Ekiti State Government, has debunked the claim made by a Chief in Ilawe Ekiti, Ekiti Southwest Local Government Area and traditional title holder of Ororin of Irorin Quarters, Chief Sunday Atolaju, that he has been granted express permission to wear beaded crown.
To restore peace in Ilawe town, the government ordered Chief Atolaju to broker truce with the prescribed authority and Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, Oba Adebanji Alabi, to forestall any chieftaincy tussle that can snowball into division, violence and bloodshed .
The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, made the clarification in Ado Ekiti, on Monday, via a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, while mediating in a chieftaincy brawl between Alawe-in-Council and Chief Atolaju.
The crisis stemmed from a petition signed by Oba Alabi, accusing Chief Atolaju, a Chief Priest of parading himself around town with beaded crown and with staff of office during a Cultural Festival, which the monarch described as a flagrant violation of the Ekiti State Chiefs Law.
When the matter was to be decided on Monday, Chief Atolaju and his supporters were absent, but the Deputy Governor maintained that at no time did the government gave the traditional Chief any right and privilege to wear beaded crown.
Mrs Afuye stated that only traditional rulers presiding over full fledged autonomous communities, and had been duly recognised by government as statutory monarchs, can enjoy such rights and privileges.
“To the best of my knowledge, Governor Oyebanji has not granted autonomy to any town since inception on October 16, 2022, so no Chief can claim that this government had given him the right to wear beaded crowns as he deems fit.
“Only statutory and recognised kings can enjoy such privilege according to our law”, she clarified.
On how to curtail the alleged excesses of the traditional Chief, who was accused of arbitrarily adorning in beaded crown, thereby demeaning Alawe’s supremacy and kingship, Mrs Afuye, directed the embattled Atolaju to make peace with the monarch in the interest of the town.
“This government being steered by Governor Oyebanji will never lord any Chief over any traditional ruler. We have respect for traditional rulers and traditional institution. Chief Atolaju should go back to Alawe and make peace with him.
“Oba Adebanji is the head of Ilawe kingdom and he supervises over cultural festivals in that town. Chief Atolaju must be ready to comply with whatever Kabiyesi wants, this is the best way to ensure peace and harmony in Ilawe Ekiti”.
In his submission, the Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Home Affairs, Hon. Ojo Atibioke, said by laws, norms and practices, the chiefs are under the prescribed authorities of the traditional rulers, and not vice versa, saying Ekiti won’t deviate from this age long tradition.
The Commissioner, however, appealed to the community to handle the matter with utmost tact and civility, since all the parties involved are indigenes and closely related.
Meanwhile, the monarch, represented by the Elemo of Oke- Emo, Chief Gbenga Agbona, craved the government’s approval for immediate suspension of the Chief to serve as deterrent to others.
Oba Alabi disclosed that the crisis the estranged Chief was dragging with the Alawe-in council began in 2014, with efforts made by stakeholders, including government, security agencies and elite to troubleshoot being futile.
“We can’t continue to fight till eternity. Our humble request is that, the state government should give us the approval to suspend him, even if it is for just six months, so that he can learn how to respect authority’.
The Chairman, Ekiti Southwest Local Government , Hon. Richard Apolola, appealed to interested parties to comply with the State’s Chiefs Laws, describing this as the best way to tackle the matter headon.
Last week during a parley, the government has restated ban on any High Chief and individual parading with beaded crown in the state, saying only the recognised traditional rulers are empowered to use such paraphernalia.
But at the meeting, Chief Atolaju tendered evidence to prove that his forebears used beaded crown during their yearly festival at Irorin Quarters, claiming that their culture allows him to enjoy such rights and privileges .