The Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu
Adetunji, has described the crowns given to the 21 new kings in Ibadan
as ones made of carton...
This was contained in a statement signed
by the Director, Media and Public Affairs to the monarch, Adeola Oloko,
after the monarch received members of the Council of Authentic Ibadan
Mogajis who paid him a solidarity visit at his palace on Tuesday.
The monarch said that he waited for 40
years before he was made a king, urging the high chiefs who were crowned
king by the state government to wait for their turn to become kings.
“In trying to convince me, the
representative of my family told me that it could be that one day I
would become a king. I then accepted it and became the Mogaji of my
family. I waited on God and he made me a king.
“Those who were crowned a few weeks ago
know within themselves that they are wearing fake crowns, it is just a
carton crown. I began my journey more than 40 years, why can’t they wait
for their turn. If you don’t wait for your turn, you will be on the
wrong side of destiny.”
The king also chided some Ibadan elders
who allegedly said that he consented to the move by Governor Abiola
Ajimobi to crown new kings in the city.
The statement added, “The Olubadan
described as untrue and unfounded the statement credited to a group of
Ibadan elders that Kabiyesi had consented to the controversial
chieftaincy review embarked upon by the Oyo State Government resulting
in the controversial crowning of 21 new kings.
“Oba Adetunji stated that the elders
should not mislead Ibadan people into believing what he did not say, as
what he said was that Governor Ajimobi, over whom they had come to
plead, was his son and that he would not want a third party intervention
over the matter. The Olubadan said for the avoidance of doubt, his
opposition to the elevation of high chiefs to kingship status without
domain remained the same.
“The Olubadan said that he could not see
how he would bless the high chiefs who had refused to wait for their
turn before stepping forward to take crowns from the government,
contrary to our tradition and custom.
“The king said that the same Ibadan
Elders’ Forum stoutly opposed the former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala’s
move to elevate six baales in their letter dated April 24, 2009. On page
two of that letter titled, ‘The composition of Oyo State Council of
Obas and Chiefs’, signed by Ambassador Olu Sanu and Onaolapo Ajibola,
they stated, “The (Ibadan Chieftaincy) system had worked for ages and
ensured peace and stability in Ibadan land and the forum would therefore
not want the government to tamper with the system in order not to
create confusion and ill feeling.’
“The first-class monarch has therefore
urged the Ibadan elders to stop contradicting themselves and creating
confusion for peace and progress of Ibadan land.”
Meanwhile, the Mogajis opposed to the
crowning of 21 kings in Ibadan, said at a press conference held on
Tuesday that the approach of the government in rushing the process and
performing the coronation on a Sunday showed that the government
probably had other motives beyond what was said to the people.
No comments: