The people of Odo-Odo, a section of Iworoko-Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Council of Ekiti State, have protested over the relegation of their monarch’s Arinjale title to a mere chieftaincy status, instead of a full-fledged king and the denial of the community of autonomy by the state government.
The indigenes, who are descendants of Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, maintained that failure to grant them autonomy by successive governments, despite being the first settlers, had caused a setback in terms of development, recognition and savouring of democracy dividends.
Spokesman of the community, Julius Babalola, who spoke in Iworoko-Ekiti during a peaceful protest at the weekend to demand autonomy for Arinjale of Odo-Odo and the entire community, said the Intelligence Report of 1933, Ondo State Chieftaincy Review Commission of 1978 and a book written by Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, rated Arinjale as a full-fledged monarch, wondering why the title was being relegated by the government.
Babalola stated further that Arinjale had settled in Iworoko-Ekiti since 1891 with well-established royal dynasty before being joined in 1932 by Alaworoko, who now superintends over the town as the only recognised king.
He regretted how the town was politically manipulated out of recognition and denied autonomy by Justices Silas Oyewole and Jide Aladejana-led chieftaincy review commissions of 2014 and 2020 respectively.
Babalola stressed further that during the proceedings of the Ondo State Chieftaincy Review Commission of 1978, the then Alaworoko did openly confessed before the panellists that there were two broad sections in Iworoko, but pleaded that he wanted the town to remain united instead of being divided.
“Despite these avalanche of evidence of our established monarchy here, the review commissions of 2014 and 2020 said the memoranda we submitted to grant us autonomy lacked merit.
“We have always been supporting the APC government and we have a rich history supporting our case. So, we appeal to Governor Kayode Fayemi to grant our request before bowing out on October 15, 2022,” he pleaded.
