Ekiti govt denies non-compliance with court order on installation of monarch

The Ekiti State government said it did not contravene any court order when it handed over the staff of office to the new Oore of Otun, Oba Adekunle Adeagbo, on Wednesday. The Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, had presided over the installation and handing-over ceremony at the Governor’s Office. Debunking, yesterday, an allegation of non-compliance […]

The Ekiti State government said it did not contravene any court order when it handed over the staff of office to the new Oore of Otun, Oba Adekunle Adeagbo, on Wednesday.

The Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, had presided over the installation and handing-over ceremony at the Governor’s Office.

Debunking, yesterday, an allegation of non-compliance with a court order stopping the installation and handing over of the staff of office to the Oore, the Ekiti State Commissioner for Information and Values Orientation, Mr Muyiwa Olumilua, said the state government was informed only after the staff of office handing-over ceremony had been done that one of the aggrieved parties to the Otun Chieftancy Stool had approached the court by means of an ex parte application to restrain the state government from conducting the ceremony.

Olumilua said, “By the nature of ex parte applications, the state government is not expected to be a part of the court proceedings and, therefore, could

not have been informed about the suit.

“In such matters, it is only when the order to restrain is obtained that the other party is put on notice. In this case, government was served the order after the ceremony was concluded. The return date for further hearing of the matter is June 1, 2020. The state

government intends to vigorously defend its position in court on that day.”

The applicants are claiming that it was the turn of the Obajeu Ruling House to produce the new Oore of Otun, as against the Iyaaba Ruling House, that was given the title.