Ekiti State Government, on Tuesday, halted moves to dethrone
Oba Johnson Aderiye, the Alayegunle of Ayegunle Ekiti in Ijero Local Government Area of Ekiti State by youths and kingmakers of the community.
Government intervention was sequel to a petition written by five out of the six kingmakers in the town, requesting the leave of the government for them to dethrone the Alayegunle of Ayegunle Ekiti, Oba Aderiye over alleged sundry offences.
Allegations leveled against the monarch were: Flagrant disobedience to tradition, arbitrary use of power, unlawful suspension and removal of chiefs, corruption , intimidation and unlawful arrest and detention of chiefs and youth of the community.
Mediating , the Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, urged the embattled monarch to adhere strictly to the Ayegunle Chieftaincy Declaration, which pegged the number of kingmakers to six and refrain from increasing the number to nine as alleged.
Mrs Afuye, in a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, advised Oba Aderiye to pay outstanding stipends to all the kingmakers for expeditious settlement of the imbroglio.
For speedy resolution of the crisis,
the Deputy Governor, ordered the monarch to withdraw all the cases pending in court as part of the trouble-shooting efforts, while also ordering the kingmakers to support the monarch to restore peace in the beleaguered town.
“We will also go to the council and get all the necessary vouchers regarding payment of stipends to Ayegunle chiefs. We will ensure that nobody is shortchanged in this matter . All the chiefs will get their entitlements, there must be cooperation between you”.
Speaking further on the petition, the Odofin of Ayegunle, Chief Ayodele Omoniyi and Sajuku of Ayegunle, Chief Olatunbosun Arowolo, said the embattled monarch has been ruling the town tyrannically, by allegedly increasing the number of kingmakers from six to nine without consultation.
The Chiefs accused the monarch of arbitrarily suspending and removing some chiefs without committing any offence, while also arresting youth and clamping them into detention without reasonable reason.
“The most pathetic of his action was the way he refused to release the N2m we made during the 2016 edition of Ayegunle Day to carry out development project. This was the beginning of restiveness in the town.
“In fact, we are tired of all these misdemeanours and that was why we demanded for his deposition, not because of hatred, no going back on his removal. He is not passionate about Ayegunle’s development”, they alleged.
In his defence, Oba Aderiye, who denied all the accusations, said the crisis began when some youth loyal to the estranged kingmakers attacked his palace and children over chieftaincy issue.
The monarch said all the people he installed as chiefs in the town received the blessings of the chiefs, including the kingmakers, contrary to the claims that he did the ascension arbitrarily.
On the arrest of the chiefs and youth by police, the traditional ruler claimed that those nabbed were held in connection with alleged attack on the palace and for causing unrest in the town, denying ever instigating the security agencies to clamp anyone in detention.
“Let the government go and check the financial records of our town, all the monies we made during our days were well appropriated. Even the monthly stipends for my chiefs were distributed to all the beneficiaries. My books are open, I have nothing to hide”, the monarch said .
Appealing to the feuding factions to shelve their swords, the paramount ruler of the kingdom and Ajero of Ijero -Ekiti, Oba Joseph Adewole, appealed to all sides to forgive each other and work for the progress of the town.
Other monarchs; the Oluroye of Iroko- Ekiti, Oba Sunday Ekundayo and Onikun of Temidire- Ekiti, Oba Moses Fabusuyi, pleaded with the warring factions to place the development of the town over and above other interests.