Royal families reject screening panel for new Ooni

Crisis is brewing in the Giesi Ruling House over screening of candidates to fill the vacant stool of the Ooni of Ife.

In line with the1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration, the kingmakers and Osun State government had declared that it is the turn of the Giesi Ruling House to present candidates out of which the kingmakers would eventually pick one to become the next monarch.

The Guardian learnt yesterday that disagreement erupted when some royal families within the Giesi Ruling House suspected that the screening exercise has been skewed to favour a particular royal family

Composition of the screening committee headed by Prof. Adekanye Aderibigbe was said to have been faulted by some stakeholders who alleged that it is not reflective of representatives of all the seven royal families in Giesi Ruling House.

The royal families within Giesi Ruling House are Moniki Royal
Compound; Waniki Royal Compound; Luugba Royal Compound; Debooye Royal Compound; Idu Royal Compound; Idu-Ofin Royal Compound and Agbedegbede Royal Compound.

In a protest letter addressed to the Ife Kingmakers by six of the seven royal families, signed by Venerable Samuel Ishola Ojo from Moniki Royal Compound and Prince Babatunde Olafari Olasaare from Luugba Royal Compound respectively, they alleged that the screening exercise was dominated by the chairman of the committee.

The protest letter reads in part: “Following the recent receipt of the letters from the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, dated 14th September, 2015 and letter from Ife-East Local Government dated 16th September 2015, we the undersigned representatives from the royal compounds from Giesi Ruling House come together to protest the following:

• The composition of the screening committee does not reflect the representatives of the entire royal compounds that constitute the Giesi Ruling House, as all members of the committee came from only Agbedegbede Royal Compound to make the committee look as if it is only Agbedegbede alone that constitutes Giesi Ruling House;

• List of the contestants from different royal compounds within the Giesi Royal House were not made known to all royal compounds concerned or the public; and

• The criteria for screening were not spelt out for all and sundry to know and be abreast with development. History concerning other royal compounds within the Giesi Ruling House has been distorted to pave way for Agbedegbede alone to present candidate(s) to the vacant stool of Ooni of Ife.

The protesters said: “It is in public domain that we had earlier subjected our sons in the race to participate in the screening, hoping that the integrity of the committee members will not give room for suspicion, our calmness, cooperation and tolerance should not be taken for granted, we only believe that Giesi should do things differently and amicably to make Ile-Ife greater again”.

The aggrieved families therefore called for intervention of the kingmakers to help re-constitute the screening committee that would comprise representatives of all the royal compounds in Giesi Ruling House.

They also urged the kingmakers and authorities of Ife East and Ife Central councils to expedite action on the matter in order to give peace a chance for smooth filing of the vacant stool.

Professor Aderibigbe could not be reached on his mobile phone at press time yesterday for comment.