The Ekiti State Government, has again restated its firm resolve to instil the doctrine of due process in dealing with all chieftaincy Selection processes , saying manipulations and imposition remained recipes for anarchy, violence and bloodshed that won’t be tolerated .
The Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, spoke in Ado Ekiti, on Thursday, while mediating in a chieftaincy brawl stemmed from a petition written by Eruobodo family of Aaye quarters in Efon Alaaye, raising eyebrow over how they were unjustly sidelined in the installation of a new Obanla of the kingdom and second -in -command.
Addressing the stakeholders on the escalating matter, Mrs Afuye, said the Alaaye Chieftaincy Declarations of 1957, stipulated that three ruling houses could fill the vacancy and they are: Adaramoye, Eruobodo and Arojo, and that only the male children are entitled to the stool.
Mrs Afuye said Eruobodo remains the right family to produce the next Obanla, in line with the rotation principle prescribed by the State Chiefs Law and chieftaincy declarations .
The Deputy Governor stated further that, it flies in the face of the principle of rotation for the new Obanla to have been picked from another ruling house outside Eruobodo, saying the rotational measure was devised to ensure stability, peace and unity.
She maintained that strict adherence to the Chiefs Law was being canvassed by Governor Biodun Oyebanji to sustain the relative peace being enjoyed in the state and avert unnecessary bickerings that could trigger violence and bloodshed.
To resolve the impasse, Mrs Afuye summoned the head of Eruobodo family to appear in the next session to be convened by the government to clarify whether the person installed, Chief Wole Oni, was truly from Eruobodo family as being claimed.
“Governor Oyebanji won’t tolerate any manipulation of the chieftaincy process. The principle of rotation is necessary in this matter. It was contained in the Chieftaincy Declarations of Efon Alaaye and we have to follow it strictly.
“The Eruobodo family should be the one to present the candidate to the kingmakers for installation. So, go back home and resolve the issue amicably. We are after peace and government won’t allow anything that can tamper with the relative peace being enjoyed in the state”.
The petitioner, Mr Moses Eruobodo, alleged that available evidence substantiated the fact that the Obanla title was being rotated among the ruling houses and they had presented a candidate being the next on the line, only to be sidelined by the Alaaye-in-Council.
Eruobodo said the person installed as Obanla, Chief Wole Oni was never a member of their family as being claimed, saying the enthronement was an abridgement of their rights and abrasion of the 1957 chieftaincy review in Efon kingdom regarding rotation of the title.
He described the installation of Chief Wole Oni as a gross act of imposition and injustice, which must be addressed by the state government.
But the Saba of Aaye Quarters and head of kingmakers, Chief Francis Mogaji, clarified that the choice of Chief Wole Oni was arrived at sequel to consideration by all the kingmakers in the kingdom as prescribed by the Chiefs Law, saying the nomination was not the sole prerogative of Aaye Quarters.
Chief Mogaji accused the petitioner of trying to manipulate the process by presenting only one candidate, which was rejected by the kingmakers.
However, the Alaaye of Efon, Oba James Aladejare, who is the prescribed authority and
the Chairman, Efon Local Government, Hon. Segun Afolabi, applauded the government fir the swift intervention and promised to use internal mechanisms to resolve the logjam in no distant time.