The Ekiti State Government, on Monday, mediated in a case of deposition and banishment of Elepe of Epe, Oba Williams Adesoye from the throne by his subjects, appealing to the irate community members to forgive and offer the monarch a second chance to amend his perceived shortcomings.
The Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, gave the plea in Ado Ekiti, on Tuesday, while mediating in a case of banishment and deposition of Oba Adesoye from the palace and throne by his subjects.
It would be recalled that some youth backed by elite of the town, had a couple weeks ago staged consistent violent protest and forcefully banished the monarch from the town over alleged high-handedness, unruly actions and display of behaviours that were antithetical to traditional norms.
Resolving the matter, Mrs Afuye, through a statement signed by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, appealed to the town to accept the apologies tendered by the embattled monarch.
To nip the crisis in the bud expeditiously, Mrs Afuye, directed the two warring factions to within seven days meet at the palace of Ajero of Ijero Ekiti and the Paramount ruler of Ijero kingdom, Oba Joseph Adewole and settle the crisis wholesomely.
Mrs Afuye also appealed to the town to reopen the shut palace at the appointed time stipulated by the tradition for the monarch to have access and administer over his town, but with a warning that he should be ready to accommodate all his opponents.
Underscoring the pivotality of peace and stability in each town, the Deputy Governor, said any town without substantive monarch can’t witness meaningful development, which makes it instructive for the subjects to have a change of heart and give the monarch a second chance.
As part of the terms of reference to wriggle the monarch out of crisis he was already mired, Mrs Afuye, urged the traditional ruler to release the farmland that has caused problem between him and a faction of the ruling house to the rightful owner and should be ready to accept all the chiefs opposed to him.
“The governor didn’t want to hear that our communities are experiencing violence and instability. All over the country, Ekiti is rated as the most peaceful and we are maintaining that status. The ways we handle our chieftaincy and land matters have become a template in this country.
“I appeal to you, let us forgive and forget. But Kabiyesi, you have to change your ways. The Epe Day that you have abandoned, I want you to work with the elites and chiefs to achieve this. Your people loved you. Please, don’t misbehave to them.
“From today, be accommodating and anytime you are angry with your people, try and consult those who can intervene. This is the more reason why you have Ajero as your guide. You can’t afford to misbehave to those who enthroned you because the ultimate power belongs to them”.
In their petition against the monarch and which was spoken to by the Ejemoye of Epe Ekiti and second in command, Chief Olajide Dada, he lamented that the monarch had problems with the kingmakers, youth, elite and virtually all the women groups in the town.
Chief Dada accused the monarch of arbitrarily suspending the kingmakers and chiefs that were opposed to him without deferring to higher authorities, saying “we can’t work with him again. He had defiled our town by his actions and on that deposition we stand”.
But Chief Dada thanked the state government and Ajero for their swift interventions, saying they may have a second thought about their position, if the monarch exhibits enough penitence.
In his defence, the embattled Oba Adesoye, who apologized to his subjects, including chiefs, youth and women groups, denied involvement in the withholding of stipends to some suspended chiefs, saying he had long given the chiefs the leeway to direct their own affairs in this regard.
Oba Adesoye assured the state government and the concerned stakeholders that he would amend his ways and unite with all the subjects for rapid development of Eoe community.
The monarch pledged to liaise with all relevant authorities for prompt release of those that were detained and charged to court in relation to the crisis on his prompting .
The Ajero of Ijero Ekiti, Oba Joseph Adewole, appealed to the community to forgive the monarch and allow the matter to be resolved amicably in the spirit of peace , unity and stability, warning that deposing the king may derail the development of the town.
Oba Adewole, who is the Paramount ruler of Ijero kingdom, disclosed that the king has just understood that ultimate power belongs to the people, saying it was wrong and flies in the face of tradition for monarch to be dictatorial and tyrannic.
“If you remove him, there will be a setback. He has apologized, I beg you, kindly accept his apologies , for your own good and for the sake of your generations yet unborn”.
The Chairman of Ijero Local Government, Hon. Abayomi Folowosele, applauded the government and Oba Adewole for playing prominent troubleshooting roles to avert bloodshed in the town.
Folowosele said he intervened in the crisis promptly when it was about to snowball into a full scale war among the contending forces, appealing to the embattled monarch to learn how to defer to higher authorities before taking unilateral decisions on delicate matters that could stoke violence and disaffection.
The Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Home Affairs, Hon. Ojo Atibioke, who is from the local government, admonished the embattled monarch to always listen to wise counsels to prevent unnecessary misbehaviour that could throw his town into bedlam.