Protests dog Gov Amosun’s valedictory installation of new traditional rulers

Protests and controversies have been trailing the many appointments and installations of new obas (traditional rulers) by the Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, lately, ahead of the winding up of his administration on May 29. Only on Monday, Amosun presented letters of appointment as coronet traditional rulers to 75 newly promoted baales (village chiefs), a […]

Protests and controversies have been trailing the many appointments and installations of new obas (traditional rulers) by the Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, lately, ahead of the winding up of his administration on May 29.

Only on Monday, Amosun presented letters of appointment as coronet traditional rulers to 75 newly promoted baales (village chiefs), a development that has ruffled the feathers of many community leaders and monarchs.

The discord had equally hit Amosun’s cabinet when his Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Jide Ojuko, resigned last week over chieftaincy disputes in Aworiland where he hails from.

Ojuko, in his letter dated May 14, 2019 and addressed to the governor, declared that the governor’s “recent directive on the issue of Obaship in some areas in Ota runs against my conscience and yearnings of my people that I represent.”

The former Commissioner added that he had wished that after leaving political office, he would go back to his people with his family “in peace of mind”, but that with Amosun’s decision, he would only become an “outcast” among his people if he continued in office.

Forty-eight hours later, however, Ojuko made a volte-face and returned to his office, saying the governor had rejected his letter. He later described the letter as “a love letter between two lovers”.

Ojuko’s earlier resignation had come few hours after some chiefs from Aworiland had threatened a showdown over an alleged plan by Amosun to illegally install obas in the area. The Commissioner, hence, was believed to be dancing to the tune of his aggrieved kinsmen.

The chiefs in Aworiland, led by the Seriki Ota, Chief Olanrewaju Bashorun, alleged “a plan by some influential people to illegally install kings in Awori towns”, which fall in the domain of the Olota of Ota, Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area, Oba Abdulkabir Obalanlege.

Bashorun said, “Where there is an apparent intent or suspicion of intent to discredit the will, distort the culture and breach the tradition of the people, it is not always right to keep silent in the face of such indiscretion.

“Indeed, we have been told that, against conscience, common sense and justice that some new obas, whose ancestors were not biologically, historically and circumstantially linked with the Aworis nor had any affiliation with the kingship, would be installed before the end of the month.

“Any such action or endeavour without the consent of the Olota of Ota is an exercise in futility and would be resisted with every legitimate means available to us”.

More protests were launched on Monday with Ibese and Olorunda communities in the Yewa North and Abeokuta North local government areas joining the angry communities opposing what they maintained was an “imposition of monarchs.”

The protesters, in their hundreds, carried placards with various inscriptions to drive home their demands.

A leader in Ibese community, Elder James Kumoye, said they suspected foul play following government’s failure to approve the appointment of the town’s Oba-elect, Rotimi Mulero, who had been elected by the kingmakers on March 25, 2019.

According to Kumoye, Mulero’s election represented the peoples’ choice and any plot to compromise the kingmakers’ decision would be resisted.

“We just want the governor to give approval; anything short of that may cause disharmony in the community and nobody can foretell how it would end. Nobody can predict the dimensions it will assume though we want peace in Ibese. We are peace-loving people, but we don’t want our rights to be trampled upon, Rotimi Mulero is our choice,” he stressed.

Similarly, community leaders in Owo, Yewa South local government, whose late oba, Patrick Fasinu, was murdered about two years ago, alleged the imposition of a monarch “at a point when burial rites of the late monarch had not been concluded.”

Fasinu, who had gone for a meeting of traditional rulers in Ilaro, Ogun State, in July 2017, was waylaid and hacked to death with axes by suspected assassins.

The Vice-Chairman of Owo Forum, Mrs Aghelegin Comfort Olayinka, who led some leaders and members of the community in a protest in Abeokuta, expressed concern that “nothing has been done to ensure justice” over Fasinu’s murder. The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions like, ‘We demand justice not mayhem’, ‘Olowo’s throne is not for sale’, Obas in Ogun State come to our aid’ and ‘Gov Amosun, save the people of Owoland’.

Olayinka said, “Since the killing of the Olowo of Owoland in 2017, nothing has been done. Those in detention over the killing, including the prime suspect, had been released on bail. We want the government to wade into the matter and ensure justice is done.”

However, the outcry from the different communities has failed to stop Amosun’s valedictory installation of monarchs.  Apart from the 75 coronet obas, the governor was yesterday set to install Oba Saburee Babajide Bakre as the new Agura of Gbagura, a first-class monarch in Abeokuta North local government area of the state, among others.

Amosun justified the installation of the new obas, saying the promotion was in compliance with sub-sections (1) and (2) of Section 25 of the Chiefs Laws of Ogun State. “All appointments and promotion followed due process and recommendations from their prescribed authorities”, Amosun, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, at the presentation of letters to the 75 obas, said.

However, stakeholders wonder if the appointments and installations, coming in the last days of Amosun’s government, would stand a test of time, considering the incoming government’s disposition to review the appointments, contracts and installation of monarchs being done by the outgoing administration.