Chief Obanla Oteni, the head of Oteni dodo ruling house in Ipokia Kingdom in Ogun State has warned against the looming crisis in the town as he said foreigner cannot be installed as a monarch.
Chief Oteni made the disclosure recently in a statement. He said that when politics is brought into the custom and traditions of the people, there will definitely be resistance by such people.
Oteni averred that crisis is looming in Ipokia Kingdom as it appears that the Ogun State Government under the leadership of Prince Dapo Abiodun who is a royal blood himself is surprisingly playing politics with the Oba Ipokia Chieftaincy, as the state government has installed a foreigner as the Oba of Ipokia Kingdom, in total disregard to the customs and traditions of the Ipokia Kingdom.
He said; “On August 12, the Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, presented the Staff of Office to the Oba Ipokia Kingdom, Oba Yisa Olaniyan Adeniyi who is not a member of the Iwaye Dodo Ruling House, whose ruling house is entitled to produce the next Oba of Ipokia Kingdom by virtue of the Oba Ipokia Chieftaincy Declaration.”
“According to the Oba Ipokia Chieftaincy Declaration, 16 Kingmakers together with the Aro and Ogboni Olisa are required to participate in the selection and appointment of an Oba of Ipokia Kingdom, of which the functions the Aro and Olisa Ogboni are to play cannot be dispelled with, such that no valid selection and appointment can be made in the absence of the two positions.”
However, in the instant case, only five Chiefs, namely: Late Chief Bolaji Ojo Ramon (Osunba of Ipokia), Chief Dada Ogabi (Osuwo of Ipokia), Chief Fatai (Esemo of Ipokia), Chief Abdul-Ramon Okiji (Sarun of Ipokia) and Chief Adefalu Alabi (Ogalu of Ipokia) constituted themselves as kingmakers and purportedly appointed the said Yisa Olaniyan Adeniyi as the Oba of Ipokia Kingdom, in flagrant disregard to the customs and traditions of the Ipokia people, as enshrined in the Oba Ipokia Chieftaincy Declaration.
According to Prince Bankole Oteni, it is abaltroas for a foreigner to become a king in another man’s land
He said to make matters worst, the said Oba Yisa Olaniyan Adeniyi is a foreigner to the Ipokia Kingdom, he is the great grandson of Hunjenukan, who is the father to Akanbi Olaniyan Adelakun, who in turn, gave birth to Oba Yisa Olaniyan. Hunjenukan is from Egun extraction of Cotonou, now Republic of Benin, who migrated with his family to Ipokia Kingdom and was granted stay by the then Onipokia of Ipokia Kingdom because of the crisis in the old dohomey.
Akanbi Olaniyan became a servant to the Oba Oteni Bori Otemole, acting as the drummer, whose duty it was to wake the king every morning with his drum as the “Igbe” of the Oba Ipokia.
Expectedly, there are several actions in court challenging the selection and appointment process of Yisa Olaniyan as the Oba of Ipokia Kingdom, of the Ogun State government are parties.
However, Alhaja Idowu Ajibola said the Ogun State Government chose to disregard the judicial process and went ahead to present the staff of Office to the said Yisa Olaniyan Adelakun.
Alhaji Ajibola said the sole candidate of Oteni Bori Otemole Royal Family, which is one of the chief components of the larger Iwaye Dodo Bioke Ruling House, stated that he cannot talk much on the matter as the case is before High Court.
Consequently, any action taken outside may be contemptuous to the powers of the court to take complete proceedings of all the facts.
From the facts stated above, there is clear desire to desecrate the customs and traditions of the Ipokia Kingdom, worst all, the Government of Ogun State, who ought to be neutral parties, are being biased.
It is therefore, submitted that, the rule of law cannot strive, if the judiciary is not allowed to carry out it’s judicial functions and Government should quit playing politics with the customs and traditions of the people, which often results into bloodbath.
