Ibadan High Chiefs Lament Crisis Within Traditional Council, Rues Olubadan’s ‘One-Man Show’
Some Ibadan high chiefs on Monday accused the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Saliu Adetunji of running a one-man-show and disregarding the Olubadan-in-Council.
Concise News reports that the chiefs also accused the monarch of appointing Mogajis (family heads) and Baales (village heads) without due consultation with the council.
One of the members of the Olubadan-in-Council and the Otun Olubadan, Lekan Balogun, while speaking at a meeting of the council held in Mapo Hall, says the actions of the Olubadan calls for urgent attention to forestall crisis.
At the meeting were members of the council among who were: Eddy Oyewole, Tajudeen Ajibola and Gbadamosi Adebimpe.
Balogun, who laments the crisis within the traditional council since the promotion of the new Obas, says it is sad that the Olubadan is destroying the system that brought him to the throne.
“We want to draw the attention of the people of Ibadan to some irregularities and illegalities embarked upon by the Olubadan. We are members of the Olubadan-in-Council, but we are being sidelined by the Olubadan.
“Against tradition, Oba Saliu is running a one-man show, disregarding the Council. He appoints Mogajis (family heads) and Baales (village heads) without making any recourse to the council. Most of the things that he does are illegal.
“For instance, the Olori (queen) is not a member of the Olubadan-in-Council, but in his case, the Olori unilaterally takes decisions on his behalf.
“If Olubadan thinks we do not matter, we also can show that he doesn’t matter without us. He should not forget that when he was to be made the Olubadan, he rose through the council. We (the Olubadan-in-Council) made Olubadan out of him, he did not make us what we are, but we made him the Olubadan.
“Kabiyesi, Oba Adetunji has turned the institution of Olubadan into personal affairs, which can be run at his wife’s whims and caprices, but which amounts to illegality.
“Contrary to their belief at the Popoyemoja Palace that Olubadan is an authority unto himself, we are telling the whole world that Olubadan only exists with his council. The danger of what they are doing in the palace has been manifesting in the ridiculous action of appointing two or more Mogajis from the same compound, honouring people with Mogaji title based on friendship as well as ‘cash and carry’ award of Baales to undeserving people.”
Olori, not helping matters
Other members of the council, Abiodun Kola-Daisi and Hamidu Ajibade say there had been efforts by both individuals and organisations to ensure that peace reigns in the Olubadan-in-Council.
They lament the efforts had been scuttled by the wife of Kabiyesi (Olori Rasheedat), ”who insists her husband would not sit with his members of council”.
They warn the newly installed Mogajis and Baales in Ibadan not to see their appointment as legal.
“Their installations should be backed by the council before being recognised.”
Under-pressure monarch
However, Oba Adetunji in his reaction says he does not object to the return of his chiefs to the palace once they remove their ‘illegal crowns’.
The monarch in a statement on Tuesday by his media assistant, Adeola Oloko states that he was “not responsible in the first instance for their desertion from the palace and by so doing, for abdicating their responsibilities to Ibadanland”.
He also states that rather than engage in blame game, “the embattled high chiefs who are understandably 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 entire people of Ibadanland in particular and the Yoruba people in general for undermining our custom and tradition”.
