There is no end in sight to the crisis generated over elevation and installation of 21 high and senior Ibadan chiefs to Obaship status as the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji.
The new Obas are in sharp disagreement with the Olubadan over today’s installation of new Mogajis and Baales.
It was learnt that the state government had put a stop to the installation after a petition written to the Ministry of local government and chieftaincy matters by the 21 new Obas.
But the media director of the Olubadan, Adeola Oloko, had said in a statement that installation of the new baales and mogaji “needs no approval of anybody.”
The Olubadan, Oloko had said, “is an appointing authority up till the Ekaarun Balogun or Ekaarun Olubadan and he needs no approval from anybody, including the Olubadan-in-Council.”
The installation, he added, was long overdue, “as the families of those to be installed today have submitted their names over five months ago.”
But the new obas faulted the Olubadan on the installation, saying they were not consulted to determine the suitability or otherwise of persons to be installed.
In an advertorial placed by Oba Lekan Balogun, the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, on behalf of Ibadan Obas in Council, the purported appointment had already been stopped by the state government.
In the advertorial, the new Ibadan obas said “a petition has been written, signed and delivered to His Imperial Majesty by eight Royal Majesties who are members of the Ibadan Obas in Council.
“Based on a copy of the same petition forwarded to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, the ministry has written to His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adetunji, to put a stop to the illegality.”
The Olubadan, however, said there was no going back on the installation of the Baales and Mogajis.
