Following the dispute over the rotational chairmanship of the Oyo State Council of Obas between the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, yesterday, urged the monarchs to work together to address insecurity in the South West and advance its development agenda. Vanguard reports.
This came as the Egbe Omo Oyo Niiwa Nitooto, yesterday, insisted that the primacy of the Alaafin of Oyo in the Council of Obas is settled by history, sacred by tradition, and non-negotiable under any political arrangement.
Recall that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State had named Oba Ladoja the new chairman of the Council of Obas and Chiefs.
Under the new arrangement, the permanent chairmanship of the council is to rotate among the Olubadan, the Alaafin, and the Soun of Ogbomoso.
To douse the tension among the traditional rulers, Igboho, in a statement, described it as “unimpressive for the prominent traditional rulers, whose stools were germane to the historical evolution of Yoruba, to dissipate energy on crisis over positions,” urging them to work together to address insecurity in Yorubaland and advance the South-West’s development agenda.
He also called on Yoruba leaders, including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the Olugbon of Orile Igbon, Oba Francis Olushola Alao, to help diffuse the tension surrounding the permanent chairmanship of the Oyo State Council of Obas.
Igboho noted that old empires in Yorubaland had given way to modern traditional institutions without distorting historical facts.
He said: “Why should our royal fathers dissipate energy on positions when bandits, terrorists and other criminal elements have taken over our forests in the South West, considering the recent ignoble killings of guards in Old Oyo National Park and other parts of Oyo State?
“It is critical for traditional rulers, irrespective of hierarchy, to close ranks in protecting Yoruba’s territorial integrity against ravaging insecurity, foster unity and healthy developments in the collective interest of the South West.
“Traditional rulers should continue to be agents of cohesiveness, harmony and economic growth. When your subjects, most especially farmers in rural communities, were being gruesomely murdered, it is not ideal to promote dispute over ephemeral positions.”
