadan, in a statement signed by his spokesman, Mr. Adeola Oloko, said there was no truth in the allegation raised against him by the Obas.
The foremost traditional ruler said he has no objection to the return of his embattled high chiefs to the palace once they remove their “illegal crowns”.
According to him, the statement credited to the embattled chiefs lacked substance.
The Olubadan said contrary to the allegations, he was not responsible in the first instance for their desertion from the palace and by so doing, abdicating their responsibilities to Ibadanland.
He also stated that rather than engaging in blame game, the embattled high chiefs, who, he alleged, were afraid of what is likely to befall them after May 29, when power would have changed hands, should have been bold enough to apologise to the people of Ibadan and Yorubaland for allegedly undermining their customs and tradition.
Describing the crowns of the high chiefs as offensive to the customs and tradition of Ibadanland, the Olubadan said there was nowhere in Yorubaland, where two kings sit inside a palace.
He added that “it is always the king and his chiefs”.
“Apart from violating our customs and tradition, there is no law that backs the wearing of illegal crowns in Ibadanland,” he said.
Oba Adetunji noted that he had expected the high chiefs to comply with the Oyo State High Court judgment, which declared the state government’s reform that produced the crowns as illegal, null, void and of no effect.
The royal father accused the high chiefs of lobbying to approve through the backdoor the crowns that the court had out-rightly rejected.
Oba Adetunji stated that if the people of Ibadan had signified their preference the crowns, he would have long ago approved them.
He said contrary to allegation by the high chiefs, he had done no wrong nor acted illegally.
The monarch added that despite efforts made to hinder the smooth-running of the palace by the high chiefs and their promoters, they must begin to wonder why the palace had begun to grow from strength to strength.
Oba Adetunji stated that the high chiefs exhibited little or no knowledge of Ibadan custom and tradition, when they accused him of installing Mogajis and Baales without recourse to them.
According to him, Section 22 (2) of the Chiefs Law, Cap 28 Law of Oyo State 2000 makes the Olubadan the prescribed and consenting authority on all chieftaincy matters in Ibadanland.
The first class monarch argued that the Olubadan-in-Council is merely an advisory council without any power whatsoever.
According to Olubadan, “if anybody should be castigated for denigrating our institution, it is the embattled high chiefs with inordinate ambition to become monarch without domain that should examine themselves. It is those who commit crime against Yoruba customs and tradition and do not repent that deserve to be castigated.
“It is those who run away from the palace and turn round to say they are not carried along. It is those who flagrantly disobey court orders. It is the chiefs who are sent to represent the Olubadan at the Local Government Traditional Councils but seize Olubadan’s salaries that have violated our customs and tradition.”
