Oyo State Government has rejected and ordered a reversal of the elevation of nine senior chiefs under the Olubadan stool for not complying to the its chieftaincy laws.
One of the newly promoted chiefs is Rashidi Ladoja, a former governor and arch rival of incumbent Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
The Olubadan-in-Council had gone ahead to promote the chiefs, ignoring a letter from the Oyo ministry of chieftaincy affairs, which directed the applicant chiefs to the class II stool to submit their medical records and to security scrutiny, as demanded by law.
In a Monday letter conveying government displeasure, Zaccheaus Jayeola, director, Chieftaincy Matters, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, asked that the promotion be reversed under 48 hours.
The penalty should the chiefs failed to comply with the new directive is sanctions against them, the government said.
The government also absolved Olubadan, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade 1 of any wrongdoing, saying its “suspicion and ardent belief are that the recent purported elevation could not have received the blessing of our highly revered father and traditional ruler, the Olubadan of Ibadanland.
“He is reputed to be a forthright and foremost traditional ruler with an enviable track record of achievements and a firm believer in due process as well as a respecter of the rule of law”.
The government said it is an incongruity that the Olubadan of Ibadanland, who had written a letter requesting the Governor’s due approval for the elevation of the nine High Chiefs in accordance with the provisions of Section 14(2) of the Oyo State Chiefs Law” would be part of what the Olubadan-in-Council did.
It added that upon receiving Olubadan’s letter, government forwarded same names to the Department of State Security for scrutiny and directed the applying chiefs themselves to do same and present their medical certificate from a government secondary health institution.
Aside Ladoja, other beneficiaries of the promotion are Saliu A.O. Adetunji; Lekan Balogun, Akinloye Olakulehin, Olufemi Olaifa, Eddy Oyewole, Tajudeen Abimbola, Kola Daisi, Solomom A. Adabale.
Last Friday, nine traditional chieftaincy title holders were promoted by the Olubadan of Ibadan.
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