-Family agrees on Odujumo branch to produce next Eletu
– Ikorodu traditional council endorse Adeniyi
-Sogba may take advantage of persistent crisis
Kunle Adelabu
One year after the demise of Eletu of Oke-Eletu, Chief Surajudeen Kasumu from Shogba Ruling House, principal members of Ayanlu Asetaloye Ruling House of Oke-Eletu in Ijede Local Council Development Area may have agreed on Odujumo branch to present the next candidate to occupy the stool.
In a letter dated 21st March, 2014 (a copy which is in IMPACT possession), and signed by three out of the four heads of branches which is made up of Ayanlu Asetaloye Ruling House; two secretaries and other fourteen principal members/representatives across the four branches- Oduoya, Odujumo, Oroku and Oduselu, it was agreed that it is the turn of Odujumo branch of Ayanlu Asetaloye Ruling House to produce the next Eletu of Oke-Eletu.
In the said letter sent to the Honourable Commissioner for Local Government & Chieftaincy Affairs, titled “Re-Eletu of Oke-Eletu: Appeal for Intervention in Ensuring Peaceful Selection of Eligible Candidate as Eletu of Oke-Eletu”, the principal members after tracing previous ascension to Eletu’s throne from both Ayanlu and Sogba Ruling Houses concluded that it is now the turn of Odujumo (Ayanlu) branch, “Now that it is the turn of Ayanolu, we the principal members and Heads from the branches of Ayanolu conclusively have no reservation than to bow to a just and precedent trend of succession unto the stool of Eletu of Oke-Eletu which naturally is the turn of the Odujumo branch.”
It was also alleged by Alhaji Nurudeen Kasali Oreiga (Ayenfala), head Oduoya branch; Alhaji Alliu
Abolade Shotomiwa, head Odujumo branch; Chief (Mrs) Layajo Matan Oroku, head Oroku branch and other signatories to the letter that the Kingmakers and other bodies responsible for the selection process of Eletu have been compromised and called on the intervention of an unbiased and reliable authority to ensure fairness of the selection process.
“It may interest your exalted office to note that all recognized institutions that are supposed to uphold justice and fair play in the selection process have been compromised and now serving selfish interest/agenda. Therefore, the integrity of these institutions are put to various questioning in carrying out their duties and responsibilities conscientiously. We are convinced it can only take an unbiased, honest and reliable authority at the state level to ensure probity, transparency and fairness in the selection process”, stated by the heads of branches and principal members of the Ayanlu Ruling House.
The agreement by the heads of Ayanlu branches and other principal officers to support Odujumo branch in presenting candidate to the controversial Eletu stool came after the intervention of Ijede LCDA into the chieftaincy crisis on the instance of the state government.
STATE OF ELETU TUSSLE BEFORE AGREEMENT BY HEADS OF BRANCHES AND PRINCIPAL MEMBERS
Following the process that culminated into the selection of Prince Adeniyi
Omotayo Ajayi, as Eletu-Elect by the Head of Ayanlu Asetaloye, Alhaji Azeez L. Agunbiade and other family elders and the forwarding of same to Ijede Kingmakers upon which several petitions were written to the Lagos State Government and Ijede Local Council Development Area faulting the said process, the Commissioner on 23 October, 2013 summoned the family representatives and after the meeting directed the Ijede LCDA to issue public notice declaring the Eletu’s stool vacant and calling for interested candidates from Ayanlu Ruling House of Oke-Eletu. IMPACT also gathered that the family also agreed with the Commissioner that all the fictitious letters on installation of a particular candidate written to the state government should be disregarded since the process is starting afresh.
Following the meeting, the public notice was issued in November 2013 and upon that, Olootu Agunbiade called a general family meeting on November 16, 2013 which was inconclusive because the branches could not agree on the consensus candidate. IMPACT gathered that, this development prompted Alhaji Agunbiade to forward the names of three candidates that submitted application within time to the Ijede Kingmakers which screened based on written and oral interviews and forwarded the report/minutes of the screening to the Chairman, Ijede Local Council Development Area on November 29, 2013. The candidates were – Prince Adeniyi Omotayo Ajayi (Oduoya branch), Prince Oludare Abisowo Osikoya ( Odujumo branch) and
Prince Musibau Kilani (Oroku branch).
In the Kingmakers’ report (a copy in possession of IMPACT), they affirmed that the three applicants performed brilliantly in the oral and written tests, but the candidature of Prince Adeniyi Omotayo Ajayi was preferred after consultation with Ifa oracle. “Consequently upon the above, we are pleased to inform you that the applicants performed brilliantly in both written and oral interview. However, the result from Ifa Oracle Priests show that Adeniyi Omotayo Ajayi is the best candidate out of the three applicants”, the kingmakers stated in their report.
DENIAL OF PRINCE ADENIYI AJAYI AS ODUOYA CANDIDATE AND POSITION OF ODUJUMO ON KINGMAKERS’ REPORT
In a three page petition dated 17th December, 2013, written to the Commissioner for Justice & Attorney-General of Lagos State, Odujumo branch faulted the selection of Adeniyi Ajayi as Eletu-Elect by the Ijede Kingmakers on the following grounds: one, that at the inconclusive meeting summoned by the Oloori Ebi Agunbiade, principal members from the four branches that made up of Ayanlu- Chief Aiyenfala (Head of Oduoya); Alhaji Soyiga and Adewale Idowu (from Oroku); Sunday Alagbe (Oduselu) and Madam Sariat Osikoya (Odujumo) among others held the view that the vacant position can only be filled by candidate from Odujumo or Oroku in line with the existing facts since Oduoya had once occupied the position; two, that Olootu Agunbiade submitted three names to the kingmakers even when family of one of the candidates (Oduoya) wrote to confirmed that they are not presenting candidate since they had once occupied the stool; three, the Petitioners also alleged that the panel (kingmakers) that screened the candidates were unconstitutional and illegal since it did not meet the requirements of Chieftaincy Declaration for Eletu of Oke-Eletu which listed- Oliwo, Osugbos and Odi-Oba as three Kingmakers that can screen Eletu’s candidates. The panel which consisted of Chief Alliu Musediku (Olisa of Ijede and the Olotu Iwarefa Osugbo), Chief Saliu Idowu Ogunmuyiwa (the Apena Osugbo), Chief Hassan Ogunmuyiwa (the Olotu Akogun Osugbo), Chief Adetutu Sumola (the Olotu Oko Osugbo and the Odofin of Ijede to the Petitioners is thus illegal and unfit to screen the Eletu candidates.
position; two, that Olootu Agunbiade submitted three names to the kingmakers even when family of one of the candidates (Oduoya) wrote to confirm that they are not presenting candidate since they had once occupied the stool; three, the Petitioners also alleged that the panel (kingmakers) that screened the candidates were unconstitutional and illegal since it did not meet the requirements of Chieftaincy Declaration for Eletu of Oke-Eletu which listed- Oliwo, Osugbos and Odi-Oba as three Kingmakers that can screen Eletu’s candidates. The panel which consisted of Chief Alliu Musediku (Olisa of Ijede and the Olotu Iwarefa Osugbo), Chief Saliu Idowu Ogunmuyiwa (the Apena Osugbo), Chief Hassan Ogunmuyiwa (the Olotu Akogun Osugbo), Chief Adetutu Sumola (the Olotu Oko Osugbo and the Odofin of Ijede to the Petitioners is thus illegal and unfit to screen the Eletu candidates.
Lastly, in the petition to the Commissioner for Justice & Attorney-General, the Petitioner also claimed that the Ifa Oracle was consulted behind the candidates, family and other Kingmakers and the results of the oral and written tests not disclosed and requested that the whole process be discountenanced.
The petition that was signed by Head of Odujumo family, Alhaji Aliu Shotomide and Secretary, Afiz Oshikoya and copied Head of Oduoya, Oroku and Oduselu branches was received at the Ministry of Justice on December 19th, 2013.
On the same day the Ministry was receiving the petition from Odujumo branch, Oduoya (family of controversial Eletu-Elect) was also
writing its own petition which was submitted to the ministry on December 20th, 2013. In the petition signed by Alhaji Nurudeen Kasali Oreiga as head and Mr Raufu Adedoyin Efusewo as secretary, the family denied Prince Niyi Ajayi and described him as an Impostor.
The Petitioners who wererom Oduoya family conceded the Eletu stool to Odujumo branch on the ground that their branch and that of Oduselu had occupied the Eletu stool at one time or the other and that two other branches, Odujumo and Oroku branches should be given equal opportunity. They specifically conceded the stool to Odujumo base on the fact that the branch was denied the position by the court which pronounced candidate of the other ruling house, Shoku rightful occupant of the stool.
“From the position contained in the letter enclosed, we do not present any candidate from our branch because members of our ruling house from other branches are equally entitled to the stool. Our Chief Owolabi Oduoya Eletu had occupied the stool before now and Chief Oye Shittu from Oduselu Branch had equally occupied the stool before now”, Oduoya family stated in its petition to the Commissioner.
When contacted, a representative of the Oduoya affirmed Prince Adeniyi as the branch candidate and also added that the letter could have been forged because the entire branch is standing by its candidate.
“We have said time and again that the entire Oduoya family is presenting Adeniyi as its candidate. In fact, he has complied with all necessary requirements and adjudged
to be the better candidate and Ifa Oracle has also pronounced this. What more does he need to prove again that he is Eletu in waiting?”, he asked
Meanwhile, Sogba the second ruling which produced the late Eletu may take advantage of crisis within Ayanlu Asetaloye to clinch the Eletu stool again. A source in the Ministry of Local Government & Chieftaincy Matters confided in our reporter that the Sogba Ruling House may activate
the clause of the stipulated time-frame in the Declaration.
IKORODU CHIEFTAINCY COUNCIL ENDORSED PRINCE ADENIYI, SENT NAME TO MINISTRY
The IMPACT has it on good authority that the Ikorodu Divisional Council of Obas and Chiefs has
endorsed the selection of controversial Eletu-Elect, Prince Adeniyi Ajayi as next Eletu of Oke-Eletu and sent to the Ministry of local Government affairs and Chieftaincy Matters.
At the Council’s monthly meeting held on Friday 25th April, 2014, at Ikorodu Local Government Secretariat under the chairmanship of HRM Oba (Dr) Salaudeen Afolabi Oyefusi, CON, GCOI, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, the Obas and Chiefs endorsed the selection of Prince Adeniyi Ajayi.
The IMPACT gathered that, this became the position of the Divisional Obas and Chiefs, after the Regent and Olisa of Ijede, High Chief Musediku Alliu, who was the head of Alejede Kingmakers that also adjudicated over Eletu’s selection insisted on the outcome of the process that produced Prince Adeniyi Ajayi on 29th November, 2013.
Our source, also reliably informed us that the Divisional Traditional Council also resolved that henceforth its position on any traditional matter would not be allowed to be changed by any external force.
It was gathered that the name of Prince Adeniyi Ajayi was subsequently sent to the Ministry of Local Government Affairs and Chieftaincy Matters on 28th Monday April, 2014 by the Divisional traditional council.
When contacted, a prominent member of Odujumo told The IMPACT that if the development is true, the family would challenge the decision in court because the divisional council does not have such power it had exercised.