Osinkola kicks as kingmakers ask Giesi to produce Ooni

Ife kingmakers  have asked the Giesi Ruling House to present qualified candidate(s) from the family to be selected as the next Ooni of Ife.

The Obalufe of Ife, Oba Solomon Omisakin, who read the address of the 16 traditional rulers of Ife that make up the kingmakers at a press conference held at Ile Oodua on Monday said the kingmakers used the 1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration to arrive at the decision.

The address was signed by six of the kingmakers, they are: Obalufe; Lowa Adimula of Ife, Oba Joseph Ijaodola, Obajio of Moore Quarters, Ife, Oba Yaya Elugbaju; Jaran of Ife, Adekola Adeyeye; Obaloran of Ilode, Oba Sakariya Olawusi and Arode of Ife, Oba J.A. Awe.

Omisakin stated that the new  Ooni would emerge within the next 40 days.

He said, ” We the 16 traditional rulers making up kingmakers by Ife traditional rules and customs hereby unanimously declare and affirm and confirm that 1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration is the one in existence now and we affirm as follows:

” Section 19 subsection a (3) that is the turn of Giesi Ruling House to present a candidate/ candidates for the vacant stool of Ooni of Ife Chieftaincy.

” Other three ruling houses, that is, Osinkola, Ogboru, and Lafogido should wait  for their turns. No ruling house should be restricted to a particular quarter or areas of the town because members of the ruling houses live in different parts of the town.

” Finally. We hereby enjoin members of the four ruling houses, people of the town, religious bodies, men and women of Ife environs, to please maintain absolute peace.

“By doing this the kingmakers would be able to select the best candidate for the vacant stool of Ooni of Ife.

Omisakin urged other  three ruling houses to  wait for their turn, while pleading with the people of the town to maintain peace.

The Executive Secretary of  Ife East, Tajudeen Lawal, who was also at the press conference said it was the turn of the Giesi going by the content of the 1980 declaration.

He said, ” It is the turn of the Giesi. We will write to them very soon. The declaration had stated the ascendancy order. It is very clear

The Chairman of Ife Central Local Government Area,  Taiwo Olaiya, said  the decision of the kingmakers to use the 1980 declaration was fair and just.

He said, “The 1980 Declaration was used to enthroned Oba Okunade Sijuwade. The declaration is so clear. It stated that the 1957 declaration had been cancelled.

” Whoever will emerge should just have, relative ability, character. The kingmakers will determine who has the relative ability. They are the ones the law allows to determine who has relative ability.”

The  Osinkola Ruling House has said the family will challenge the decision of the kingmakers in court.

The Chairman, Publicity Committee of Osinkola Ruling House, Prince Olakunle  Aderemi, who spoke to our correspondent on the telephone said the family would challenge the action in court on Tuesday.

Aderemi said, ” We will be in court tomorrow. We will challenge it in court. The instrument which the kingmakers used is corrupted.  That instrument cannot stand the test of law, it will crumble.

The Lafogido Ruling House had on Sunday rejected the 1977 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration describing it as harsh and unfair to the family.

The family, in a statement signed by the Sooko Walomo of Ile Ife, Prince Adeleke Adewoyin,  Lafogido had been constantly marginalised in chieftaincy reviews in Ife since 1957.

He said it was the turn of the ruling house now to produce the next Ooni, who would succeed Oba Okunade Sijuwade, who died on July 28 in a London hospital.

The statement read, “We   regard the  1977  gazette as harsh and unfair to the Lafogido Ruling House. The  clear-cut preponderance of 14 Oonis have been enthroned from Lajodogun and only 8 from Lafogido ruling house.”