Ajimobi, Ibadan Chieftaincy Law and the imperatives of change

Change, as the only constant in life, has become a universal aphorism. Nonetheless, humans are evolutionarily predisposed to resist change because of the inherent uncertainties. Organizations and people that don’t embrace change are bound to lose ground and stagnate. In the words of a late British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, ‘He who rejects change is […]

Change, as the only constant in life, has become a universal aphorism. Nonetheless, humans are evolutionarily predisposed to resist change because of the inherent uncertainties. Organizations and people that don’t embrace change are bound to lose ground and stagnate. In the words of a late British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, ‘He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.’

The hoopla that thus greeted the move by the Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, to review the 1957 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration and other related chieftaincies in Ibadanland is nothing short of clinging to primordial sentiments.

The governor had recently constituted a seven-member judicial commission of inquiry headed by a retired High Court judge, Justice Akintunde Boade, to review the declaration, which, he said, was no longer in tune with the current realities and modern trend in Yorubaland.

The commission was saddled with the responsibility of reviewing the existing requirements and qualification for ascendancy to the throne of Olubadan, as well as to review the selection process of Olubadan from the two qualifying lines of Otun and Balogun.

It was also mandated to look into the possibilities of having more beaded crown Obas in Ibadanland, taken into consideration the present size and population of the city.

Ajimobi, an illustrious Ibadan son, had said that the primary purpose of the review was to facilitate the development, modernisation and effectiveness of the traditional chieftaincy system in the ancient city and across the state.

However, the move by the governor has attracted criticisms from diverse quarters, ranging from the uninformed, the ignorant, to the mischievous. For instance, a former governor of the state and chieftain of Accord Party, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, who is yet to see anything good about the Ajimobi-led administration, was the first to raise dust. He was soon to be joined by some political neophytes.

To Ladoja, who contested the governorship elections with Ajimobi in 2011 and 2015 and lost, the governor had left ‘other important issues’ unattended to, only to be focusing on the Ibadan chieftaincy.

Suffice to state here that Section 26(1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) Cap. 28, Vol. 1, Laws of Oyo State empowers the governor to approve or review Chieftaincy Declaration of any chieftaincy.

 To this extent, Ajimobi has not gone outside his mandate as far as the proposed review is concerned. And come to think of it, what has Ladoja and the anti-review band got to lose with the proposed amendments. With its vast population spread around 11 local governments and 14 Local Council Development Areas, as well as its cosmopolitan status, I dare to say that Ajimobi’s Ibadan, nay Oyo State, will not cling to antiquated customs, no matter whose ox may be gored.    

The germane questions are: Shouldn’t a declaration made exactly 60 years ago be modified? Was the declaration not made by a particular government in 1957? Does the fact that no government had attempted to carry out the review mean that it should be left perpetually unattended to?

Interestingly, a former Governor of Oyo State, Dr. Omololu Olunloyo; renowned historian, Prof. Bolanle Awe; and a former Editor of Daily Times, Chief Areoye Oyebola, were among eminent personalities that had advocated a review of the said law. They spoke at a symposium organised by the state government as part of the activities for the funeral of the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana, at the University of Ibadan, on February 9, 2016.

These respected indigenes of Ibadan were unanimous in their opinion that the Ibadan chieftaincy declaration needed urgent review ‘to encourage younger, educated and influential men’ to ascend the exalted Olubadan stool.

In a position paper on the theme of the event, “Issues in Ibadan Traditional Chieftaincy System,” Oyebola noted that the Olubadan chieftaincy system was fraught with complexities. This, he said, had made it impossible for any Olubadan to reign for long. He said it was not in the best interest of modern Ibadan city for a prospective Olubadan to wait for more than 35 years after becoming a Mogaji before becoming an Olubadan; since they must cross 22 or 23 promotional hurdles.

He said, “A situation where you have more than 200 Mogajis waiting in line to become Olubadan and, to make the matter worse, majority of these Mogajis are not educated and competent enough to rule over a big city like Ibadan, calls for a review.”

Contributing to the discourse, Olunloyo said that the Olubadan chieftaincy tradition, Chiefs Law and Subsidiary Laws were replete with contradictions and obstacles that needed urgent review in order to make ascendancy to the Olubadan throne problem-free. Dismissing the age-old mantra about the Olubadan chieftaincy promotion, he said that the process was not without rancour as widely believed. The erudite scholar cited examples of the contention by the Seriki family and Iyalode chieftaincy lines to be accorded due recognition as examples of unresolved issues in the chieftaincy. Meanwhile, the Seriki family is currently in court to contest its exclusion from the ruling line.

Corroborating this stance, Awe said that in spite of its touted uniqueness, the chieftaincy law needed to be rejigged to encourage younger men to become Olubadan. What more can one say?

It is on record that the late Oba Odugade waited for 42 years after becoming Mogaji before he was installed as the Olubadan at the age of 93. The reigning Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, mounted the throne at the age of 87 after staying on the queue for 40 years, just to cite the most recent examples.

However, genuine and constructive critics will have the opportunity of making their submissions in written form before the judicial commission of inquiry when it begins public hearing. No doubt, such robust contributions will help the commission in arriving at a position that will be in the overall interest of the stakeholders. For now, let the naysayers sheathe their swords.

Sadeeq is the Senior Special Assistant on Media (Print) to the Governor of Oyo State