Lamidi Adeyemi, alaafin of Oyo, has asked Kayode Fayemi,
governor of Ekiti state, to tread softly in his handling of the leadership
crisis rocking the state traditional council.
The governor had issued warning letters to 11 first-class
traditional rulers over alleged non-cooperation with government and leadership
of the traditional council.
The monarchs had boycotted state functions and monthly
meetings of the state council of traditional rulers after Fayemi appointed
Ajibade Alabi, alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, as chairman of the state traditional
rulers council. The first-class monarchs were said to be displeased with the
way the governor appointed a subordinate king to lead them and headed to the
court to challenge the appointment.
However, in a letter dated March 12, alaafin described the
development as a sad one and warned the governor against treating the
traditional institution with levity.
“Let me start by saying that the sacrosanct of the Pelupelu
that grades the sixteen crowned obas in Ekiti land is not in doubt. Suffice to
say Your Excellency that in any human society and more so in Yoruba Land, order
of hierarchy and seniority are of vital consideration in position placement,”
the alaafin said.
“From time immemorial, Obaship leadership in Ekiti Land had
been within the sixteen Obas without any dispute or quarrel among them and
indeed to the admiration of other Yoruba kingdoms.
“It was therefore with total displeasure and indeed total
discomfort that we learnt of Your Excellency’s neglect of the hierarchical
order by appointing a subordinate Oba as the Chairman of the Council of Obas
and Chiefs in the State over and above the recognized order.
“It is in this note that I along with my fellow Traditional
Rulers across Yoruba Land feel very sad that Your Excellency issued a query to
the sixteen Ekiti Crowned respected Traditional Rulers of high esteem in Yoruba
Land for not bowing their heads to their subordinate by not attending the
council meeting under their subordinate. That exercise and without mincing
words is to say the least sub judice.
“It is on this basis that we will advise against any attempt
to treat traditional institution in Yoruba Land with levity and to avoid any
attempt of importing any subculture of traditional degradation into Yoruba Land.
Your Excellency as one of the beneficiaries of the legacy bequeathed by these
Kings of Yoruba history is now embarking on an exercise that will rubbish the
contributions of your ancestors.
“Finally, as fathers, we should like to advise Your
Excellency to tread softly any relationship with traditional institution in the
name of Oduduwa and our other ancestors in Yoruba Land. Let us employ diplomacy
to settle this issue. We have the mechanism of conflict resolution in ways of
our ancestors.”
The disagreement with Ekiti monarchs comes after Abdullahi
Ganduje, Fayemi’s counterpart in Kano, dethroned Muhammadu Sanusi as emir.
Ganduje’s action has attracted widespread criticisms.
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