The Olubadan-In-Council High Chiefs who has been elevated to beaded crown wearing monarchs (Obas) in Ibadanland have fired back at the Osi Olubadan and a former Governor of Oyo state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja for giving what they described as “fallacious and mischievous” information which is misleading the public on the release of the Olubadan monthly stipend by the Local Government Traditional Councils in Ibadanland.
The Obas also said it was not Ladoja who facilitated the peace move to the palace of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji when the Obas visited the place recently but that they were formally invited by the kabiyesi to which the Obas honoured.
Apparently referring to a report credited to Ladoja in some national dailies with the title “Olubadan’s letter forced new kings to make peace”, the Obas through a statement issued, Tuesday said the release of the monthly stipend was only made possible by a letter from the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters.
Monarchs who signed the three pages statement include, Lekan Balogun, Owolabi Olakulehin, Tajudeen Ajibola, Eddy Oyewole, Lateef Gbadamosi Adebimpe and Amidu Ajibade Hamidu.
The statement reads in part, “What motivated the release of the suspended stipend was the letter from the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matter ref: CB.211/2T1/237 dated 6th August 2018 which is self-explanatory. The Ministry’s letter was in response to Olubadan’s letter captioned: ‘suspension of payment of Monthly stipends/Allowance of Members of Traditional Councils in Ibadanland by Olubadan of Ibadan’ dated 16th July 2018.
“The Ministry then enjoined us to release the outstanding monthly allowances of the imperial majesty, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, the Olubadan of Ibadan in the interest of peace.
“Ladoja as a former Governor of Oyo State is conversant with the Chiefs Laws of Oyo state and so cannot claim ignorance of the Chiefs Law Cap 28, Section 28(i), Volume 1 which states: ‘that the Governor may from time to time after consultation with the Council of Obas and Chiefs of the State by order specify the chieftaincies the holders for the time being of which are entitled to wear beaded crowns’ and which law ultimately perfected the elevation of 48 Obas in Oyo State including the Ibadan High Chiefs to crown and coronet wearing Obas by Oyo State Governor on the 22nd March 2018.
“As a spoiler or confussionist that Ladoja is known for, he should approach the court of law to challenge the Governor on the above law if he feels offended. Oh! He is helpless about it.
“At best, he seems jealous of our elevation forgetting that the moment we were elevated as His Royal Majesties, that was the moment that our referred Kabiyesi, the Olubadan of Ibadanland became elevated from His Royal majesty to His Imperial Majesty in Ibadanland. The High Chiefs in Ibadanland have become Obas under the Imperial Majesty of kabiyesi, the Olubadan of Ibadanland while we are still members of Olubadan-in-Council unadulterated.
“We are Obas in our different local government areas as our ‘domains’ as assigned to us by the Subsidiary Legislation of Recognised Chieftaincies (Miscellaneous Provision) order as found on Page 389 Cap 28 section 1,2, and 3 of the Chiefs law of Oyo State.
“By inference, the above implies or means that the elevated High Chiefs (new obas) were posted or entitled to their different local government by law and not by the Olubadan of Ibadan as erroneously held or paraded by mischievous elites in Ibadanland, Ladoja inclusive.
“Ladoja chose to remain (or retain) a High Chief by his own design born out of his egoistic in-born character or manner because he was not the architect of the modernization of Ibadan Traditional System.
“What he even attempted to do on the 23rd of November, 2005 by elevating the Olubadan of Ibadanland to an Imperial Majesty and all traditional chiefs in Ibadanland from Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland to Jagun Balogun of Ibadanland as well as some bales in Ibadanland (Onijaye of Ijaye, the bale of Lalupon, the Onikereku of Ikereku and Baale of Erunmu) all totaling 47 chiefs to First Class Traditional Rulers/Chiefs in Ibadanland but failed woefully to achieve out of timidity because he only wanted to upgrade some chieftaincies in the state stating that in consonance with the realty of the present times and the need to enhance the status of obas and chiefs in the state, without any enabling chieftaincy Laws of Oyo State to back his pronouncement and which had otherwise been achieved in a more civilized manner by Governor Isiaq Ajimobi according to relevant enabling Chieftaincy Laws of Oyo State.
“So, if something marvellous is not done by Ladoja it cannot and should not be done by somebody else! This achievement by Ajimobi really threw out the in-born sadism in Ladoja. Haba! Ladoja, you are not more Ibadan than any of us and you should stop playing god that you are not. Enough is enough of this rascality and anti-establishment tantrum from you.
“On our peace mission to His Imperial Majesty, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, it is on record that members of Olubadan-In-Council who are now obas were formally invited by Kabiyesi by a letter dated 8th August, 2018 for Monday, 13th August, 2018 and we honoured the invitation only to be told that since Ladoja was absent, the peace meeting could not hold.
“Seven members of the Olubadan-In-Council (the new Obas) were present and after about five hours of waiting, kabiyesi eventually showed up briefly without uttering a word, we had to disperse until formally invited again by Kabiyesi for another meeting.
“Ladoja should stop insulting us, we are not his stoogies. When we go to any Olubadan-In-Council meeting in future we will go as Obas-in-Council (as His Royal majesties) under the chairmanship of kabiyesi, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, who is his Imperial majesty. We are not calling ourselves what we are not please.”
