Olubonku Ruling House urges Adeleke not to reinstate monarchs

One of the leading Ruling Houses in Iree, Boripe North Local Council of Osun State, Olubonku, yesterday, urged Governor Ademola Adeleke to disregard anyone calling for the reinstatement of some dethroned monarchs, saying that the his Executive Order has brought sanity to the hitherto tensed communities.

The ruling house commended the governor for the proactive steps he took upon assumption of office to douse the tension that the illegal selection and enthronement of some monarchs by the immediate past administration had caused.

While reacting to the plea by the Iwo Traditional Council seeking a repeal of the Executive Order placed on some monarchs in the state, Olubonku ruling house, represented by Ali Afolabi, said the call was unnecessary as the committee set up to review the processes had submitted its report and it is proper for everyone affected to wait for the state government’s white paper on it.

Afolabi, in a statement, claimed that due process was not followed in selecting Oluponle as the Aree of Iree from among other contestants.

He added that the decision of the immediate past government to have neglected Iree kingmakers and resorted to using warrant chiefs in selecting the traditional ruler was contrary to customs and would have set a devastating precedence in the ancient town.

The statement reads in part: “It’s distasteful to read the report of a particular traditional council begging our amiable Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, to repeal the needed and very thoughtful Executive Order setting aside the illegal appointment of Aree of Iree and other illegally installed Obas.

We want to state unequivocally that Governor Adeleke did take the best decision by setting aside the appointment and setting up a committee to review the processes. It was obvious that Iree would have been engulfed in crisis if Governor Adeleke had not intervened.

“We are grateful to Governor Adeleke for stabilising the peace and development of our towns by that singular act and the whole people of Osun will remain thankful to the governor. We want the governor to disregard anyone or institution calling for the repeal of the Executive Order as that will be making rubbish of the efforts of the review committee that has already submitted its report to the state governor.

We are patiently awaiting the white paper and we have no doubt that the governor will allow justice and fairness to prevail in his decisions.

“We want to place on record again the illegality and imposition that played out in Iree where the six kingmakers known as Afobajes, whose primary assignment is to elect a new Ọoba when the incumbent joins his ancestors were outrightly abandoned by the immediate past government in the appointment of new Aree of Iree.”

It’s against our custom and tradition to use warrant chiefs to elect an Oba and this was what propelled the kingmakers to institute a suit at the Osun State High Court, asking the court to stop the previous governor from appointing warrant chiefs,” Afolabi said.