…Ooni, Owa Obokun clash over chairmanship seat
The lingering leadership crisis rocking Osun Traditional Council of Obas resurfaced at its monthly meeting in Osogbo yesterday when the Vice Chairman, Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, reportedly stopped the advance team of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, from positioning to preside over the meeting, Daily Sun reports.
Ogunwusi is the permanent chairman of the council, according to law.
Daily Sun gathered that Oba Aromolaran insisted that the Ooni’s chair must not be positioned in front, rather, his (Aromolaran) seat should be placed there .
In the ensuing controversy, the Ooni’s messengers were said to have told Oba Aromolaran that they had his instruction to place the chair at the required position.
Sources alleged in the ensuing fracas clothes of one of the messengers were torn into shreds.
Failing to resolve the issue, the meeting was postponed indefinitely.
Daily Sun gathered that when Governor Rauf Aregbesola was briefed about the incident, he summoned the monarchs to the Government House for a meeting to resolve the crisis. It was further gathered that Oba Aromolaran later went to the Government House, but reportedly left before the Ooni arrived the place. Soon after, Ooni reportedly headed for the Owa Obokun’s palace in Ilesa to see him.
Spokesperson for the Ooni’s Palace, Mr. Moses Olafare, when contacted, said the Ooni’s position as the permanent chairman of the council was incontrovertible.
“Ooni would not want to be drawn into what happened. But he ( Ooni) remains the permanent chairman, according to the law,” he said.
Olafare added: “The issue of who becomes the chairman is a creation of law and can only be reversed by law and whoever is not satisfied with the arrangement should either go to court or the House of Assembly and seek review of the law.”
Late last year, Oba Aromolaran , at one of the council meetings, said he was unanimously elected the substantive chairman of the council, adding that he was nominated by the Ataoja of Osogbo and other monarchs supported his nomination.
However, at the December 2015 meeting of the council, the Owan Obokun introduced himself as vice chairman of the council which was the maiden edition attended by the Ooni after his inauguration.
Contacted for comments on the matter, the governor’s Director of Bureau of Communication, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon pleaded that he was busy at a meeting and promised to return Daily Sun’s call. He did not.
