High Chiefs, who were promoted to the status of ‘Obas’ by the Oyo state government last year have explained the reason they shunned Sunday’s 90th birthday reception for the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji.
The High Chiefs, who recently made peace with the monarch, were conspicuously absent at the reception attended by Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the state, Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ojaja 11 and other eminent personalities.
But, the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Lekan Balogun, the next-in-rank to the Olubadan, who acknowledged receipt of the invitation card from the chairman of the planning committee, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, explained that the new “kings” decided not to attend the birthday reception because they were not “properly invited” to the occasion.
Balogun added that the new kings were invited as outsiders when they were supposed to be part of the organisers.
The Otun Olubadan, in a telephone interview with journalists on Monday in Ibadan, the state capital, said the fault of the improper invitation extended to the new kings was not from Adedoja.
He described the birthday planning committee chairman as a gentleman and an intelligent person, who ensured everything went properly.
The Otun Olubadan argued that the new kings were not carried along before the composition of the planning committee, and the whole programme did not have their input, which made the new kings to decide not to attend the birthday reception.
Balogun, however, explained further that if the beaded-crown-wearing monarchs had not taken the decision to boycott the birthday reception, there was no way he could have attended the programme because he was bereaved, saying his personal assistant on family affairs died on Friday.
He added that the boycott of the birthday reception of Olubadan would not affect the ongoing reconciliation between the new kings and the monarch.
Similarly, the Balogun of Ibadanland, High Chief Owolabi Olakelehin, confirmed the receipt of the invitation card, saying the letters were not properly addressed to them because they were addressed as ‘High Chiefs’ instead of ‘Obas’.
He stated further that the obas were supposed to be part of the organisers of the birthday programme, adding that before the planning committee was set up, the palace should have asked them to send two or three monarchs among them to be in the committee.
Director of Media and Public Affairs to Olubadan, Mr. Adeola Oloko while reacting, said he was aware that 20 invitation cards were sent to the ‘High Chiefs’, and that the 20 invitation cards were delivered to Balogun for onward delivery to his colleagues.
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