The Ode Omi Traditional Council of Chiefs in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of Ogun state has written a protest letter to Governor Dapo Abiodun over the recent selection of one Mr. Adekunle Hassan as the new traditional ruler.
They appealed to the Governor to set up an independent inquiry into the matter, accusing the Transition Chairman of Ogun Waterside Local Government Comrade Femi Onanuga and Secretary, Sulaiman Yekini for carrying out the selection of Hassan as Lenuwa of Ode Omi with impunity and in violation of due process.
Onanuga however said the selection was done in strict conformity with the Chiefs laws 2006, directives and supervision of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy affairs.
A statement signed by some prominent chiefs of Ode Omi including Chief Wole Opele, the Oshodi of Ode Omi, wondered the rush to carry out the exercise when the selection process was earlier declared inconclusive.
According to them, the process was declared inconclusive in Ode Omi in the presence of Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) Abigi, representative of Director of Security Services and other Security operatives as candidates and the families involved requested more time to resolve some issues.
The traditional chiefs said to their surprise, Yekini later went behind to carry out the selection with three out of six kingmakers without the knowledge of the community.
The traditional council of chiefs said the stool of Lenuwa of Ode Omi is as old as Awujale of Ijebuland and must not be allowed to be rubbished and ridiculed by a process that does not pass the test of global best practices.
They appealed to Governor Abiodun to use his fatherly intervention to wade into the matter in order not to disrupt the peace and harmony at Ode Omi.
The Transition Chairman said Hassan (Oshoteku II) was elected by 2/3 majority of Kingmakers present at the selection process which was commenced at Ode Omi town hall and concluded at the Council’s premises on security advice.
He said: “That a singular candidate pulled 50 percent of the total vote out of five candidates shows the popularity of the candidate and the credibility of the selection process. That the selection process was concluded in the Council’s premises because of security threat doesn’t invalidate nor make the process less credible. It is noteworthy to mention that the appointment of Oshoteku I in 1939 was concluded in the Awujale palace at Ijebu Ode.
”Prominent Odeomi sons and daughters and indeed the majority of the citizens are happy and satisfied with the selection process, only a disgruntled few are sad, unhappy, and mourning a process overwhelmingly commended.”
Source: The Nation
