Four families kick against installation of traditional ruler in ogun state
Four families under the Iwaye Dodo ruling house in the ancient Ipokia town located in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State have protested against the installation of Oba Yisa Olaniyan as the 46th Onipokia of Ipokia Kingdom.
Penpushing reports that, Ogun State Government had on Wednesday August 12, 2020 through the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Afolabi Afuape installed the controversial monarch at a ceremony held at Iwaye Adodo Ancestral Meeting Hall Ipokia.
The families comprising of Asade, Adekanbi,Oteni and Okeleye in swift reaction to the development declared in a statement signed by its secretary, Ruth Okeleye that the installation was illegal claiming that the government had earlier annulled the selection process via a letter reference number CHM.3/18vol.IV/84 dated 10th May 2019 through the Ogun State ministry of Local Government and Chieftancy .
‘The presentation of Staff of Office which was hurriedly and secretly done by Hon Commissioner Afuwape, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Ogun State on behalf of the State Government has confirmed our statement of June 15th,2020 in our protest against the Ogun State government’s approval for installation of Yisa Olaniyan as the King of Ipokia in which we cried out loud and clear that Ogun State Government under the leadership of Governor Dapo Abiodun was turning Ogun State to a Banana Republic’.
The families recalled that their protest of June 15 2020,was premised upon the letter of 30th March, 2020 from the Ministry of local government and Chieftaincy Affairs to Transition Chairman, Ipokia Local Government and Ipokia Council of Chiefs to begin the process of installation of Yisa Olaniyan as next Onipokia despite pending litigations over the matter in court.
‘Whereas, Hon Justice Ogunfowora at the High Court Ogun State sitting at the Ilaro Division on 19th August, 2019 declared the stool of Onipokia vacant due to gross non-compliance with the chiefs law of Ogun state 2006 and directed the parties to maintain status quo pending the final decision on the matter’.
‘Whereas, the Ogun state lawyers led by Barr O.A.Lawal from the Ministry of Justice representing the Governor, Ministry of Local government Chieftaincy Affairs, Ogun State Ministry of Justice, and Ipokia Local Government affirmed to the nullification before the judge, yet the state government went ahead to de-annul the nullification order and eventually presented staff of office and Certificate to Yisa Olaniyan, a non member of Iwaye Adodo Ruling House as substantive King of Ipokia on 12th August, 2020 against all appeals despite our petitions to His Excellency and the Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly on the controversy surrounding the Onipokia stool.
The statement said the aggrieved families stated that the purported installation has now confirmed the actions of Olu Ilaro,Oba Kehinde Olugbenle,alongside his allies: Mr Isiaka Abolurin and Chief Akeem Adigun and the cohorts who have brazenly continued to boast that they will use all means possible within Government circles and staff of the Ministry of Justice/Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs to install Yisa Olaniyan, a non-member of Iwaye Adodo Ruling House by do or die machination.
‘This Government action has also confirmed that the Ogun state government under the leadership of Governor Dapo Abiodun has used political sentiment to settle a rather more serious matter which could snowball into a serious crisis and unrest if not wittingly handled’
. ‘Installation of Yisa Olaniyan as the 46th Onipokia in a do or die manner was an illegality capable of breaching the public peace and tranquility which Ipokia is noted for to cause anarchy, disorder, serious crisis, unrest and pandemonium in Ipokialand.
The families noted that, as matured, progressive, reasonable and law abiding citizens of Nigeria, they have resorted to allow peace to reign supreme in Ipokia in spite of all provocations by the government and Yisa’s supporters to wait for the Court’s verdict over the matter.
‘We believe in justice and that justice will be done in our favour as it has been done in the cases of Olupoti of Ipoti,Ekiti State after 24years on the throne and Eleruwa of Oyo state after 21years on the throne among several others’, the statement said.
It is only Almighty God that gives power and takes power away from any creature He wishes. Power belongs permanently to God and power and position is ephemeral to man. We wait unto God to return our mandate to us through the instrumentality of court of competent jurisdiction’
‘We hereby call on the good people of Ipokia to remain on the path of truth and stand by the truth and remain calm and steadfast and not to breach the continued peace and tranquility subsisting in Ipokia while the Lord arrests our detractors.
Penpushing further reports that, other elders of the Iwaye Dodo ruling house who were signatories to the protest letter include: Prince Adenle Asade, Prince Jimoh Adekanbi, Prince Ajibola Oteni and Prince Hezekiah Okeleye
