The Ekiti State Government, has given Kingmakers in Ipao Ekiti 60 days ultimatum to fill the vacant stool of the community six years after the demise of their king.
The Deputy Governor expressed disappointment over the Obaship tussle dogging the ascension of a new king six years after the demise of Oba Joseph Abolaji Aina, saying it may be compelled to appoint warrant chiefs to spearhead the selection process should the Kingmakers footdrag on the matter.
The Deputy Governor, Chief ( Mrs) Monisade Afuye While addressing Ipao Kingmakers at her office, on Thursday, attributed the lingering insecurity in the town to delay in the enthronement of a new Obanla to respond to the frightening situation.
Mrs Afuye, according to a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, warned the kingmakers against being recalcitrant to picking a candidate, out of the five names forwarded by the Adesogan Ruling House to occupy the vacant stool.
She added that in line with the Ekiti State Chieftaincy Law, only the family of the next ruling house enjoys unfettered traditional backing to forward the names of nominees to the Kingmakers for ratification.
While ordering the Kingmakers, the Deputy Governor said; “We are not going back at this juncture. You have traditional ways of picking your king. Go back home and relate with your people. We are mandating you to pick one of the five nominees sent to you.
“We don’t want you to go back home and mess up the process. Make sure the process is transparent, early and speedy. What we want is a king because of the safety and progress of the town and its people.
“Ipao Ekiti has been stagnant because of this delay. Not having a king is affecting your development negatively. Once the names had been forwarded to you, we believe you must act on it .
“Carry all the necessary people along, don’t leave anybody behind. Are you happy with the way kidnappers had been abducting your people? You can’t know the ruling house more than the heads of the family.
“It won’t speak well for you to be alive and government is picking warrant chiefs to do the selection. The government is not happy with the delay because of the insecurity, so the Kingmakers must cooperate with us.
“We are giving you 14 days to hold your town’s meeting and get a new king within the next 60 days. Let us move on with the normal rites and get a new Obanla”.
Speaking earlier, the Executive Secretary, Ekiti State Bureau of Chieftaincy Affairs, Barrister Adegboyega Morakinyo, said the kingmakers have no reason to constitute any clog, since the authentic head of Adesogan ruling house had been identified.
Barrister Morakinyo lamented that the kingmakers had been causing problem by their alleged refusal to recognise the names sent as genuine members of Adesogan Ruling House against the position stoutly maintained by the royal dynasty.
The Executive Secretary added; “Out of the four living kingmakers, only one has been cooperating with the government. The position of the law is a very sacrosanct on this matter.
“The names sent by the heads of the ruling house should be the one to be sanctioned by the kingmakers. They should work on the list, and anything contrary to this is illegal, null and void”.
The Chairman, Ikole Local Government area of Ekiti State, Hon Sola Olominu, stated that the government has been having problem in curtailing incidences of killings and Kidnappings in Irele, Ipao and Oke- Ako axis due to obaship crisis.
“The government is having very serious problem in that axis. Ipao, Irele and Oke- Ako are facing serious security threat and the royal fathers have roles to play. The government doesn’t have a candidate, but we need a king in that town for the sake of security of the people.
The Kingmakers, represented by Obaleyo, Chief Olayemi Joseph Oladele and Oboe, Chief Kolawole Olopo, promised to communicate the government’s position to the ruling house.
The Kingmakers said they had also backed the government’s position that Adesogan, rather than Ogunwuyi and Angbese Ruling Houses should be given the leeway to present candidates for the selection.