Nigeria Content Online

Apparently
fed up with the protracted tussle between members of the ruling family
in Ilaro town, over the selection of a new traditional ruler for the
town, the Ogun state government yesterday announced a 21-day ultimatum
for the families to agree on a choice of monarch, or forfeit the
opportunity.

The position of
government was made known by Tunde Alabi, the state’s commissioner for
Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, during a meeting with members
of the Asade-Agunloye ruling house in Abeokuta.

The commissioner
said that if the ruling house failed to put their house in order so
that government could install the new Olu of Ilaro and ruler of
Yewaland within the next 21 days, the state government would be forced
to choose a monarch from the next ruling house.

Mr. Alabi also
advised members of the Asade-Agunloye ruling house, made up of the Dada
Ibiyemi and Olusoji Olugbenle families, who are divided over the
kingship to unite and equally withdraw cases related to the suit from
court.

“The position of
the state government is that the two ruling houses involved in this
case should come together as one in order to have a monarch in Ilaro,”.

The Permanent
Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs,
Babajide Oyeti, said the state governor, Gbenga Daniel, was not happy
about the case and had instructed state officials to mediate in the
impasse.

Jas Oyekan, who is
the regent-in-council, said it is the turn of the Asade -Agunloye
ruling house to produce the Olu of Ilaro, but they have not been able
to agree on a candidate.

Mr. Oyekan
expressed dismay that some of the indigenes of the town, including the
two feuding families, have accused him of nursing ambition of becoming
the next traditional ruler, which he said is not possible.

“The problem is
much on my neck and there is nobody that can talk on behalf of Yewa
except the paramount ruler which we refused to produce, I want peace in
Ilaro. It is the ruling house that does not want peace,” he said.

Chairman of the
Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN),Ilaro, Solomon Olagunade, also
appealed to the two families to be patient. He said this was the first
time the kingship tussle was taken to the courts.

Tajudeen Adewunmi,
Chief Imam of the town, also advised that the two families be patient
and endeavour to come together as one so that peace will reign.

One family

Adesola Shobayo,
the Director ofCivil Litigation and Advisory Services, Ministry of
Justice, also called on the families to withdraw the case from court
and settle it amicably.

“If, after this
meeting, they refused [sic] to produce Oba elect, we will advice the
government to go to the next ruling house,” he said. “They can’t
continue to hold us back. Our position is to advice the government.”

Spokesperson for
the Dada Ibiyemi family, Haruna Dada, said they decided to take the
case to court when they realized that the Olusoji Olugbenle family
wanted to cheat them. He gave his assurances that the case would be
withdrawn from court once they received clear agreement from the Asade
Agunloye house that they are one family.

“Before we took the case to court, we wrote to the state Governor,
the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the Ilaro
Elders’ Council but there was no response from all of them,” he said.
“The way forward is that it is the turn of the Dada Ibiyemi to produce
the Olu of Ilaro. Let them agree that we belong to the same ruling
house, we are one family.”