Two major groups in Ogun State: Ogun West Frontliners and Ogun West Liberation Forum, are reaching for the jugular of one another over a move by the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, and the Yewa Traditional Council to confer the title of Aremo of Yewaland on Senator Olamilekan Adeola, otherwise known as Yayi.
The two groups on Sunday reached out to the media stating reasons why they are for and against the plan by the king.
The Ogun West Liberation Forum said it was opposed to the move to make the representative of Lagos West Senatorial District as the Aremo Oba of Yewaland because installing Adeola as a titled chief was an “attempt to sabotage collective unity by politicising the chieftaincy process without following due procedures.”
It said a check on Adeola’s background and ties to the region were unclear.
The forum at a press conference addressed by its Vice Chairman, Wale Akinwande, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, noted that the senator’s origin has been a source of concern to the relevant stakeholders of Yewaland.
Akinwande stressed that the traditional chieftaincy title is highly coveted and must be conferred on an indigene whose lineage is known and can be confirmed with proofs that cannot be controverted.
He said it will be unfortunate for the Senator to be installed as a title chief when stools of many first class traditional rulers such as Aboro of Ibese, Onisare of Ijanna, Onigun of Odan Abuja and Onijoun of Ijoun among others are vacant.
Akinwande said: “The Aremo Oba of Yewaland Chieftaincy is a traditional title with deeper cultural importance than the honorary chieftaincies listed earlier.
“Therefore, more consciousness and constraints are expected to be exercised before conferring such sensitive traditional chieftaincies on someone.
“With all honesty and without being biased, the background check carried out on Senator Olamilekan Adeola ‘Yayi’ has given a conflicting revelation with respect to his precise origin or source in Yewaland.
“It is insulting to the entire Yewaland that someone who has been in a neighbouring state less than one and half hours drive would have missed his way to his village.”
The forum urged the Yewa Traditional Council headed by Oba Olugbenle to avoid the “politicization of the highly coveted traditional chieftaincy title of Aremo Oba of Yewaland,” while urging the state government to suspend the appointment process until “all grey areas are straightened before the whole issue degenerates into chaos within the already divided Yewa clan.”
However, the Ogun West Frontliners in a statement signed by its leader, Dr. Kunle Salako, and 28 others, declared that the senator is well qualified to be honoured with the traditional title as a bonafide indigene of Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area.
In expressing its opposition to Ogun West Liberation Forum, Ogun West Frontliners said the petitioners are known aides and political surrogates of former Governor of the State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who it said has never hidden his disdain for Adeola.
It, however, described the position of Ogun West Liberation Forum as mischievous and a ploy to destabilise Yewaland and by extension Ogun West for selfish political gains.
It said: “The conferment in question is not only within the purview of Yewa Traditional Council, but also a collective decision of the Council under the Paramount Ruler of Yewaland; Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle.
“It is instructive to state that the decision is in consonance with the customary and chieftaincy law of Ogun State, which give the authority to the Paramount Ruler and the Traditional Council to confer Chieftaincy Title as they deem fit.
“We are heartily congratulates Sen. Adeola and others on their respective conferment of Pan Yewa Chieftancy titles, we therefore deduce that the motive of the petition is to politicise a purely traditional matter and create a semblance of crisis in Yewaland where actually, there is none.
“As bonafide and proud Indigenes of Yewaland, we condemn unequivocally this act of betrayal of our heritage and the attempted desecration of many sacred crowns of Yewaland.
“We call on well meaning individuals to disregard the falsehood and propaganda being bandied around, designed to promote ulterior political agenda of a non Yewa Indigene with the active connivance of his few cohorts in the land.
“It is unfortunate that a few elements have offered themselves to blackmail and create an unfounded crisis in order to desecrate the exalted Yewa Traditional Institutions.
“We are also aware that the petitioners have failed to approach the Paramount Ruler or the Traditional Council for any clarification before going to the press; of course, they will not tow such honourable line as their intent and purpose are very mischievous.”
Those signed the statement, including serving and former Ogun State House of Assembly members and former Ogun State Commissioners for Health, were Hon. Adegoke Adeyanju, Hon. Haruna Eegungboun, Hon. Sunday Kojeku, Hon. Albert Asipa, Hon. Funmi Olaiju, Hon. Lateefah Ajayi, Hon. Jemili Akingbade, Hon. Michaal Kudoro and Hon. Bankole Joel JP.
Adeola’s spokesman, Kehinde Odunaro, has also risen in defence of his boss.
Odunaro said Adeola’s nomination was made by the traditional council headed by the Paramount ruler of Yewaland, adding that “it is done deal” and nothing can come out of other controversies.
He urged the forum to prove that Adeola is not an indigene of Yewaland after Obas in the region has attested to his indigeneship at several fora.
Odunaro said: “There is no contention or acrimony.
“In the first place, this is the traditional title awarded by all the traditional rulers of Yewaland ably led by their president who is the Paramount Ruler of the whole Yewaland.
“All the traditional rulers are the custodian of the tradition and all of them are on the same page.
“Let them go to his compound, Pahayi, Ilaro, let them meet the Baale there. Let them meet the people there to ask ‘is this your son or not’.
“This man has been given the traditional title by all the Obas of the Yewaland and the man has accepted it.
“All these things they are doing is mere just flogging a dead horse.
“Nothing can come out of it, it is a done deal.”