Olubadan rejects review of Ibadan Chieftaincy law

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso 1 has declared that he is not in support of the review of Olubadan Chieftaincy law proposed by the Oyo State Government.
Oba Adetunji, who spoke in Yoruba language in a new video, said though “the government has the right to review the law if it wants to do so”, but he is not in support of the move.
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state, DAILY POST recalled, had on May 19 inaugurated a seven-man judicial commission of inquiry, headed by a retired High Court judge, Justice Akintunde Boade, to review the existing chieftaincy declaration and other related chieftaincies in Ibadanland.
The video shows the mood of the monarch and revealed that he was not in support of the move.
After much persuasion reportedly from the Governor, the monarch later said he was in support.
The 6 minutes 51 seconds video obtained by DAILY POST revealed that the monarch was sitting beside the governor during a Ramadan fast break (Iftar) organised by the state government in Ibadan some days ago.
The video has generated tension among the press crew in the governor’s office who were believed to have handed over the clip to those opposing the governor.
It has led to the ban of members of the correspondents’ chapel of the NUJ in the state from the press centre at the Governor’s office.
DAILY POST gathered that two members of correspondents’ chapel, a reporter and a photo journalist were on Thursday walked out of the premises on the order of the Communication Team in the governor’s office.
When asked if he is in support of the review in the video, the monarch said “If I said I am not in support and the government said they want to do it, wouldn’t they do it? But what I want to tell you is that I am not in support. Let us remain the way we are. I am not in support.
“I am not in support, if it is another time they can do it but not in my own time. I am not in support.
“Since the establishment of Ibadan, it is only one king, you understand or is Ibadan just been created, this Ibadan is over 150 rediams, now if somebody now said that they wanted to do something that is different from what is on ground, I am not in support.
“Whatever they want to do about Ibadan, he is the one that knows it and can say about it, you understand, but what I want you to understand is that this crown I am wearing, It is all Ibadan that gave it to me, the governor endorsed it, but I don’t accept, I am not in support that they will crown any other person except me. So to say that everybody should be wearing crown, I am not in support. This is the reason I came with the crown here today.
“Whatever you want to hear now, you will hear it from the governor. This is the reason, he is a native of Ibadan, he is the one we can hear from him that we can follow after what I have said. Any other thing remain, he will say it”.
But the governor in the video said the Olubadan and the Council were all in support of the move after an extensive discussion with them.
“The Olubadan as well as the Olubadan in Council are all here, the beauty of it is that we discussed at length and we gave them the reasons why we must review the Chieftaincy declaration of 1957, even of 2000, and we explained to them and they all agreed.”
Ajimobi said in the video that he was not the first government that tried to review the law, saying it was done during the time of Chief Omololu Olunloyo, Chief Bola Ige, Western Region, Chief Kolapo Ishola and Ladoja.
He said many of them did not conclude but his government will do it and conclude it.
“We are not the first government that will try to review it, it was done during the time of Chief Bola Ige, it was done during the time of Western Region, it was done during the time of Chief Kolapo Ishola, it was even done during the time of Chief Ladoja himself which he named the Adio Commission of inquiry, he himself did it and we are doing it and we will do it, many of them did not conclude, we are going to conclude it.
“What we are saying is that we want to expand and improve the Chieftaincy declaration of that period and we must continue to change and I believe Baba is my father and he has been very good to me, he made me the Aare of Ibadanland, it is not a small title; I am the fifth person in the history of Ibadanland to be so honoured.
“So we are going to, we will not do anything that will be detrimental to his reign, we are going to support him and I can assure you he will support it, we need to explain to him and explain, he is an elderly man, he is an old man, we must explain to him”.
However Oba Adetunji when asked after the governor spoke said he was in support of whatever the governor wanted.
But his countenance revealed that he may have been forced to support the move since he had vehemently spoken against the move in the interview done earlier before the governor spoke.
The Olubadan who was very reluctant to answer the question over whether he supports the move or not said “If the governor supports it, I am also in support”.
When asked again, the monarch who was also reluctant to speak looked at the side of the governor who sat by his left said “I am in support, because the governor is a native of Ibadan, I am also a native of Ibadan, it is you that are asking me the question that I don’t know where you are from. Where are you from?”
Some voices in the background said “You see his tribal mark”, as they all laughed.
The questionnaire said “It is Lalupon”.
Oba Adetunji said “Heeen, Lalupon? it is part of Ibadan. It is part of Ibadan. And you will be successful. It will not detoriate, all what he is in support, I am also in support”.