Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa
- suggest three solutions
Prominent indigenes of Ifon have appealed to Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to intervene decisively and resolve the lingering Olufon chieftaincy dispute.
The people operating under the umbrella of Ifon Improvement Forum (IIF) lamented that the prolonged vacancy on the throne is stalling development and deepening tensions in the community.
ITF, a registered community development organization dedicated to fostering a prosperous, secure, and united Ifon (Omima) community in the Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, focuses on sustainable initiatives and collaborative development.
The body addressed a press conference in Akure, through its President, General Benjamin Badewole, who lamented that more than five years after the killing of the former Olufon of Ifon, Oba Israel Adegoke Adeusi, the community is yet to install a new monarch.
He recalled that the departed monarch was killed by gunmen on November 26, 2020, describing the incident as traumatic for the people of Ifon.
According to the forum, the Ondo State Government under the deceased Governor Rotimi Akeredolu had promised during the monarch’s burial rites that efforts would be made to ensure the emergence of a new king as quickly as possible.
“But five and a half years down the line, Ifon does not have an Oba,” the group lamented.
The forum explained that the Olufon Memorial 2020 committee, set up after the monarch’s death, later transformed into the Ifon Improvement Forum with the aim of pursuing peace, development and resolution of the chieftaincy dispute.
Speaking on the crisis, the President of the forum said one of its immediate priorities was resolving the prolonged royal impasse which has polarised ruling houses and led to multiple court cases.
He disclosed that despite letters written to the governor, the Attorney General and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the group had yet to receive any official response.
“We are pleading with the state government that whether or not the matter is in court, if the right thing is done, the cases in court will collapse like a pack of cards,” he said.
The forum traced the roots of the dispute to disagreements over whether the 1968 Chieftaincy Declaration or the 1981 Declaration should be used in selecting the next Olufon.
According to the group, the 1981 declaration followed recommendations made by the Adenekan Ademola Chieftaincy Commission set up by the old Ondo State Government, but controversy persists over claims that the declaration was never formally registered.
“It is this purported lack of registration that people are holding onto to say that the 1981 Declaration should not be used,” the forum stated.
The group proposed three options to the government, including allowing the next ruling house under the 1968 declaration to produce candidates, implementing the 1981 declaration after completing any outstanding registration processes, or throwing the contest open to all princes from every ruling house.
WAY OUT OF THE QUAGMIRE
In view of the unwholesome situation that the government and Ifon community have found themselves, the IIF wish to proffer practicable solutions to the Olufon Obaship impasse as it would be against the principle of natural justice if the rotational arrangement is jettisoned in favour of any particular ruling house or candidate. Consequent upon the foregoing, the IIF wishes to advise the State Government to adopt one of the 3 proposals being canvassed herein as a way of resolving the impasse:
Option A
In the event that the State government prefers the use of the 1968 Chieftaincy Declaration, it should follow strictly the rotational order contained in the declaration and direct the Erunogbe ruling house to present its candidate(s) before the Kingmakers not minding the fact that the ruling house had produced more Olufon than any other ruling house.
Option B
The State Government should register the already accepted and approved Olufon Chieftaincy Declaration of 1981 as contained in the Ondo State Government White Paper issued on the Morgan Commission. Any shortcoming noticed in the 1981 Chieftaincy Declaration would be reviewed and addressed by the next Olufon of Ifon. Following the registration, the Ogenuwa ruling house, being the next in line to the Adaniken ruling house, should be asked to present its candidate(s) before the Kingmakers.
Option C
In the event that the State Government elects not to adopt either of the first 2 options, the government should throw the contest open to all the ruling houses and whoever emerges will have the onerous task of re-arranging a new rotational order.
Above proposal is respectfully submitted to Your Excellency for kind consideration and approval.
INSECURITY AND UNDER DEVELOPMENT
The forum insisted that its members were not contestants for the throne but were only interested in ensuring peace and restoring development to the town.
“We are not princes. We are not eligible to contest for the title. But we are interested in bringing about a resolution of the conflict so that Ifon people can have a voice again within the council of Obas,” a member said.
On the role of the local government, the group explained that the council chairman merely acts as a moderator on behalf of the state government in the selection process.
“The duty of the local government is to act for the state government by writing to the ruling house expected to present candidates. Whatever report they submit is what the state government acts upon,” the forum explained.
Leaders of the forum blamed the prolonged crisis for the social and economic decline of the community, saying Ifon had lost its voice in the state’s traditional council despite being a first-class stool.
“In the committee of Obas, we are nowhere. We have no voice. Our stool is a first-class stool in this state, so when we have no voice, who speaks for the people?” the group queried.
They also lamented worsening insecurity in the area, revealing that the community had suffered heavily from kidnapping attacks in recent years.
According to the forum, the security situation forced the High Court, Magistrate Court and Customary Court in Ifon to stop sitting in the town, while the only commercial bank operating in the community also relocated.
To address the challenge, the group said it established a security committee and partnered with the Nigeria Police Force to create a local vigilante structure.
“We raised over N50 million and set up a vigilante group in partnership with the Nigerian Police. We provided vehicles, communication gadgets and licensed weapons for them,” one of the leaders disclosed.
The group added that it recently recruited 11 additional operatives, bringing the number of personnel in the local security outfit to about 35.
The forum also said it had embarked on several self-help projects, including renovation of the magistrate court and medical outreach programmes for elderly residents.
“We are trying our very best to see how we can take up the gauntlet and not wait for government,” the group stated.
The forum, however, accused some contenders for the throne of placing personal interests above the development of the community.
“If they truly had the interest of the town at heart, these things would not have become this difficult. What they are doing is retarding the progress of the community,” one member alleged.
Speaking further on the crisis, another member said politics and conflicting interests were complicating efforts to reach consensus.
“In leadership, you are bound to have different views. The onus is on the governor to separate the wheat from the chaff and bring everybody together to know who is telling the truth,” he said.
The forum further disclosed that under the 1968 declaration, the next ruling house, Erunobi, has about 14 interested candidates, while under the 1981 declaration, the next ruling house, Oginwa, has only one candidate.
“It’s only Baba God that knows who is going to be the next ruler. But let us as human beings do the right thing so that history will judge us well,” the group added.
The forum ultimately appealed to Governor Aiyedatiwa to convene a stakeholders’ meeting involving all interested parties to prevent the crisis from degenerating into chaos.
“We are asking the governor to open his doors to the community and allow everybody to state their positions. If this issue is not properly handled, it can lead to anarchy, and we do not want that,” the group advised.
