Ekiti govt gives monarch ultimatum to reconcile with subjects

The Ekiti State government has given the traditional ruler of Isaoye Ekiti in Moba Local Government Council, Oba Gabriel Dare Olajide, an ultimatum to make peace with his subjects and prevent a possible breakdown of law and order in the community. The government also appealed to the people of the community to forgive their monarch […]

The Ekiti State government has given the traditional ruler of Isaoye Ekiti in Moba Local Government Council, Oba Gabriel Dare Olajide, an ultimatum to make peace with his subjects and prevent a possible breakdown of law and order in the community.

The government also appealed to the people of the community to forgive their monarch of some alleged misdeeds that have pitted them against him.

Stressing the need for peace, the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, who gave the stakeholders in the town up till February 28, 2019 to resolve their differences, stressed the state government was desirous of peace to reign in Isaoye and other communities in the state.

According to a statement released yesterday and signed by the Special Assistant (Media) to the Deputy Governor, Odunayo Ogunmola, the peace meeting was attended by the Oore of Otun-Ekiti and paramount ruler of Mobaland, Oba Adedapo Popoola, and Isaoye traditional chiefs.

Egbeyemi, who said the state government had no intention of deposing any king, advised Oba Olajide to heed his subjects’ advice and respect the town’s tradition and culture.

The allegations Isaoye chiefs and indigenes levelled against their embattled monarch include high-handedness, incessant harassment of subjects using the police, non-performance of traditional rites and rituals, and infliction of serious injuries on his subjects during a traditional ceremony.

Others are destruction of Ifa oracle symbols and instruments of installations, violation of taboos in the community, absconding from the town, cancellation of the meeting of chiefs, and other conducts they said had brought the town’s throne into disrepute.

Egbeyemi expressed dissatisfaction on the series of allegations levelled against Olajide, wondering how a whole community would turn against their king.

He told the king, “Once you accepted to be king, you should know there are traditions that needed to be observed. There is nothing good about all that was reported about you. I see no reason why you should go against your people. I am appealing to them now, and to you to do what they have asked you to do.

“You have until the end of February to make amends. It is left to you to follow the path of peace and secure the interest of your people. I cannot depose you and cannot ask them to depose you. But we can also not force you on them, so you have been given the chance to make amendment and redeem your image.”

In his reaction, the Oore, Oba Popoola, explained that the Isaoye monarch had rebuffed all efforts by traditional rulers to resolve the crisis.

Oba Popoola, however, assured the deputy governor that traditional rulers in Moba would use the two-month deadline to reconcile the embattled monarch with his angry subjects.

Oba Olajide, who denied the allegations against him by his subjects, said he was passionate about moving the community forward. To him, Isaoye “has remained stagnant because of the observance of some traditions.”