Tag: monarch

His Royal Majesty, Oba Aremu Gbadebo Alake and paramount ruler of Egba land, has praised the vision of the O’odua Youths Congress (OYC) which aims at liberating Yoruba youths from impoverishment and engaging them to embrace self-advancement through diverse entrepreneurial support and empowerment programmes. He pledged his support to the group.

The Alake of Egba land praised the group when its leaders paid him a courtesy visit at his palace in Ake, Abeokuta Ogun State

The monarch, who was highly impressed with the youths’ focus, especially coming at a time when millions of Nigerian youths are experiencing uncertainties due to the alarming rate of unemployment, gave his full support to the various empowerment programmes of OYC, particularly the agric-business and entrepreneurship development programmes of the group which aim at supporting over 600,000 youths from the Southwest region in the next two years.

Oba Gbadebo urged the youth leaders to remain focused in their bid to work Yoruba youths out of poverty. He pledged his total support whenever needed.

He called on government at all levels to invest heavily in micro-small, medium enterprises (MSMEs) which he said has the capacity to generate millions of employments for the youth and huge revenue for government.

While thanking the Alake identifying with their programmes, President of OYC, Ogbeni Moronkeji Oladapo, noted that Yoruba youths have continued to experience enormous socio-economic challenges and felt it was time they made efforts to genuinely empower themselves.

He assured that the OYC is committed towards reposition Yoruba youths for greater economic empowerment through deliberate engagement with stakeholders at various levels and increased access to decent employment opportunities, entrepreneurship support, civic participation, protection of vulnerable youths, health and innovative poverty eradication initiatives.

Oladapo revealed that “OYC is currently working with thousands of Yoruba youths through various empowerment programmes such as agriculture, entrepreneurship, creative arts, job placement facilitation, career development, scholarship and sports programmes. We are creating opportunities for Yoruba youths to meet the demands of adulthood, be economically independent and become more productive Nigerian citizens.”

He argued that with increased empowerment opportunities, young people have the opportunity to work their way out of poverty, transform their lives and create a better future for their families and communities. This is what OYC intends to make of Yoruba youths.

He said: “The OYC, among other goals, aims at promoting self-employment and small-scale business development as potent wealth generating initiative for the Yoruba youths. We will leave no stone unturned in our quest to achieve this.”

Contributing, Mr Bode Olalekan, OYC’s Deputy President, said the group is motivated by its strong belief in the capacity to galvanise the youth of various classes and replace their fear with hope through various empowerment programmes which it has mapped out.

On the agric programmes, OYC’s Director of Agric-business, Mr. Alade Adesanmi said: “We intend to embark on innovative agricultural projects for the Yoruba youths. We will provide the necessary financial and training supports that will encourage our teeming youths to embrace agric-business and help the existing farmers increase their crop yields, improve income and food security for their families and communities and create jobs for their neighbours.”

The Ogboye of Egbaland, Chief S.O. Akinremi, a retired cocoa farmer, who buttressed Alake’s position on the need to reposition agriculture in Yoruba land, said agric-business remains a goldmine that should never be ignored, adding that the various monumental edifices in the Southwest were constructed mainly with proceeds from agriculture. He, therefore, commended the OYC’s initiative, even as he urged Southwest governors and other well-meaning Nigerians to support their laudable programmes.

Other members of council of OYC present were Wale Adebiyi, treasurer; Wale Popoola, Director of Programmes and Kayode Fapohunda.

The Akarigbo of Remo, Oba Michael Sonariwo, has been listed as a witness in the suit filed by Prince Adetayo Odunsi challenging the nomination of Albert Mayungbe to the stool of Odemo of Isara, Remo.  The pre-conference trial (PTC) of the suit has been fixed for June 30, this year by the trial judge, Justice Olugboyega Ogunfowora of Sagamu High Court Ogun State.

The stool of Odemo of Isara, Remo had remained vacant since eight years ago after the death of the former ruler of the ancient town, Oba Idowu Onadeko. The Akarigbo, who is one of the four witnesses listed by the claimant, has already filed an affidavit before the Sagamu High Court, Ogun State.

Informed sources said Oba Sonariwo, who is also the paramount ruler of Remoland, had, in a letter dated April 12, 2011 and addressed to the Caretaker Committee of Remo North Local Government Area, raised objection to the nomination of Mayungbe by the kingmakers. He alleged that Mayungbe is not of a royal blood in response to the enquiry of the Remo North Local Government Area that sought his consent on the nomination of Albert Mayungbe.

The monarch believed he should not have been nominated and subsequently declined to give his consent to the choice of Mayungbe purportedly by the Erinsiba/Ayoledoye Ruling House. He had referred to the grave objection raised by one Prince Olufemi Omoyele who is alleging that the first defendant is an Odi, which he said was “well founded”.

Joined as co-defendants in the suit number HCS/158/2013 are the head of the ruling house, Prince Obafemi Awoyade; Secretary, Remo North Local Government Area; Oliwo of Isara, Chief Ajibowu Ogunfowodu; Apena of Isara, Chief Jimoh Soyombo; Chief Ladipo Ogunyemi; Ogbeni Odi of Isara, Chief Olajubu Osibote; Ekeji Asipa Odi, Chief Tunde Kalejaiye; Asipa Odi of Isara, Chief Owuye Logba.

Others are Ekeji Asipa Odi of Isara, Chief Efuwape Sotikare; Olori Emo of Isara, Chief Bashiru Awoniyi; Ekeji Olori Emo of Isara, Chief Korede Ogunwole; Asipa Emo of Isara, Chief Nosiru Sodipe; Ekeji Asipa Emo, Chief Adewole Sopitan; Ogun State Governor; Executive Council of Ogun State Government; the state’s Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice as second to 18th defendants respectively.

In his 32-point statement of claim, Prince Odunsi, who is a direct descendant of the late Oba Oyemade Mayungbe and progenitor of Erinsiba-Ayoledoye Ruling House averred that he is lawfully entitled to the stool of Odemo of Isara Remo.

Giving a chronological order of the obas produced by the ruling house, he averred that their progenitor was Rosanlu, also known as Erinsiba and that “Rosanlu begot Oyetade who, in turn, begot Oyemade, also known as Mayungbe alias Ayoledoye” adding that Mayungbe had four wives of which Arobo was the third.

The claimant also averred that as at the time Mayungbe  married Arobo, who hailed from Akure, she came with a male child whose name was Ogunsakin from her earlier marriage and that when he later became king, he accommodated  Ogunsakin in the palace.

The claimant maintained that when Oba Oyetade Mayungbe ascended the throne, “in order to differentiate Ogunsakin, his step son and an outsider from other children in the palace, he made Ogunsakin an “Odi” meaning a servant to the king.

He stated that under Yoruba custom and tradition which are also applicable in Isara-Remo, an “odi” is not a member of a ruling house and can never qualify for nomination into the stool of Odemo of Isara-Remo” and that Ogunsakin also served as “odi” to Oba Poke, the successor to Oba Oyetade Mayungbe.

To buttress his claim, he stated further that “Ogunsakin begot Oyekunle who, in turn, begat the first defendant and that upon the death of Ogunsakin, Oyekunle, his son, the father of the first defendant, also served as “odi” to two successive Obas in Isara-Remo, the late Oba Samuel Akinsanya and the late Oba Adeboboye Osideinde”.

He further claimed that the selection of the first defendant as Odemo-elect “is wrongful and should be declared null and void on the grounds that he is not a member of Erinsiba-Adyoledoye Ruling House but a lineage of past odis in Isara-Remo and thus not qualified for nomination as a candidate for the Odemo of Isara chieftaincy title.

Odunsi sought seven prayers and orders against the defendants; namely “ a declaration ýthat the first defendant is not a member of the Erinsiba-Adyoledoye Ruling House and therefore not qualified to contest for the stool; that under native law and custom applicable in Isara and Remo land generally, an odi (servant of the king) or  any of his descendants is not qualified to contest the stool of Odemo of Isara; that the first defendant’s late grandfather and father, late Ogunsakin and Oyekunle Mayungbe were odi to the late Oba Samuel Akinsanya and the late Oba Adeboboye Osideinde and therefore not qualified to aspire or to be considered for nomination to the stool”.

He, therefore, sought an order of the court setting aside the nomination exercise of Erinsiba/Ayoledoye Ruling House held on February 21, 2011 at which meeting the first defendant emerged as one of the candidates for the Odemo of Isara chieftaincy stool; an order setting aside the decision of the kingmakers selecting or electing the first defendant as the candidate for the Odemo of Isara chieftaincy; an order setting aside any recommendation, if any, made by the 19th defendant and generally by the 15th, 17th and 18th defendants in relation to the first defendant as the Odemo-elect of Isara-Remo and an order directing the third defendant to issue fresh notice to the second defendant, as head of Erinsiba/Ayoledoye, to summon a fresh meeting of the ruling house for the purpose of nominating candidates to fill the vacant stool of Odemo of Isara, to the exclusion of the first defendant.

In their statement of defence and counter-claim, the first, second, sixth to tenth and 14th defendants admitted some of the assertions of the claimant and denied others.

The first defendant, Albert Mayungbe, insisted on being a “bonafide member and descendant of the Erinsiba/Ayoledoye Ruling House and that the late Oba Mayungbe, aside from being a trader, met and married Arobo in Akure where Ogunsakin, his grandfather, was born.

He further claimed that odis in Isara are not servants to the Obas but appointed from among the royal houses and trusted relations, adding that his grandfather, Ogunsakin, rendered assistance to Oba Samuel Akinsanya which the Oba appreciated by appointing his son, Oyekunle Mayungbe as his odi contrary to the assertions of the claimant.