The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, on Tuesday insisted that the “controversial approval of beaded crowns by the Oyo State Government to Ibadan High Chiefs and Baales,” still remains reversible.
Oba Adetunji made this known in a statement issued and made available to journalists by his Director of Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Adeola Oloko.
The monarch, while reacting to a statement credited to Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state on Monday in Ibadan declared that judgement delivered by Justice Aiki of the Oyo State High Court had declared the whole chieftaincy reform as “illegal, null and void”.
The monarch said, “Afterwards, the Oyo State Government decided to file an appeal at the Federal High Court. My position is that if a case is in court, it is no longer open for discussion as this statement is automatically sub judice. If it is not reversible, why did the two parties have to go to court?”
Oba Adetunji while faulting the statement by the Governor that the hue and cry which greeted the controversial crowning of the traditional rulers was political, said “the issue raised is customary and traditional in nature”.
He added that, “My humble opinion is that the procedure for approval of beaded crowns for any chief or Baale in Ibadan was not discussed at the Olubadan-in-Council level. If it was discussed, how would any of the High Chiefs bear two titles at the same time? Oba and High Chief? Abomination.”
While emphasizing that while he was not opposed to the provision of cars to traditional rulers by the State Government, Oba Adetunji asked Ajimobi to prevail upon the controversial kings to release the eleven months salaries of palace staff which they have been withholding along with Olubadan’s salary cheques, even when the allocations for traditional councils have been released.
“It is to avoid breakdown of law and order in Ibadanland and beyond that I maintained dignified silence. If the motive behind the reform was to modernize, then the reform had bred indiscipline and gangsterism.
“The so-called new kings, backed by the Oyo State Government undermined the authority of the Olubadan on their decree that there should be no masquerade dance.
“Even, when all masqueraders under the leadership of the Olori Alagbaa; Baale Labala and Aare Isese of Ibadanland complied with the order, the State Government along with one of its commissioners went on propaganda spree, saying that Olubadan’s order had been disobeyed, as masquerades danced in one of the embattled high chief’s compound.
”We told them to produce the pictures on newspaper pages or television screen. Was Atipako there? Was Alapansanpa there? Was Olunlade there? Was Oloolu there?”
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