A crisis of confidence is brewing among Obas in the Osun State Council of Obas over a purported distortion of history by the Owa Obokun of Ilesha, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, following the demise of Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade.
According to the Obas led by the Orangun of Ila, Oba Wahab Olukayode Adedotun Bibire I, following the passing on of Oba Okunade Sijuwade, it was decided that an advertorial mourning his exit be placed in three major newspapers.
The Orangun of Ila who spoke to journalists at his palace Monday said he and other Obas were shocked after the placement of the advertorial as the content was not only misleading, but amounted to a deliberate falsification of Yoruba history.
Oba Wahab Adedotun noted that there is no organization known and legally recognized as “Osun State Council of Traditional Rulers” on the platform of which the advertorial was placed but what obtains is Osun State Council of Obas.
Another area of contention was the purported arrogation of the acting chairmanship of the Osun State Council of Obas to himself in the said advertorial by Oba Adekunle Aromolaran.
In the words of the Orangun of Ila, “I am surprised to have found the name of Orangun of Ila below that of Owa Obokun in the publication which must have sent wrong information to millions of Nigerians. There is no iota of truth in the false claim of Owa Obokun who is, maybe at best next to Orangun of Ila in the Osun State Council of Obas,” he stated.
Oba Oyedotun declared that in the hierarchical structure of the children of Oduduwa which remain the legitimate basis for any claim to leadership, the position of the Orangun of Ila is clearly stated in Yoruba history and cannot be re-written or distorted by anybody.
“It should be noted that, historically, the position of the Orangun of Ila is well known in the hierarchy of the children of Oduduwa throughout Yorubaland both in and outside Nigeria. By Yoruba culture ascension to any position of authority is purely a matter of tradition,” he insisted.
However, for the Olokuku of Okuku, Oba Abioye Oluronke, drawing attention to what has been done wrongly by Owa of Ilesha does not indicate that there is a grouse among the Obas in the state.
“We do not want the public and historians to take what Owa has done that is not correct in order not create the impression that he is right and use it as a precedence. He is on his own as far as the Obas Council is concerned. It is a distortion of historical fact to place Owa ahead of Orangun in hierarchical order,” he submitted.
The Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, Lamimisa I, observed that no Oba in the state was against the placement of the advertorial. “The Orangun of Ila was supportive of the move but there was a deliberate attempt to subvert a historical truth.
“There is the need to correct the relegation of Orangun below his status. In the order of precedence, as the first son of Oduduwa, he must come before Owa in order of precedence. No Oba can arrogate the position of acting chairman of Osun State Council of Obas to himself,” he said.
“No Oba can promote himself to any position; it has to be done by government since the Council of Obas is a statutory body created by the state government.
“This is the right time to sit down and correct the obvious lapses. Government needs to call a meeting following the demise of Oba Sijuwade who was the chairman to officially announce an acting chairman for the Council” says Oba Rasheed Olabomi, the Aragbiji of Iragbiji.
The Orangun of Ila seized the opportunity, on behalf of the Obas, to condole with the Sijuwade family, traditional rulers, the people of Ile-Ife and the entire Yoruba race on the transition of Oba Okunade Sijuwade, whom he described as a great monarch.
In attendance at the briefing were the Olunisa of Inisa, Oba Joseph Fasikun; Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal; Elerin of Erin-Osun, Oba Yussuf Omoloye Oyagbodun; Olokuku of Okuku, Oba Abioye Oluronke and Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Rasheed Olabomi.
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