- …allegations are baseless, ill conceived—Palace spokesman
Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, witnessed protests on Sunday, November 24, as residents, including members of royal families of past kings, accused the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, of illegal land sales and abuse of power.
Carrying placards, the protesters also condemned the monarch’s decision to appoint non-indigenes as traditional community heads, particularly in the Agunbelewo community.
Olori Adesiyan Adenle, wife of a former Ataoja, called on Governor Ademola Adeleke to intervene, warning that the monarch’s actions could lead to communal clashes.
Speaking on behalf of the royal families, Prince Agboola Adejobi, Head of Oluawo Oba Compound, emphasized the need for accountability to the people and the gods, as upheld by past Ataojas.
“The primary duty of Ataoja is to develop the domain, as well as protect and develop every aspect of the sociocultural well-being of the Osogbo land.”
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“The cultural heritage of the Osogbo has not been as vibrant and elegant as it used to be, the traditional values and morals laid down by past Ataojas have been jettisoned by Olanipekun.”
However, when contacted, the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, through his personal secretary, Bello Wasiu, dismissed the protesters’ claims as baseless and unfounded, describing the allegations as ill-conceived.