…Commissioner may be dragged to court
By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin.
An alleged wrongly crowned Kwara Oba, who narrowly missed being jailed in March this year has now been officially appointed by the state government.
The matter has been in court since March and adjourned for a later date when the presiding magistrate, M. B Ajetunmobi, was transfered from Omu Aran, Irepodun Local Government, to Ilorin, the state capital.
The Oba, who was identified as Prince Jide Kehinde at the time in Kajola town of Oke Ero Local Government Area was dragged to court alongside five others, who were said to, contrary to the tradition, constituted themselves into kingmakers and appointed the then prince a king (the Edemorun) of the town.
The alleged unconventional kingmakers, comprising Princes Agboola Oluwo, Sunday Dada, Azeez Omoribawu, Ajewole Ogundipe and Bamisaiye Jejeloye were accused of contravening Section 16 (1&2) and Section 16 (Sub-section 3) of Kwara State Chiefs’ Appointment Law.
The offence, according to the chieftaincy law of Kwara State, could attract four years imprisonment for each of the kingmakers, if found guilty.
The matter had since March been in court before Magistrate M.B Ajetunmobi and adjourned for a later date when the judge was transferred from Omu Aran to Ilorin.
It was said that while the adjourned date was being awaited, the news suddenly featured on local radio stations that the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Alhaji Abdullahi Bata, had presented the Oba with an appointment letter and a staff of office as Edemorun of Kajola.
Some princes and ruling houses in the community had initially dragged him to court for allegedly parading himself wrongly as the Edemorun of Kajola.
He was said to have contravened Section 13 of the Kwara State Chiefs’ Appointment and Deposition Law.
Both Oba Kehinde and those described as kingmakers were taken to court by Princes Orishatuyi AbdulRoheem, Adeniyi Akanbi, AbdulSalam Abdul Azeez, Olayemi Oladipupo and Yusuf Adio all of Idofin Ruling House in the Ekiti town.
Earlier, while testifying before Magistrate Ajetunmobi in Omu Aran last March, Mallam Garuba Toyin Ibrahim, a senior officer of the State Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development told the court that under the enabling laws, Kwara Government had not appointed any King for Kajola town in Oke Ero LGA.
He also added that at the time in question, the only lawful body that could inform the Government in writing that the stool of the Edemorun of Kajola was vacant should be the Oke Ero Traditional Council, which had not been done at the time.
Also, Ibrahim told the court that the government did not recognise any kingmaker for Kajola Town, stressing that there were no known official kingmakers for Kajola town and where there could be any, it was not their duty to tell the government of a vacant stool in the Council but that of the Aloffa of Iloffa, who is the Chairman of Oke Ero Traditional Council.
Speaking with this reporter in Ilorin, Prince Olayemi Oladipupo, one of the aggrieved princes, who also led other others to express their displeasure over the development, said since the matter was still in court, the government should be duty bound to abide and respect court processes.
According to him, they were shocked that a Staff of Office and an Appointment Letter was presented to their supposed king at a location not known to the people of Kajola community.
He said: “All those who claimed they are kingmakers are princes, who themselves are potential future kings. They strangely constituted themselves into kingmakers, which is alien to Yoruba and Ekiti culture and tradition.
“There had not been any graded king before now in Kajola town. This is the first time and so, there have never been kingmakers in the community. If there would be any, the community would constitute them the traditional way and not certain individuals constituting themselves as kingmakers.
“We want the government to withdraw immediately, both the letter of appointment and the staff of office presented to Prince Jide Kehinde, as Edemorun of Kajola. They should await the final decision of the court,” Prince Oladipupo concluded.
