Some youths and elders of Odoragunshin Town, in Eredo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Epe Division of Lagos State, yesterday, staged a peaceful protest.

They demanded the installation of a traditional ruler for the community, seven years after the demise of the last monarch.

The protesters, who carried placards with various inscriptions, urged the Lagos State government to wade into leadership tussle in the area to avert imposition.
[ad]
Youth leader of the community, Ahmed Odutayo, said since the demise of the late monarch in 2016, indigenes and residents had expected a replacement. But efforts proved abortive, due to deceit and selfish interests of some individuals in the community.

He said: “Two candidates, Prince Oreshile and Prince Sesan, who were selected for replacement, truncated the obaship process by taking the case to court in 2019. Since then, there has been no progress on the matter.

“We don’t even want any of the two candidates who took the case to court anymore. We need an educated youth to become our traditional ruler, and our choice is Prince Tomiwa Odunuga, popularly known as Tommy. “He is qualified to be our king, and we have seen his contributions in Odoragunshin. So that we could have good electricity supply, he gave this community two 500KVA transformers, besides other gestures.”

The Iyalode of Odoragunshin, Rashidatu Oladega Olushola, and Bobawaja of the community, Kikelomo Salami, lent their support to the youths’ demand.

They added that the selection of another king is long overdue; hence the government needs to address the situation.

The Oloritun Eyindi of Entire Ile Nla, who is an elderly man, Giwa Musa Adekunle, while speaking on the matter, said: “We can no longer afford to be a town without a ruler.”

It is not good for our progress and development.”
[ad]