Olubadan blasts Ajimobi over Obas’council

IBADAN – OLUBADAN of Ibadan, Oba
Samuel Odulana Odugade, has expressed
displeasure with Oyo state government
over alleged indefinite suspension of
the meetings of the Oyo state Council of
Obas and Chiefs. Ajimobi, a native of
Ibadan, is one of the Oba’s subjects.
But Governor Abiola Ajimobi, said he had
great regards for the traditional stool of
the Olubadan of Ibadan, all traditional
institutions in the state and would not
look down on the ancient stool, saying
“the case under consideration is in
court.”
To the monarch, the action of the
governor is tantamount to illegality
since the law of the state recognizes
holding of the meeting being presided
over by him.
It will be recalled that the immediate past
governor of the state, Adebayo Alao-
Akala signed into law a bill forwarded to
him by the then state House of Assembly
amending the laws of the council which
recognized the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba
Lamidi Adeyemi as the permanent
chairman of the council.
The amended law recognizes rotation of
the chairmanship among the Alaafin,
Olubadan and the Soun of Ogbomoso,
Oba Jimoh Oyewumi. Upon the
amended law, the Olubadan of Ibadan
summoned a maiden meeting about
three months ago but the development
triggered fresh controversy between
those that prefer rotation of the seat
and Alaafin who prefers the permanent
chairmanship to be his exclusive
preserve.
Olubadan who spoke through Osi
Olubadan, High Chief Lekan Balogun at
the 10th anniversary of the Premier FM
held in Ibadan, said “The governor has
suspended the Council of Obas. I don’t
think he has the power to do so, but he
has done it. I don’t know what he is
doing about it. Olubadan is the
Chairman, and that is the law. As at
today, that is the law. The governor
must have thought otherwise and that
must have informed the suspension of
the Council. We wish him luck and we
are not rocking the boat. But he is
wrong and his action is illegal.”
Reacting to the Olubadan, Ajimobi, said,
“the governor of Oyo State, Senator
Abiola Ajimobi, has great regards for the
traditional stool of the Olubadan of
Ibadan, all traditional institutions in the
state and would not look down on the
ancient stool.
However, the case under consideration
is in court. Indeed, the Alaafin of Oyo
went to court before the Council of Oba
meeting was convened. It would thus be
an affront on the authority of the court
to allow the meeting to hold while the
state government was aware of the
court process.
“Indeed, it is common jurisprudential
knowledge that no party to a case shall
take any action during the pendency of
a case as this may prejudice judgment.
As a government that swore to uphold
the integrity of the judiciary, Governor
Ajimobi had no option than to abide by
the law. We are not a lawless
government,” the governor said.
Also speaking at the event, Senator
Olufemi Lanlehin representing Oyo
South in the National Assembly, faulted
the way federalism is being practised in
the country.
Senator Lanlehin, who was the chairman
of the occasion commented on the topic
of the lecture entitled: “Peace as Panacea
for National Development” said:
“Federal Government has no business
handling matters relating to agriculture,
transportation, labour and so on. This
should be the major concern of State
and local governments because they
have direct link with major players in
those sectors.”