Igbajo Youths and Women Development Initiatives in conjunction with the Coalition of Youth Voice Movement in Igbajo Community in Osun State on Monday staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo, the state capital to register their grievances over the alleged refusal of Prince Adegboyega Famoodu to vacate the community palace despite the order of Governor Ademola Adeleke that nobody among the vacate stool contender should remain in the place.
According to them, “the incumbent monarch was imposed on the town by the immediate past administration of Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola and Famodun’s by his continuous parading as a monarch is negatively affecting the peace and progress of the town.”
The aggrieved fierce-looking protesters who were poised for war, maintained that there would be no “retreat, no surrender” until the right person is chosen for the occupation of Owa of Igbajo stool.
Armed with posters and banners with different inscriptions that read: “Prince Famodun is not our King”, Owa Stool is not an exclusive right of Famodun dynasty, Famodun vacate the palace, Stop parading yourself as our king among others, they marched in front of the state House Of Assembly and from there, proceeded to the state Secretariat to express their displeasure on the continuous occupation of the community palace by Famoodu as the monarch.
The youths comprising of ruling houses like Loye Oke Odo, Aworoosun, Nigemo, Omokan and Baba Owa, all of the Owa-Oke Ode side, among others, argued that ” We will reject the imposture imposed on the land of Igbajo as the king in the person of Famodun the court of law has sacked but till this moment he is still parading himself as the king.”
“In the year 2021 we learn that the people of Igbajo went to court based on the issues of the kingship in the land but they that supposed to give the judgment, the judged were not around but instead for Prince Famodun to wait for the court clerk to give them another date in which they will come to the court.
“He left the court and with the power of the former governor, Gboyega Oyetola he was announced the king. He was imposed on the town we are here to agitate for our rights and urged Mr governor to look into it and take action.
Speaking with newsmen, one of the Kingmaker, Chief Aderemi Adefe stressed that the process in the selection of Famodun was not in compliance with the tradition of the land pleading to Governor Ademola Adeleke to take legal action against Prince Famodun for going against his Executive Order 5 made by the state governor, on Monday, November 28, 2022.
Also, the Osun Youth leader Adebisi Oluwaseun Emmanuel charged Governor Ademola Adeleke to take legal action against Prince Famodun for disobeying executive order 5.
“We are law-abiding citizens and we don’t want chaos in our town.
“We also urged Mr governor to take legal action on Prince Famodun for parading himself as the king in the land igbajo where he has already been suspended by the executive order we want the governor to act fast before the town some unscrupulous element turns the town to something else.
“We want the governor to save us from the issues emanating in the town. Mr Gboyega Oyetola used his power on us by imposing Prince Famodun as king, the case of kingship issues has been in court for three years now
In his own submission, Prince Adeyemi Ajakaye, from Oyiigi Ruling House, said “We are all from Omo Owa Oke. We are not in support of the imposition of Adegboyega Famodun as the Owa of Igbajo. We don’t want him. Our forebears believed in equity, justice and fairness whereby none of the ruling houses should be marginalised or cheated in the selection and installation of a king.”
Similarly, in her own remarks, Princess Oladele Elisabeth from Ruling House said the continuous stay of the monarch in the palace and parading himself as the king despite the step aside order by the governor is illegal asking the monarch to desist from parading himself as Owa of Igbajo.
She said: “We are not pleased with what has happened. We are three zones and two zones had enjoyed the throne, remaining one zone, which is Loye Oke Odo Ruling House. The ruling house should be allowed to produce the next Owa.”
“We are not here for war we are only here to protest the illegal imposition for by for me governor.
Also speaking, Prince Adeyinka Ademola from Omokan Ruling House, said: “We do not support the imposition of Adegboyega Famodun as king in Igbajo. Adegboyega is not our king.”
While receiving them on behalf of the governor, the state deputy governor, Mr Kola Adewusi assured them that the white paper will be out in early June and asked them to go back and informed the town.
” Don’t give room for any violence in the town, by June white paper will be out and everyone will know his stand. our executive order still stands and we are acting on it.
The governor is not sleeping and he had not lifted any ban on the order I assure you he will take appropriate steps to foster this issue.
It will be recalled that the current administration led by Senator Ademola Adeleke in Osun state has pledged to review the appointments and installations of some monarchs in Igbaajo, Iree and Ikirun last year.
He however constituted a chieftaincy affairs committee saddled with the assignment and which had submitted its recommendations to the state government but the state governor has yet to make his decision known through a white paper promised to be released to the members of the public on the government position to the matter.
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