Ekiti state government stops traditional ruler’s salary for abandoning community

The Ekiti State Government has ordered suspension of monthly salaries of the traditional ruler of  Isaoye Ekiti, Oba Gabriel Olajide, for abandoning his royal duties and refusal to appear or live in the town for over three years.

Penpushing reports that, the Deputy Governor Bisi Egbeyemi, gave the directive on Thursday in Ado Ekiti, during a meeting he held with traditional rulers and other stakeholders from the community.

The Isaoye Ekiti community had written a petition to the state government, accusing the embattled royal father of abdicating his throne, as well as other acts of misconduct, a development the government discovered from security report  may result into an unending crisis in the community.

Penpushing further reports that the petitioners accused the traditional ruler of highhandedness and disrespect for the town’s tradition, hence, in swift response the government initiated a meeting where the aggrieved chiefs brought their grievances.

The Obaisa of Isaoye, Chief Joseph Ogidi speaking on behalf of his colleagues said the monarch, who ascended the throne in 2017, had abandoned the community and had failed to yield to government’s directive issued at a meeting presided over by the Deputy Governor on November 17, 2018 that he should resume his official duties.

Penpushing also reports that, the aggrieved chiefs demanded the dethronement of the monarch for allegedly sponsoring attacks on his subjects, “abandonment of his throne, violation of the town’s cultural heritage, destruction of the shrines and artefacts.

They equally alleged him of using the police to harass his subjects, refusal to participate in cultural and traditional practices which he claimed are against his faith and refusal to appear in the town for over three years.

Penpushing further reports that, the petitioners accused the embattled royal father of using his connection as a police officer to cause the arrest and detention of his subjects by the men of the Nigerian Police.

The Obaisa of Isaoye had earlier told the Deputy Governor that the monarch latest refusal to allow Abiola Adeyeye, the Eyebasa of Isaoye, to hold a feast in honour of the chiefs had threatened the peace of the community and could snowball into crisis if there was no prompt government intervention.

Penpushing reports that, Ogidi pointed out that every appeal to the monarch to heed the government’s directive last issued in November 2018 to return home and perform his royal duties and provide day-to-day leadership to the community had fallen on deaf ears.

The Obaisa of Isaoye disclosed that the Moba Traditional Council presided over by the immediate past Oore of Otun Ekiti, Adedapo Popoola, failed to convince the monarch to back down from his hard line stance against his subjects which compelled them to officially request for his dethronement by the state government.

Penpushing also reports that the embattled traditional ruler while responding to the allegations, admitted that he had abandoned his domain for the “fear of the unknown” and maintained that he would not change his position.

The royal father in his claim said his subjects had denied him access to the palace, but the Deputy Governor, expressed dismay why the monarch refused to perform his official duties as a traditional ruler for over three years despite government’s intervention in the conflict with his subjects.

Penpushing reports that the Deputy Governor posited that the monarch lacked the moral justification to be collecting salaries for duties not rendered, and subsequently directed Moba Local Government to stop his monthly salaries with immediate effect..

“You were enthroned as the king of your town and you have not stayed in that town for the past three years and you are using the police to arrest the people you are supposed to be leading as an Oba ” he noted.

“You know I told you since 2018 that if you prefer your police duty to the throne, the choice is yours and you can leave it and face your police duty but your functions as an Oba must not suffer because your community needs you’.

“You said you can’t perform sacrifices and participate in rituals. If you can’t do it, you will have problems with your people. This government does not want your town to dethrone you. How can you be made an Oba and you run away from the throne?

“You stay outside and you unleash the police on your people. The person that wants to hold a feast for the chiefs (Eyebasa) to mark her chieftaincy you stopped her from doing so;,the Deputy Gover emphasised.

“Chiefs, let the woman hold her “Iwuye” ceremony because the government has spoken. But I don’t want your Oba to be dethroned, but his salary must be stopped because he should not collect money for the work he has not done.

The Deputy Governor, however, declined the community’s request for dethronement of the monarch, saying the application to that effect is already before the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers which is expected to make appropriate recommendations to the state government.

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