Trouble looms in Akure Kingdom, as Isinkan princes, princesses reject Deji’s attempted relegation of autonomous community to chieftain against Obaship status

*Say his purported appointment of Iralepo is affront on Ondo State Govt

…calculated attempt to disrupt peace in Akure South

*As Isinkan, Isolo reveal truth of Supreme Court judgement Deji bandies

…Judgement affirms Appeal Court ruling that ‘only authority to decide status of autonomous communities is Ondo State Govt not Deji’

By OUR REPORTER

“We were surprised to read from the media the following day that the person who came second with four votes, Gbenga Henry Adeyeye had been appointed as “High Chief Iralepo” by the Deji. This can’t be nothing but desperation!”

The Princes and Princesses in Isinkan in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State have described the purported appointment of Gbenga Henry Adeyeye as Iralepo by the Deji as an affront on their tradition and heritage and an insult to the Ondo State government.

They assert that it amounts to over-stepping of boundaries, which is capable of truncating the peace being enjoyed in the state capital.

Rising from their emergency meeting held at the residence of Olori Omowas, Prince Durojaye Ariyo, at Isinkan, the group said the action of the Deji was alien to the customs and traditions of Isinkan people.

The meeting was attended by all the contestants to the stool except Gbenga Henry Adeyeye and the Oba-elect Olugbenga Ojo, who was in seclusion for the mandatory Iralepo Obaship traditional rites.

Isinkan and Isolo are two autonomous communities in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State, which have their places in the gazette and have been ruled by Obas in history. The Deji of Akure has insisted that they would no longer rule as Obas but as chiefs, a development that has caused misgivings between both communities and the Akure’s stool in recent times.

The DEFENDER’s investigations have proved that there is an Ondo State Government’s Executive Order, which declared Isinkan and Isolo as autonomous community, especially during the administration of Governor Olusegun Agagu, and has not been repealed by any other.

Complaints from both communities showed that whereas the Ondo State Government of Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) is willing to present the Obas of Isinkan and Isolo their Staffs of Office, “the Deji of Akure is the one blocking it because he wants to relegate the two Obas recognised by history and official gazette to the mere rank if an ordinary chief.”

One of the complainants said, “The government of Ondo State has honoured you with benefit to become Chairman Ondo State Council of Obas and the Federal Government has done same by making you Chancellor of Federal University of Technology Minna among other benefits. He should know that neither the state government nor Federal Government will be happy that he pats it back with creation of crisis as a result of not reciprocating the kind gesture of the highest order by letting Obas under him also enjoy their own benefits by rights.

“The Deji has been claiming Supreme Court judgement as back up for his action but that is not true. The apex court striking out the case only affirmed the Court of Appeal judgement that saud the only authority to decide the status of any of the communities that is Isinkan or Isolo is Ondo State Government not Deji of Akure.

By the way, if you want only you as Deji to be an Oba in Akure Kingdom, why are you called a Paramount Ruler?” The complainant asked.

Following the emergency meeting in Isinkan, Prince Ariyo said the selection of candidate to the throne of Iralepo of Isinkan followed due process and in line with the provisions of chiefs’ law of Ondo State 1984 as amended.

The Leader of the Omowas affirmed that the recognition of Iralepo as a Traditional Stool is in fact in conformity with the same Supreme Court judgment that the Deji is bandying about.

“The Supreme court judgement only affirmed the Court of Appeal judgement which states clearly that the only authority to decide the status of Iralepo as an Oba is the Ondo State Executive Council.

“The Deji and his fellow travellers should make enquiry to the government on the decision of the Ondo State Executive Council because the Iralepo of Isinkan has been duly approved as a recognized Obaship Chieftaincy by the Council.

“That Supreme Court judgement has therefore been fully cured,” he said.

Prince Ariyo reaffirmed that the selection of Oba Olugbenga Ojo followed due process.

“We presented five aspirants to the kingmakers for the vacant stool. The Kingmakers thereafter sought approval from Ondo State government through the Akure South local government for the selection process. Approval was duly granted on the 11th of October, 2021.”

This led to the final selection process on the 21st of October, 2021 held at Saint Thomas’s event centre, Isinkan, supervised by the secretary to Akure South Local government, Hon. Gbenga Fasua and under the watchful eyes of security personnel.

During the exercise, Prince Olugbenga Ojo defeated other contestants including Gbenga Henry Adeyeye to emerge the Iralepo.

All the contestants signed memorandum of understanding and peace accord, shook hands and promised to support the winner.”

“We were surprised to read from the media the following day that the person who came second with four votes, Gbenga Henry Adeyeye had been appointed as “High Chief Iralepo” by the Deji. This can’t be nothing but desperation!

The position of “High Chief Iralepo” is strange to us and unknown to Isikan. We could have waved it aside but for posterity, we choose to set the record straight.

So, after following due process, we consider any other appointment or installation of Iralepo outside that of the one elected in Isikan by the people of Isikan as an affront to constituted authority.”

“We will also like to put a lie to the media report that we – in the Iralepo Royal family recommended Adeyeye to the Deji. That is a blatant lie from the pit of hell! We did not. We only recommended five aspirants including him to Isinkan Kingmakers for consideration.”

Prince Ariyo added that the community prevailed on the youths who had planned to protest the purported appointment by the Deji which they consider as an insult to the community.

The Olori Omowas therefore enjoined the State government to call the Deji to order so that peace being enjoyed in the state capital is not truncated.