Family heads popularly known as Mogajis in Ibadanland have condemned the recent pronouncement of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) for their support for the review of Olubadan chieftaincy declaration.
The Mogajis accused the CCII which is the apex socio-cultural group in Ibadanland of being compromised in taking such decision, describing the coronation of the 21 newly promoted High Chiefs and Baales as unfortunate.
DAILY POST gathered that the CCII through its President-General, Chief Yemi Soladoye, had on Tuesday at a press conference in Ibadan declared that 90 percent of Ibadan indigenes are in support of the review set up by Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State.
Soladoye said that the council had watched with caution, the public reactions to the series of social media misinformation that greeted the recent review of the Olubadan Chieftaincy System.
“For the avoidance of any doubt, the CCII wishes to confirm that the change that has just taken place was desired, initiated, supported, applauded and appreciated by the generality of Ibadan indigenes worldwide.
“We wish to reiterate that constant changes and reviews are in fact the ingredients that have sustained our well-organised and rancourless ascension to the throne of Olubadan of Ibadanland,’’ he said.
He said that CCII had made it clear to the state government, through its representatives on the committee, that nothing should affect the supremacy of the authority of Olubadan of Ibadanland.
Soladoye said that the ugly by-product of Ibadan’s unique, peaceful and enviable traditional democracy is the continuous ascension to the throne of Olubadan at ages too close to the end of their lives.
“In the last 20 months, we have lost five members of the Olubadan-in-Council including eminent personalities,’’ the council president said.
He also raised issues on the preservation of the hierarchical nature of ascension to the throne of Olubadan of Ibadanland, saying that it must remain sacrosanct.
According to him, the coronation of the new obas has achieved our desired end-state and also preserves what matters most to us.
“The authentic version of what happened in Ibadan on Sunday, Aug. 27 has settled our request on the review.
“Nobody has created any new ruling houses; every bonafide Ibadan indigene still has the right to aspire to become Olubadan.
“The former High Chiefs can now physically carry the authority of the Olubadan, work for development in their communities and create flamboyancy around the kabiyesi at public functions”.
Soladoye said that since years immemorial, an Ibadan High Chief is graded as equivalent of a second class Oba in Oyo State in terms of salary and status; hence, there is no monumental increase in government expenditure.
He said that the review had helped to balance their salaries with their prestige.
But the Mogajis while reacting to the purported endorsement on Wednesday said that the CCII’s has no capacity to do so.
The Mogajis described the CCII as, “An umbrella organisation of socio-cultural clubs and societies where people drink beer and take pepper soup”.
Spokespersons of the Mogajis, Chief Abdul Jelili Karimu (Mogaji Adanla) and Chief Olawale Oladoja (Mogaji Akinsola), “wondered how, when and where the CCII leadership conducted its survey before arriving at such a ridiculous figure of 90%, when town hall meetings were not conducted”.
According to them, many Mogaji;s (Family Heads) were terribly scandalized and thoroughly flustered when they learnt of the unfortunate CCII story. Said they: ‘As family heads in Ibadan land, we know where the shoes pinch, we know the feelings of our people at the grassroot more than a group of over-fed and vomiting elites. We wish to make it abundantly clear that we are solidly behind the Olubadan, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso 1″.
“Hence, we have the mandate of all our families in Ibadan land to issue a disclaimer. Let us even assume that the CCII has capacity to speak for Ibadan, the leadership is heavily compromised and could not possibly be trusted anymore, because without adequate consultation with over 200 member clubs and societies that make up the council, the CCII leadership went into hot, sizzling romance with the Oyo State Government only to be co-opted into the controversial Boade Panel. It is not surprising therefore that having committed the council and its integrity, they have no place to hide except to begin to defend the indefensible.’
“We wish to challenge the CCII to come out in the open and take a walk round Ibadan, saying they are in support of the government’s chieftaincy review and wait for public reactions on the matter. As socio-cultural organisations dedicated to drinking beers and pepper soup, the statement of CCII leadership that 90% of Ibadan indigenes endorsed the warrant monarchs by Governor Ajimobi could only have resulted from heavy hang-over. So, they should stop pretending that they are representing Ibadan people, they are representing themselves. They are out of tune with the feelings of our people.’
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