Home to prominent Nigerians that have distinguished themselves in various fields of human endeavours including business and politics, Ijebu-Igbo has been without a monarch for 20 years following the death of Oba Samuel Adetayo, Ikupakude IV, the Orimolusi, in 1994. The unusual interregnum which could end in a matter of weeks from now is causing unease in the agrarian community, writes ERNEST NWOKOLO
In a couple of weeks from now, specifically on February 12, two days to Valentine, sons and daughters – as well as residents of the ancient town of Ijebu-Igbo in Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State, would know their fate – whether genuine love, unity, progress and trust that had eluded the populous town would once again reign supreme.
On that day, the entire people of the town would literally focus their gaze on the Supreme Court in Abuja where the controversy over who should be the right person to ascend the exalted stool of the Orimolusi of Ijebu-Igbo among candidates vying for the throne of the town’s traditional ruler would be put to rest.
For over two decades, Ijebu-Igbo and its people had been contending with acrimony, mutual mistrust, stunted development, dashed hopes, tortuous litigation and routine youth violence in their long quest for a new Oba.
In June 14, 2012, a ray of hope swept through the faces of the residents and they thought the long wait was over when the Appeal Court sitting in Ibadan upheld the judgment of an Ijebu-Igbo High Court which had earlier favoured Prince Saliu Adebisi Sadiku as the person to mount the throne of their forebears.
While those that went to Appeal Court in Ibadan in 2012 for the judgment were yet to return, the town erupted into spontaneous jubilation, hoping that in a matter of days from the date of that verdict, a new Oba would formally be put in place, but the joy and victory songs were rather short-lived as one of the parties in the legal battle over Orimolusi stool approached the Supreme for another round of Appeal.
And for the litigation – weary indigenes, some of them began to blame the relatively new government of Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
In their estimation, had the government not dilly-dallied a new Oba would have been installed with the backing of the Appeal Court verdict and there would have been no opportunity for the case going to the Supreme Court on Appeal but the government cleverly pushed the blame back to them.
Amosun, who visited the town shortly after the birth of his administration, told the townsfolk demanding for Oba to tell contenders to the throne to resolve their differences amicably and to also withdraw all pending court cases in respect of the Orimolusi stool as the state government would neither impose an Oba on the town nor install one in defiance of pending legal dispute over the throne.
Also, giving insight into the government’s position, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Basorun Muyiwa Oladipo, said the pending appeal on the matter tied the hands of the Amosun’s administration which would not take any step in contravention of the Rules of Law.
Oladipo said: “There was a judgment at the Court of Appeal in Ibadan that favoured one of the contestants sometime last year (2012). But that judgment had been appealed against at the Supreme Court and until after the determination of the case, we can’t do anything about the installation of the new Orimolusi.
“We have no any other interest but that of the rule of law; I can boldly assure you that we will not waste any time after the Supreme Court judgment. No one should blame a government that had spent less than two years in office for a stool that has been vacant for over 18 years.”
But with the Supreme Court being the final temple to seek justice, it is expected that the forthcoming verdict of the highest court in the land whichever way it tilts to, the town would accept it and move on.
Ijebu-Igbo has been without a central traditional ruler for 20 years now following the demise of Oba Samuel Adetayo (Ikupakude 1V) in 1994 and attempt by the town’s kingmakers to fill the vacant stool has seared the once mutual love, brotherly feelings and unity that characterised members of the two prescribed Ruling Houses – Ojuromi and Ikupakude. Rivalry and suspicion are now common place among them.
Two weeks ago, the youth in their hundreds took to the streets and roads that criss-crossed Ijebu-Igbo, the administrative headquarters of Ijebu North Local Government of Ogun State, peacefully demanding the installation of an Oba for the stool of Orimolusi with a call on the feuding royal families to sheath their daggers.
They said a central Oba is needed to provide the leadership and drive required to wake the ancient town up from its socio-economic doldrums and position her on the path of peace, unity and progress given its human and natural potentials.
Ijebu-Igbo is classified into five clans. The Olori-Ebi of the Ojuromi Ruling House, Mr Sefiu Shittu, who is popularly called Jawesola in the town, gave the names of the clans/quarters as Oke-Sopen, Oke-Agbo, Ojowo, Atikori, and Japara.
The Nation gathered that on the advice the Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, the Awujale of Ijebuland, the prescribing authority, an Oba is enthroned to govern each of these clans to maintain peace in their respective quarters and they are typically seen as lesser monarchs who can’t speak for the whole Ijebu-Igbo town as they all submit to the authority of the Orimolusi.
The Orimolusi of Ijebu–Igbo is a first-class Oba in Ogun State and also the supreme head of Ijebu-Igbo and the last Orimolusi was late Oba Samuel Adetayo (Ikupakude IV), who joined his forebears in 1994 and in the absence of a Regent, coupled with the rivalry over who become the next Orimolusi, the people rarely had achieved unanimity on important issues affecting them.
On why there has not been a Regent all this while to stand in the gab and coordinate the affairs of the town pending the emergence of the next Orimolusi, a reticent indigene who would loved to be left out in the matter told The Nation that there is no known history or culture of Regency in Ijebu-Igbo and said this informed why everyone appeared to be on his own on issues that affect the town generally.
Also, Shittu said successive governments in the state have capitalised on the prevailing discordant tunes among the people to deny the town of the much needed government attention despite its contributions to the economic development of Ogun State.
He said Ijebu-Igbo perhaps has the largest land mass in Ijebuland and shares three important boundary points with Ibadan (Oyo State), Ikire (Osun) and Ondo (Ondo) and also boasts of mineral resources like Iron ore, diamonds and silver underneath her soil.
It is home to many saw mills, Apoje Farms established by late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Cassava Farms, Cocoa and abattoir that are revenue sources to the state and local governments. It is equally home to Molusi College where the late social critic, Dr Tai Solarin, once taught before leaving to found the Mayflower School, Ikenne.
Legend has it that the founder of the town Onayelu was a prince in Ijebu-Ode. A great hunter, Onayelu migrated from Ijebu-Ode to found what is today known as Ijebu–Igbo following his annoyance over the way his younger brother Prince Ofiranoye ascended the throne in Ijebu-Ode following the sudden death of their father while he, Onayelu was away on hunting expedition.
When The Nation visited Ijebu-Igbo at the weekend, it observed a community developing at a snail speed even though the town has all the potentials for greatness; having sired great sons like late Afenifere Leader, Senator Abraham Adesanya, Senator Biyi Durojaiye, the owner of Globacom, Dr Mike Adenuga, Senator Lekan Mustapha, serving Senator Gbenga Kaka (a one-time deputy governor of the state), billionaire hotelier, Prince Buruji Kashamu, the Kazeem brothers (of Shokas and Ibukun Orisun Iye fame) among others.
The level of mistrust, suspic-ion and animosity is so palpable that some of the people the reporter met were unwilling to talk about the Orimolusi stool apparently for fear of being attacked or scorned for taking a position either in support or against any of the parties in the rivalry over the stool.
Nothing better depicts the division, gloom and apathy in the town than the hitherto magnificent palace of the Orimolusi that was abandoned and left to the elements.
It has now become a huge eye sore. The over 70 years old palace that once drew the envy of other Ijebu towns look forlorn, bland and deserted and harbours reptiles, rodents, wild birds that roost there even as weed covered a section of the surrounding.
In place of its once beautiful wall are creeping weeds and wild plants that grow unchallenged on it while the passages have almost turned to an animal pen where all sundry animals – goats and dogs, go to sleep at night.
A peep into the halls, rooms and chambers revealed decrepit chairs, tables, clutter of old and faded papers, animals’ droppings and a maze of cobwebs while the walls inside remain scene of bizarre political graffiti.
The doors and window panes are all broken, underneath the staircase leading to the one storey palace serves as refuse dump and the massive gate leading to it has fallen apart, thus giving people of all hues unrestrained access to its hitherto hallowed chambers.
The Nation sighted some youths in the afternoon loafing inside one of the unkempt halls, and a guide that led reporter to the decaying edifice rue that it has become a meeting point for commercial motorcycle riders and miscreants.
Shittu ascribed the town’s stunted development to lack of a central figure head to unite the people in the last 20 years coupled with the intrigues and crises that had continued to plague all efforts towards installing the next Orimolusi.
Shittu said: ”There is no peace in the town, no development. Criminals abound among the youth, robbery, thuggery and Indian hemp smoking go on here and people behave the way they deemed fit because there is no central Oba who could put measures in place to check youth vices.
”We suffered a lot of setbacks since this period of interregnum on the vacant stool. The last time we felt government attention was in the era of the first civilian governor of the state, late Olabisi Onabanjo. Since 1994, we have been struggling and grappling with things and not allowed to take our fair share or benefits from the government. No Oba to interact with the government on behalf of the town that is why we have been losing a lot.”
On how Ijebu-Igbo ran into a cul-de-sac over Orimolusi stool, Shittu said someone who hails from a female Royal line was chosen to become the Oba contrary to established custom and tradition of the town, a development that compelled one of the contenders to throne to approach the court for redress and thus the tortuous legal battle began.
The Nation gathered that about two years after the demise of the last monarch, late Oba Adetayo, a meeting of the two Ruling Houses – Ojuromi and Ikupakude, was held where it was resolved that Ojuromi Ruling House should produce the next Orimolusi since the last two Obas (Adeboye – who died in a plane crash in Tripoli, Libya many decades ago, and Adetayo) hailed from Ikupakude Royal House.
So, the Ojuromi family then met apparently in search of a successor Oba. A total of eight persons including Saliu Adebisi Sadiku, Wale Kazeem and Lawrence Adebajo expressed their interest in the vacant stool.
It was equally gathered that during time of late Oba Adetayo, it was documented as matter of tradition that a prince from a female Royal line could ascend the throne of Orimolusi provided no eligible person was found among the princes from the male Royal family.
At the time the search for the successor to the late Oba Adetayo began around 1996, there were about 13 kingmakers alive then and out of the eight contestants, two – Sadiku and Lawrence Adebajo came from male Royal line while the rest sprang from the female lineage.
The contest was then left for the duo of Sadiku and Adebajo to slug it out, but Adebajo voluntarily stepped down for Sadiku and just as the townsfolk were deliberating on the process that would lead to the crowning of Prince Sadiku, others from the female line rekindled their interest in the stool and by curious twist of fate, nine of the town’s 13 kingmakers sat down, deliberated and chose Prince Wale Kazeem from the female lineage instead of a prince from the male lineage in accordance with the tradition of Ijebu–Igbo.
So, Sadiku from the male lineage went to court and the decision of the kingmakers was nullified at the state High Court Ijebu-Igbo. The other party went on appeal at the Court of Appeal in Ibadan but lost. Dissatisfied, they headed to the Supreme Court in Abuja on yet another appeal which is now to be decided on February 12, 2014.
And during the long period of the legal battle and the attendant adjournments, all the kingmakers died one after the other. Today, there is none living but the case lingers at the Supreme Court.
It is hoped that when the highest court delivers its verdict in a matter of weeks from now, it would bring lasting solution and peace to the 20 years interregnum over Orimolusi vacant stool. Would that also bring genuine unity and progress that have become elusive in Ijebu-Igbo? Only time will tell.
