….Says, Olubadan remains only recognised monarch; those targeting Obaship’re land grabbers 

By Dickson Omobola

THE Central Council of Ibadan Professionals, CCIP, yesterday, disagreed with Oyo State indigenes demanding unilateral authority for a state governor to install kings. 

CCIP noted that such a call could result in anarchy, urging those behind the move to jettison the idea. 

Chairman of CCIP, Professor Mufutau Adebowale, in a statement, said the Olubadan was the only recognised traditional ruler in Ibadan, stressing that the Ibadan system of Obaship has made provisions for succession procedures. 

The statement reads: “We, the generality of Ibadan Indigenes, CCIP, dissociate with those demanding unilateral authority for the Oyo governors to grant crowns. We want to avoid serious anarchy. The Olubadan is the only traditional ruler known in Ibadan’s history.

“The generality of Ibadan Indigenes and members of the CCIP hereby express one of Governor Seyi Makinde to seek enactment of authority for Oyo State Governor to unilaterally grant beaded crown to Obas. We warn those behind the move, manipulating him (Governor Makinde) to stop it in the interest of peace. We don’t want anarchy.

“The reasons for these plans are: To protect some Ibadan chiefs that have grabbed people’s land and are still grabbing by becoming obas and start to manipulate issues to escape the legality of their actions.

“The top civil servants, that are career officers in Oyo State, have for long been grabbing land in the urban and rural areas of Ibadan. They have perfected the process of manipulating successive governors to do their bidding. They are fond of giving misguided advice to every successive governor in Oyo State. The purpose is to grab Ibadan land.

“Some police officers that are supposed to show neutrality and maintain law and order when serious land disputes arise are fond of taking sides to enable them to have their share of the land. They intimidate innocent villagers with the authority of the Nigerian Police force. 

“During the tenure of Ajimobi, the civil servants overpowered the Government and strongly made the governor get convinced that Ibadan needed more than 30 Obas. Their point was that Ibadan is too large for one Oba. However, nine out of the proposed new Obas refused to be part of it and refused the meaningless crowns. They refused because they agreed that the plan did not have hysterical support. Our system in Ibadan is completely different. No matter the size of Ibadan. We have hundreds of Mogaji operating under the control of the Olubadan. The Baale is under the Mogaji. Mogajis are promoted over some decades for the lucky one to become the Olubadan. The Baale is terminal. In this supposedly democratic dispensation we don’t expect monumental traditional destruction by anybody, let alone members of the High Chief of the Olubadan. No member of the Olubadan-in-Council has any right to alter our traditional system. People should not think too much of themselves. When Olubadan Saliu Adetunji was the Oba, he was given problems by the 21 illegal Obas. We don’t want anarchy in Ibadan.

“We the Central Council of Ibadan Professionals, hereby, call on the EFCC and ICPC to investigate all the outgoing commissioners and top civil servants of Oyo State.”