Why Gboleru ruling house should present next Akinrun of Ikirun

Following the demise of Akinrun of Ikirun in Osun State, His Royal Majesty (HRM) Late Oba Abdulrauf Adedeji II, about two months ago, Gboleru Ruling House whose turn is to produce the next Akinrun of Ikirun has been organising regular and emergency meetings to ensure a competent and experienced person is nominated or selected for a peaceful transition process from Adedeji II to Gboleru. The meetings have been well attended by peoples of Gboleru Ruling House.

According to the Ikirun District Chieftaincy Declaration and Gazette of 1959, approved in 1960, re-registered in 1970, which were done during the reign of Late Oba Lawani Adeyemi, and its subsequent versions, it is crystal clear that Gboleru Ruling House out of the three Ikirun Ruling Houses, is to produce the next Akinrun of Ikirun.

The other two Ruling Houses are Adedeji and Obaara (comprising of Oyejola and Oyewole families). However, unconfirmed sources have it that the other two ruling houses are desperate to present nominees to occupy the vacant royal stool despite the provisions of the Chieftaincy laws. As a result, the Gboleru Ruling House is leaving no stone unturned to ensure a peaceful transition from reign of Adedeji to Gboleru.

As at the time of writing this, it is not a secret in Ikirun that Gboleru Ruling House is highly blessed with many competent professionals who are currently based within and outside Nigeria, contrary to a general notion and stigmatisation that peoples of Gboleru Ruling House are either Okada riders or traditional farmers. These professionals cut across various disciplines with wealth of experience and know-how that can bring about desired development that Ikirun is yearning for. There is no doubt that Ikirun is truly thirsty of developmental projects to turn around the current circumstances in Ikirun.

Also, it has been said that not less than 10 individuals are currently competing for nomination or selection to become the next Akinrun of Ikirun, and include three people of the same parent- Late Pa. Emmanuel Oyetunji who was popularly known and called Baba Solaro. One of these three is Prince Timothy Oyetunji, an expert in the field of Estate Management, another one is Prince Samson Oyetunji, a professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at one of the Federal Universities in Nigeria, while the third and most senior of all, is Prince Gabriel Oluwakayode Oyetunji who is an Industrialist and business consultant with many years of cognate experience in Nigeria and abroad.

Our sources further confirmed, the Industrialist is a multidisciplinary professional who is a Chartered Manager of the world leading management professional body; the Chartered Management Institute, UK, and he is a UK Registered Consultant of the Institute of Consulting, and a member of The Chartered Computer Institute – The British Computer Society, Chartered Institute of Secretary and Administrators/Governance Institute, among others.

Besides, Prince Oluwakayode Oyetunji has a diverse expertise and include in the field of Law, Corporate Governance corporate restructuring and management, and Information Technology.

Prince Oluwakayode has degrees and higher degrees from leading Nigeria and UK Universities in the field of Management and Strategy, Information Technology, Industrial and Labour Relations, and Law. He holds a doctorate level qualification in Strategic Direction and Leadership.

Our sources confirmed that all stakeholders in Ikirun, and the entire Ikirun peoples are looking forward to having a competent person as the next King. The Ikirun people are looking forward to having a King who can turn around the fortunes of Ikirun, and hence, any inferior candidate will be strongly opposed and rejected by the Traditional King makers and Ikirun peoples.

The people have been praying to the Almighty God to guide and lead the traditional kingmakers who are known to be God fearing and of high integrity to choose wisely, and as the Almighty God directs.

Today, it is not a secret in Ikirun that the Adeyemi family of Oba Ara Ruling House, with the support of some, is championing the unholy process. A leader of Adeyemi family has been going around claiming that it is the peoples of Ikirun who want him to be the next King of Ikirun. Our sources confirmed that the leadership of Adeyemi has been holding family meetings to convince majority of Adeyemi family members who strongly believe it is not yet the turn of Adeyemi or Oba-Ara as a whole to produce the next King. However, the pro-Gboleru peoples of Ikirun who are strict adherence of provision of the law of the land had viewed the position of pro-Adeyemi and Adeyemi family as an insult, and an attempt to play on the intelligence of good people of Ikirun.

Meanwhile, all records have it that it was during the era of Late Oba Lawani Adeyemi that the Chieftaincy law which established rotational arrangement among the Three Ruling Houses to choose candidacy of Akinrun of Ikirun was put in place. It is therefore imperative for all people of Agunbe, and Ikirun elders to call out those who are instigating unholy process as such an act could put Ikirun in perpetual darkness. It is now that the elders in Ikirun along with the religious leaders should kindly act and hold on firmly to nothing but the truth; the truth that the next Akinrun of Ikirun must come from Gboleru Ruling House, not minding whose ox is gored, one of our sources concluded.