Ondo community leaders besiege palace, protest alleged imposition of non-indigene as monarch

By DAYO JOHNSON, Akure

Leaders of Eleyowo community in the Akure North Council area of Ondo state, Tuesday, kicked against alleged imposition of a non indigene as their monarch by the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi.

The protesters who besieged the monarch’s palace, armed with placards of various inscriptions from the Arijodi/Ologunmolaare family of Eleyowo community, blocked the main road leading to the palace.

They threatened to resist any attempt by the monarch to impose community head on them.
Their spokesperson, Olugbenga Omolere warned that any attempt by the monarch to subvert their choice would be vehemently resisted and would lead to another round of crises in the community.

Omolere said that the community had been engulfed in crisis already.

He alleged that the Oba Aladetoyinbo had perfected plans to politicize and impose a non- indigene, Femi Oluyole, on them as the Olu of Arijodi.

The spokesperson who expressed worry over recent happenings in the community said it was in violation with the customs, tradition and chieftaincy law of the land.

The community appealed to the monarch to suspend the process of the purported monarch on the community in order to allow peace to reign.

Omolere said that “we got an information that there is a process ongoing at Deji’s palace that they wanted to bring Olu for us and that is why we are here to tell the Deji of Akure that we don’t want any Olu for now.

“We have been battling with some crisis already in our community and we will not want the Deji of Akure to compound our woes and should stop the process of appointing a new traditional head for peace to reign in our community.

“We have a family land at Alagbaka extension here in Akure with the name Arijodi/Ologunmolaare where Justice Aderemi Adegoroye of the Ondo state High Court gave an order that our family should set up a standing committee that would be in charge of the partitioning/sales, transfer, alienation or any other forms of dealing with the Arijodi/Ologunmolaare family land in such a way it shall not affect the right of ownership of any person or group of persons.

“All what we need now is how peace will reign in our community, not the issues of Olu, we don’t need Olu for now.

“The person that the Deji of Akure wanted to install as Olu is a son to Chief Mrs Taye Ologede who hails from Ekiti and the man is not our family members. He is from Ikogosi Ekiti.

“He cannot come from Ekiti and become an Olu here, we have a person already that can be our Olu here.

Omolere added that ” We now expect our traditional ruler, the Deji of Akure to use his discretion to suspend any process on this issue till we settle the crisis we have in our community.”

One of the aides to the traditional ruler who attended to the protesters appreciated them for their peaceful conduct and asked them to put their grievances into writing for proper documentation and necessary attention by the monarch. (Vanguard)