Ooni, Aromolaran may clash over Osun monarchs council

Crisis appears to be looming between the new Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, over the chairmanship of the Osun State Council of Traditional Rulers.

The late Ooni, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, was the permanent chairman of the council before his demise on July 28 while Oba Aromolaran has been acting as the chairman of the council after Sijuwade’s death.

Aromolaran had, while briefing journalists in Osogbo on Thursday after the meeting of the council, said other monarchs unanimously had adopted him as the substantive chairman of the council during the Thursday meeting.

Aromolaran explained that the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, moved the motion that he (Aromolaran) should continue to lead the council as the substantive chairman from Thursday.

He said, “We met today and discussed the chairmanship of the council (of traditional rulers). Kabiyesi, the Ataoja of Osogbo, moved that I should not only continue as the acting chairman but as the chairman as from today.

“By the grace of God, I will not disappoint (them). While Oba Okunade Sijuwade was alive, I was the one presiding over the meetings because he was around 85 years old.

“Now that the Obas have unanimously adopted me as the chairman, I will ensure unity and progress of the council.”

Speaking on the coronation of the Ooni, which is scheduled to hold on Monday, Aromolaran said members of the Osun Council of Traditional Rulers might not attend the ceremony except they received a formal invitation from those in charge of the ceremony.

He said traditional rulers were not idle persons who attended ceremonies they were not invited to.

Aromolaran added, “If there is a formal invitation, we will attend the coronation. We have not received any letter of invitation up till now.”

He expressed readiness to work with the Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, to address the economic crisis confronting the state.

According to him, the council, under his chairmanship, had prepared a proposal, which he said would be submitted to the governor very soon.

However, one of the associates of the new Ooni, Mr. Biyi Odunlade, when contacted to know the position of Oba Ogunwusi on the chairmanship of the council, said the Aromolaran would not be allowed to distort history.

Odunlade stated, “The Ooni has been the permanent chairman (of the council) even since the time of the old Oyo State. The Ooni is the head of traditional rulers not only in Osun State but in Yorubaland. This is a distortion of history. It is not true and it cannot be true.”

Odunlade, who is the chairman, Media Committee of the Ooni’s coronation, said the committee had dispatched letters of invitation to the monarchs individually.

He said they were invited and would be accorded respects due to them at the ceremony.

Our correspondent gathered that some of the traditional rulers, who attended the meeting held at the conference hall of the Ministry of Finance, Osogbo on Thursday, did not support the motion that Aromolaran be made the substantive chairman of the council.

Sources told our correspondent that some monarchs present at the meeting opposed the motion and refused to be part of the decision to make Aromolaran the substantive chairman.