Concerned citizens of Imope -Ijebu in Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State have warned High Chief Tajudeen Kolawole Omotayo to stop parading himself as king of the community.
The people made this known at a press conference held at Imope town hall.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Chief Adeshina Abimbola Awobote said High Chief Omotayo had been parading himself as the monarch of Imope, saying he is not a citizen of Imope by descendants.
He said that currently, High Chief Omotayo is the Baale of the town but the people are disowning him as he is claiming to be from Fidipote family.
“It is high time for Imope community to have a king but High Chief Omotayo is lobbying to become a king of the town calling himself the Alademeta of the town.
“The Fidipote family he is claiming to be is not true according to the record and there is no lineage of Fidipote in Imope.
“We don’t want him as a our king. As the Baale, he has sold our heritage to harness wealth for himself.
He sold the land of clay pot which makes it difficult for the molder to get the clay free of charge as they used to,” Awobote said.
Awobote commended the Olootu Omooba Akile Ijebuland, Chief Wasiu Ayinde for his contribution to the approval of Imope to have a substantive monarch.
Also, Chief Asenuga Oluwasegun said the town doesn’t want High Chief Omotayo to parade himself as a king in a mosque because in doesn’t have a lineage at Imope, adding that the founders of the community had nothing to do with Fidipote family as claimed by Chief Omotayo.
The youth leader of the town, Adebanjo Oluwaseye said Chief Omotayo didn’t qualify to be king due to alleged misdeeds like selling water to the community from borehole that was sunk by FADAMA and usually repaired whenever is faulty by the youth in the town.
Reacting, Baale Omotayo said the people are only chasing shadow, adding that they are trying to call dog a bad name so as to hang it.
Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune on phone, Baale Omotayo, disclosed that all their claims against him were false.
“To start with, the water they are talking about was facilitated by me and the residents are paying stipend for the maintenance and the people are not complaining. While the clay land was not sold by anybody as they are claiming.
“This is my 14th year on the throne as Baale of Imope community. I have just been elevated to rank of Obaship by the paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona and that is what these few people individuals from a particular family are going against for reasons best known to them.”
Baale Omotayo further said that no individual in any given community that will not know their origin. He said: “They cannot tell me where I come from.
“Fidipote in Ijebu-Ode is a very big and large family. I have been the head of the family for the past three years, and you know what that means. I don’t think such family could allow a stranger to become their head where they had produced more than 10 monarchs in different communities across Ijebuland.
“Before I became Baale of the community, all the requirements in the chieftaincy Declaration of 1957 of Ijebuland were followed to the letter. Since I was appointed as the Baale nobody has ever raised an eyebrow and I have been receiving my salary as and when due through Ijebu Traditional Council headed by the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Adetona.”
The Baale added that the entire community is with him, saying “their cooperation since my enthronement has brought development to the community. It is only this family that has been backsliding in recent times. My achievement in the last 14 years has become a threat to some.
“A meeting has been fixed for July 6 by who-is-who of the community both home and in the diaspora in order to give room for everybody to say their minds.”
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