Tag: Olubadan

The Akere Royal Family in Ojaba, Ibadan, has accused the Olubadan,  Oba Saliu Adetunji, of installing  an unauthorised person as the family head.

It was gathered that Oba Adetunji installed Moshood Gbolagade Akere as the clan head on December 16.

Hundreds of family members  staged a peaceful protest yesterday to register their displeasure.

An elder, Lamidi Wintola Akere, said: “We are not happy over what the Olubadan did to our family.

“It is an infringement of our right as one of the prominent families in Ibadan.

“The family has made a choice and our choice is Abdul-Wasiu Olasunkanmi Akere.

 “He is the one we have chosen. We endorsed Abdul-Wasiu Akere and we sent a letter, which was signed by all family heads, to the palace to let them know our choice,” he said.

Wasiu Akere said he obtained an interlocutory injunction to restrain the Olubadan from installing Moshood Akere as the “Mogaji” of the family.

“This imposition is against our culture and tradition. The Olubadan and his chiefs have broken the age-long tradition of selection.

“We say no to imposition and oppression. We urge all Ibadan indigenes to prevail on Oba Adetunji to rescind his decision and do the right thing.”

The Olubadan’s spokesperson, Adeola Oloko, denied the allegation, insisting that nobody can impose a Mogaji on the family.

“I have no power to comment further on appointment and promotion of chiefs.

“The Olubadan-in-Council can speak further on it but there was no imposition by the Olubadan,” he said

Justice Mukthar Abimbola has withdrawn from the case filed by head of the Seriki line of the Olubadan chieftaincy title, Chief Adebayo Oyediji.

At the resumed hearing yesterday, Justice Abimbola said he was withdrawing due to a petition against him by Oyediji (89) to the National Judicial Council (NJC).

He said the plaintiff accused him of compromise.

Abimbola is the chief judge of Oyo State.

Oyediji approached the court for a prayer to nullify the enthronement of Oba Saliu Adetunji as Olubadan of Ibadan.

He claimed he should have been enthroned since he was the most senior chief given his last promotion years ago.

The respondents include Olubadan-in-Council and Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

The judge, who expressed shock at the strong language in the petition, said he was summoned by the NJC.

Although he said he was absolved by the NJC, and read the letter absolving him in court, Justice Abimbola noted that his decision to transfer the file for re-assignment was “in the interest of justice and to clear any doubt anywhere”.

Oyediji’s lead counsel Abideen Adeniran told the court he was not instrumental to the petition.

“I only saw the petition after it had been submitted. I am even seeing the letter sent to you by the NJC for the first time. I could not have petitioned you to the NJC for any reason.

“The claimant has sons who are lawyers and because of the frayed nerves generated by the matter, several interests may have come to play,” Adeniran told the judge.

Responding, Justice Abimbola said he gave the counsel the benefit of the doubt, but urged him to warn the petitioner to desist from such allegation.

He said: “Warn them seriously not to tarnish my integrity and honour which I have built for years. I have no stake in this matter and that was why I was not at the installation.

“I don’t attend any public function that has no legal relevance. Because of this, I am handing off the two cases before me for it to be reassigned to another judge. I bear no grudge against anyone.”

Two months after he was enthroned, the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Adetunji, on Friday elevated four high Chiefs and three senior chiefs.

 The four newly promoted high chiefs are in the Balogun chieftaincy line and their elevation was necessitated by the ascension of Oba Adetunji.

The monarch was the Balogun of Ibadan until March 4, 2016 when he ascended the throne following the demise of the former Olubadan, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade 1.

 Oba Adetunji’s ascension created vacancies in the Balogun chieftaincy line which were filled yesterday.

 The four promoted high chiefs are Owolabi Olakuleyin who moved from Otun Balogun to Balogun;  Dr Femi Olaifa who moved from Osi Balogun to Otun Balogun; Tajudeen Ajibola who moved from Asipa Balogun to Osi Balogun and Solomon Adabaale who moved from Ekerin to Asipa Balogun.

 The three former senior chiefs who became high chiefs are Lateef Adebimpe, who was promoted from Abese Balogun to Ekerin Balogun; Amidu Ajibade who moved from Abese Olubadan to Ekarun Olubadan and Samuel Falowo who was promoted from Maye Balogun to Ekarun Balogun.

The Oluwo Labosinde Afobaje of Ibadan was on hand to decorate the newly promoted chiefs with the traditional “Akoko” leaf.

Those present at the occasion are high chiefs from the Otun line headed by Sen. Lekan Balogun.

Mogajis and Baales were also in attendance, among whom was Baale Bodija, Chief Rasheed Adesokan.

 By the promotions, vacancies now exist for chiefs on lower cadre to move up the ladder.

The Personal Assistant to Oba Adetunji on Media, Mr Adeola Oloko, said their promotion would come up soon.

THE Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, yesterday seized the beads of the Baale of Ido, Chief Tajudeen Akinola Agura, for parading himself as the Onido.

Onido is a major Ibadan less city baale. The title has been in the news in the last 10 years for various traditional and political reasons.

But for Agura yesterday will remain a day to remember as he faced the members of the Olubadan-in-Council, who quizzed him for allegedly parading himself as the Onido though he had been suspended.

After the rilling, the Council affirmed his suspension and seized his beads with a warning to stop parading himself as the Onido, until a final decision is taken on his case.

Wearing a white lace agbada, the chief left the Popoyemoja palace of the Olubadan in a sober mood.

He was installed in July 2011 after his predecessor, Chief Benjamin Ishola, was deposed for, among others, his crave for a beaded crown.

While Ishola struggled for stronger recognition and a beaded crown, Agura was in court to challenge the former’s occupation of the stool, claiming he (Agura) was the right candidate.

He eventually won in 2011 when the late Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade 1 installed him.

A source said aside the suspension, several petitions hang around Agura’s neck, particularly on alleged land grabbing and related issues.

The source said it would be tough for the suspended baale to wriggle out of the suspension.

Oba Adetunji warned leaders of the Igbo community in Ibadan to subject themselves to the authority of the baales in their domains.

He said Eze Ndigbo must operate within the framework of the Ibadan traditional authority.

The monarch said on no account would the palace attend to the Eze without passing through the baales under who they must subject themselves.

Briefing reporters after a two-and-a-half-hour meeting yesterday, the Asipa Balogun of Ibadan, High Chief Tajudeen Ajibola, said: “We have taken a stance on the principle of upholding Ibadan authority.

“We’ve done many things today on the issue of the man parading himself as Onido who has been suspended.

“The Kabiyesi was of the view that since he has been suspended, he can not go about parading himself as Onido, wearing beads. So, we have seized his beads.

“The second issue was the issue of Eze Ndigbo. In any community, you cannot have two monarchs.

“The only Oba in Ibadan is the Olubadan. So, no other person can call himself his royal highness in Ibadan land.”

Other members of the council in attendance include the Otun Olubadan, High Chief Lekan Balogun; Osi Olubadan, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja; Osi Balogun, High Chief Femi Olaifa; the Asipa Olubadan, High Chief Eddy Oyewole; the Iyalode of Ibadan, High Chief Aminat Abiodun and Chief Lateef Gbadamosi.

Prayers and fasting can help overcome the challenges facing the nation, the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Olasupo Adetunji, said yesterday.

The monarch called on religious leaders to increase their supplications and intercession for Nigeria so that the nation can come out of crisis.

Oba Adetunji spoke at his Popoyemoja, Ibadan palace, when the presiding Bishop of Rehoboth Cathedral, Bishop Taiwo Victor Adelakun, visited him.

The monarch said: “When an individual or a society is faced with challenges, you pray as if you don’t work and work as if you don’t pray.

“At 88, I have lived long to know that failure in life is failure in the place of prayer and fasting.

“I believe very much in the efficacy of prayer and fasting to overcome life’s challenges.

“My emergence as the 41st Olubadan is not my making but God’s to who all powers belong.

“All men are created equal by God. Some human beings have gone out of their way to seek God more than the others and He rewards them.”

The Olubadan, who lauded all clerics, particularly Bishop Adelakun, for their forthrightness, urged them to increase their prayers not only for Nigeria but for Ibadan.

The cleric congratulated Oba Adetunji on his ascension.

He prayed God to give the monarch long life, sound health, remarkable peace and progress.

Bishop Adelakun recalled that he came to Ibadan as an eight-year-old boy with a pair of slippers, 45 years ago from the village.

“Kabiyesi, I entered Ibadan through the famous Agodi-Gate Motor Park with slippers.

“Today, I bear testimony to the goodness of God to me in Ibadan, a city where I have fulfilled the plan of God for my life.

“It was in Ibadan that I got married and blessed with lovely children,” he said.