| The Daily Crucible | Wednesday, October 19, 2022
By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
Apparently fearing the hurtful recent experiences of Agosasa town in Ipokia and Agodo community in Egbaland,
the Council of Chiefs in Ilawo Orile Alagbagba town in Odeda Local Government Area(LGA) of Ogun State has cautioned the local government and its officials against embarking on actions that could plunge the peace - loving community into an avoidable chaos over vacant stool of Olu of Ilawo Orile Alagbagba.
Hon. Adeyemo Folasade is the chairman, Odeda LGA.
The Council of Chiefs which expressed both shock and worries over the alleged involvement of the Odeda LGA in a clandestine and an unrecognised meeting of some elders last week Thursday where one of the five contestants for the vacant stool was approved to ascend the throne without the awareness and participation of relevant chiefs, urged the LG not to allow itself to be a party to any unrecognised decision that could lead to break down law and order in the agrarian community made up of over 194 villages.
According to the Council of Chiefs, the head who is the Oluwo of Ilawo Orile Alagbagba, Chief Oluwole Dosunmu, was not present at the said meeting where one of the five contestants was approved for the vacant stool.
Members of the Council of Chiefs while addressing newsmen, alleged that Olusegun MacGregor was approved at the meeting they described as "illegal," saying the council was not aware of such meeting while four contestants, Sowunmi Joseph, Fatai Sodimu, Lawrence Ogunsanya and Adio Omogoriola Sodipo were also absent.
The Oluwo of Ilawo Orile Alagbagba who is the prescribing authority for the vacant stool, dissociated the Council of Chiefs and warrant chiefs who are members of the approved kingmakers for the vacant stool from such meeting and its outcome.
The Council of Chiefs recalled that in its letter to the office of Executive Chairman of the local government dated September 5, 2022, it had sent the list of warrants chiefs appointed as kingmakers as approved by the local government in the meeting held on September 1, 2022
The names of the appointed warrant chiefs sent to the local government for confirmation include Chief Oluwole Dosunmu (Oluwo of Ilawo), Chief Adisa Adebayo Soyeye (Balogun Ilawo), Chief Munirudeen Oluwole Akinwunmi (Jaguna), Chief Nathaniel Adisa Abati(Lukotun Ilawo), Chief Adebayo Femi (Aro Ilawo), Chief Olufade A.A (Osi Ilawo) and Chief Ayomide Oluwole (Ekerin Ilawo)
Others are Chief Diyaolu Oluwatosin(Sakotun Ilawo), Chief(Mrs) Felicia Famuyiwa (Ogbokun Ilawo), Chief Banji Olaogun (Ogboye Ilawo), Chief Ifayemi Adisa(Gbasemo Ilawo) and Chief Akeem Shobayo (Asalu Ilawo) completing the list of the appointed kingmakers for the installation of new Olu of Ilawo Orile Alagbagba
The Council of Chiefs therefore expressed dismay the sudden change in the names sent to the local government as agreed in the meeting of the last September 1, 2022
The Oluwo of Ilawo, Chief Oluwole Dosunmu in a letter dated 11th of October to the office of Executive Chairman of Odeda Local Government, accused the chairman of taking unilateral decision of changing the names of kingmakers
The letter reads in part; "It is also Imperative to note that our effort to nominate and appoint the said warrant chiefs was equally supported and approved by your office on September 1, 2022, wherein the sitting further empowered our Council of Chiefs to go ahead to nominate and appoint the warrant chiefs to be confirmed by you as our kingmakers and or party/parties to be in position to fill the vacant stool of Olu of Orile Ilawo Alagbagba"
"It is to our greatest surprise and dismay that your office, having been politically and allegedly influenced financially, unilaterally jettisoned and changed our Council of Chiefs original list submitted to your office with another fabricated list of chiefs not exactly the same with the one submitted and acknowledged by your office"
"It is as a result of this fraudulent and unlawful practice that we write this to protest to your office, dissociating ourselves and Counçil of Chiefs together from the alleged broad day fraud and malpractices and to this end , implore your office to desist from the alleged plot that may lead to serious chaos and pandemonium and perhaps unnecessary breakdown of law and order in the entire Orile Ilawo township, villages and community comprising of over 53,000 indigenes and over 20,000 non-indigenes."
The Council of Chiefs in the letter written through its lawyer, Chief Olusegun Raji of Olusegun Raji Chamber, Lagos, also copied the office of Governor Dapo Abiodun, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Permanent Secretary in the ministry as well as the State Commissioner of Police to draw the attention and address the issue before it degenerate to break down of law and order in the town.
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