OLUBADAN BLASTS AJIMOBI OVER OBAS' COUNCIL

*Case in court - Ajimobi
BY OLA AJAYI
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.'