Insideoyo.com has obtained a 5-page document detailing some facts about the Justice O.A Boade Commission of Enquiry which led to the installation of 32 new Obas in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The State Government has set up the Judicial Commission of Enquiry to review the Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration of 1959 made pursuant to the 1957 Chiefs Laws, and other related Chieftaincies in Ibadanland in line with the current reality of chieftaincies of equal status across the Yorubaland in general on 9th May, 2017.
The Commission submitted a-three volume report at the Executive Council Chamber, Treasury Building, Secretariat, Ibadan on Friday, 19th August, 2017.
Here are some of the facts in the over 100 recommendations.
1) The retention of the rotational system of the Olubadan chieftaincy
2) The retention of the Olubadan Line and the Balogun Line as the two lines to produce the Olubadan in rotation.
3) The reduction of the 22 rungs on Olubadan Line and the 23 rungs on Balogun Line so that the Olubadan in future would become Oba at a relatively younger age so as to be active in office and have longer tenure in office.
4) Olubadan Line is now Otun Olubadan Line.
5) There should be 11 steps on Olubadan line and 12 steps on Balogun line to begin from Ikolaba title on both lines.
6) The eleven (11) High Chiefs who are members of the Olubadan-in-Council for approval as Beaded Crown/Coronet wearing Obas, namely,
1. Otun Olubadan 1. Balogun
2. Osi Olubadan 2. Otun Balogun
3. Ashipa Olubadan 3. Osi Balogun
4. Ekerin Olubadan 4. Ashipa Balogun
5. Ekarun Olubadan 5. Ekerin Balogun
6. Ekarun Balogun
7) These eleven (11) Beaded Crown Obas in addition to Iyalode shall be the kingmakers of Olubadanland.
8) No person shall be qualified to be a candidate for a recognized chieftaincy who:
(a) suffers from serious physical infirmity; or
(b) has, under any law in force in Nigeria, been found or declared to be a lunatic or adjudged to be of unsound mind; or
(c) has, in any part of the Commonwealth:
(i) been sentenced to death or imprisonment for a term exceeding two years; or
(ii) been convicted of an offence involving dishonesty and sentenced to imprisonment therefore, and has not been granted a free pardon.
(Section 14(2) of the Chiefs Law, Cap 28, Laws of Oyo State 2000)
9) Each of the eleven (11) High Chiefs in the Olubadan-in-Council shall become a Beaded Crown-wearing Oba and shall be addressed as “His Royal Majesty” with the prefix ‘Oba’ before his name in conjunction with his respective title e.g. HRM Oba……..Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland.
10) The Olubadan should be addressed as “His Imperial Majesty”, the High Chiefs should be addressed as “His Royal Majesty” to maintain their seniority over the Baales that would eventually be recommended for wearing of Beaded Crowns or coronets and would be addressed as “His Royal Highness”.
11) The area of assignment of the High Chiefs would be the existing eleven (11) Local Government Traditional Councils.
12) All Senior Chiefs, who are customarily senior to various Baales in Ibadanland, should be upgraded to Recognised Chiefs under Part II of the Chiefs Law in order to maintain the customarily cherished seniority of the Senior Chiefs over the various Baales who are already recognized under Part II of the Chiefs Law, including ancient Baales.
13) Having regard to the information available to us, the Obas in other parts of Yorubaland were granted approval to wear Beaded Crowns, and in order not to make new Obas in Ibadanland inferior to their counterparts in Yorubaland, we hereby recommend approval of wearing of Beaded Crowns for the Baales who have been recommended for elevation as Obas in Ibadanland.
14) No newly elevated Oba shall add “land” to the name of his domain in his title because the “Olu” title is exclusively reserved for the Olubadan of Ibadanland.
15) The suffix “land” is exclusively reserved for the Olubadan as in Olubadan of Ibadanland.
16) The Olubadan should be retained as Consenting and Prescribed Authorities for Ibadanland
17) Any Oba in Ibadanland who shows disregard or disrespect to the position or authority of the Olubadan through refusal to pay necessary customary obeisance and flouting of superior customary authority shall be investigated by a Committee of Traditional Chiefs and appropriate sanction will be recommended against any guilty offender. A very serious infraction of the tradition can be reported to the State Governor through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters.
The new Royal Majesties in Ibadanland who have received their letter of conferment and their titles are as follows:
1. HRM Oba Senator Lekan Balogun – The Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland
2. HRM Oba Akinloye Owolabi Olakuleyin – The Balogun of Ibadanland
3. HRM Oba Tajudeen A. Ajibola – The Osi Balogun of Ibadanland
4. HRM Oba Eddy Oyewole – The Ashipa Olubadan of Ibadanland
5. HRM Oba Latifu Gbadamosi Adebimpe – The Ashipa Balogun of Ibadanland
6. HRM Oba Abiodun Kola-Daisi – The Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland
7. HRM Oba (Dr.) Kolawole Adegbola – The Ekarun Balogun of Ibadanland
8. HRM Oba S. Amidu Ajibade – The Ekarun Olubadan of Ibadanland
The new ROYAL HIGHNESSES who have received their letters of conferment are as follows:
1) HRH Chief Lasisi Akano – Onijaye of Ijaye
2) HRH Oba Ismaila Abioye Olasunkanmi Opeola – Oniroko of Iroko
3) HRH Oba Moses Olasunkanmi Akinyosoye – Onikereku of Ikereku
4) HRH Oba Mudasiru Omodele Adebayo – Ololodo of Olodo
5) HRH Oba Victor Sunday Okunola – Elegbeda of Egbeda
6) HRH Oba Gbolagade Muritala Babalola – Onido of Ido
7) HRH Oba Olabamiji Ahmed Thomas – Alakufo of Akufo
8) HRH Oba (Alhaji) Wahab Olabamiji Okedina – Oloke of Okelade-Okin
9) HRH Oba Dauda Omotoso – Alawotan of Awotan
10) HRH Oba Adeboye Oyelowo Salako – Olofa of Offa
11) HRH Oba Rafiu Alawusa – Onilagun of Lagun
12) HRH Oba Tiamiyu Labiyi Ladipo – Alaba of Aba-Nla
13) HRH Oba James Oladipo Obisesan – Alakanran of Akanran
The Government White Paper No. 14, Vol. 42 is available at the Oyo State Government Press, Secretariat, Ibadan, Oyo State.
