The new Ooni of Ife will emerge within 40 days in line with the customs and tradition of the ancient town, kingmakers including and the Obalufe of Iremo Quarters, Ile-Ife, Oba Folorunso Omisakin, have said.
Omisakin told newsmen on Monday at a press conference held at the Ooni’s palace in Ile-Ife that it was now the turn of the Giesi Ruling House to present the candidate for the vacant stool.
“The 1980 Ife chieftaincy declaration, which Section 19 Subsections A (3) has confirmed, is that it is the turn of the Giesi Ruling House to present candidates for the vacant stool of Ooni.
“Other ruling houses such as Osinkola, Ogboru and Lafogido should wait for their turn,” he said.
Also speaking, another kingmaker and the Lowa Adimula of Ife, Oba Joseph Ijaodola, enjoined members of the four ruling houses and Ife residents in general to live in peace.
Ijaodola gave an assurance that the kingmakers would ensure transparency in the selection of the best candidate for the vacant stool.
The traditional ruler, however, said the next Ooni must be a man of good character with wide experience.
Also, the Executive Secretary, Ife East Local Government Council, Mr. Tajudeen Lawal, said that traditional rulers had initially been guided by the 1957 chieftaincy declaration which was later cancelled.
He said the 1980 Ife chieftaincy declaration was used to enthrone the late Oba Okunade Sijuwade, maintaining that the status quo would be sustained.
However, the Ife kingmakers have asked the Giesi Ruling House to present qualified candidates from the family, from which the next Ooni of Ife is to be selected.
The address was signed by six of the kingmakers. They are Obalufe; Lowa Adimula of Ife, Oba Joseph Ijaodola; Obajio of Moore Quarters, Ife, Oba Yaya Elugbaju; Jaran of Ife, Adekola Adeyeye; Obaloran of Ilode, Oba Sakariya Olawusi and Arode of Ife, Oba J.A. Awe.
Omisakin stated that the new Ooni would emerge within the next 40 days.
He said, “ We the 16 traditional rulers making up kingmakers by Ife traditional rules and customs hereby unanimously declare and affirm and confirm that 1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration is the one in existence now and we affirm as follows:
“Section 19 subsections a (3); that it is the turn of Giesi Ruling House to present a candidate/ candidates for the vacant stool of Ooni of Ife Chieftaincy.
“Other three ruling houses, that is, Osinkola, Ogboru and Lafogido should wait for their turns. No ruling house should be restricted to a particular quarter or areas of the town because members of the ruling houses live in different parts of the town.
“Finally, we hereby enjoin members of the four ruling houses, people of the town, religious bodies, men and women of Ife environs, to please maintain absolute peace.
“By doing this, the kingmakers would be able to select the best candidate for the vacant stool of Ooni of Ife.”
The Executive Secretary of Ife-East, Lawal, said it was the turn of the Giesi, going by the content of the 1980 declaration.
He said, “It is the turn of the Giesi. We will write to them very soon. The declaration had stated the ascendancy order. It is very clear.
The Chairman of Ife Central Local Government Area, Taiwo Olaiya, said the decision of the kingmakers to use the 1980 declaration was fair and just.
He said, “The 1980 Declaration was used to enthrone Oba Okunade Sijuwade. The declaration is so clear. It stated that the 1957 Declaration had been cancelled.
“Whoever will emerge must have relative ability and character. The kingmakers will determine who has the relative ability. They are the ones the law allows to determine who has relative ability.”
But the Osinkola Ruling House has said the family will challenge the decision of the kingmakers in court.
The Chairman, Publicity Committee of Osinkola Ruling House, Prince Olakunle Aderemi, who spoke to our correspondent on the telephone, said the family would challenge the action in court on Tuesday (today).
Aderemi said, “We will be in court tomorrow. We will challenge it in court. The instrument which the kingmakers used is corrupted. That instrument cannot stand the test of law; it will crumble.
The Lafogido Ruling House had on Sunday rejected the 1977 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration, describing it as harsh and unfair to the family.
The family, in a statement signed by the Sooko Walomo of Ile Ife, Prince Adeleke Adewoyin, said Lafogido had been constantly marginalised in chieftaincy reviews in Ife since 1957.
He said it was the turn of the ruling house to produce the next Ooni, who would succeed Oba Okunade Sijuwade, who died on July 28 in a London hospital.
The statement read, “We regard the 1977 gazette as harsh and unfair to the Lafogido Ruling House. The clear-cut preponderance of 14 Oonis have been enthroned from Lajodogun and only eight from Lafogido Ruling House.”
0 comments :
Post a Comment