Kunle Adelabu
The Chairman of Ijede Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Comrade Fathiu Salisu Jimoh, and the Secretary, Alajede-in-Council and the Odofin of Ijede, High Chief Babatunde Ogunmuyiwa, have both assured indigenes and residents of Ijede that another traditional ruler will soon be crowned in the community.
They made this assurance while speaking with THE IMPACT recently on the rehabilitation of the Alajede palace and the tussle over the vacant Alajede stool.
Oba Fatai Oresanya, the last Alajede, joined his ancestors 7 years ago and efforts to pick a successor from the Ajanaku Ruling House has proved abortive as Prince Kazeem Amusa, a member of the the ruling house and candidate for the much coveted stool, is still challenging the selection of a former two-term member of Lagos State House of Assembly and former two-term Chairman of Ijede LCDA, Hon. Saheed Adefarasin Hassan, by the Kingmakers as the Oba-elect.
Comrade Fathiu, while explaining to our reporter that the rehabilitation of the collapsed Alajede palace was not due to the fact that the riverine community is set to install another Oba, stated that it was the implementation of the resolution at the last Alajede Day that the palace should be rehabilitated with the proceeds from the 2019 celebration.
“It was at the last year’s Ajede Luwasa Day that was held on December 7, that we agreed that whatever proceed that we realized will be used to renovate the palace”, he stated
“The money realized, together with what was donated for the renovation by the Egbin Power PLC as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the community, will be added to the proceeds from the last Ajede Luwasa Day for the committee in-charge of the renovation to work with’’, Comrade Fathiu explained.
“The palace has become an eyesore and the entire community has decided to renovate it so that when we install a new king which will be done soon, he is not going to be bothered with the renovation”.
Speaking on the challenges of installing another Oba, Comrade Fathiu stated:
“We would have installed another King if not that they took the matter to court. Currently, we have about some cases on the matter. But we are making efforts to reconcile the matter”, he said.
“In this sense, we have to appreciate our royal father, Oba Kabir Shotobi, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, for his intervention and also the Ranodu of Imota, Oba Bakare Agoro, both of whom invited the family concerned. The two Obas are doing everything within their power to resolve the matter.
“We too are not relenting as a council and indigenes. We have been making series of steps to get the matter resolved and very soon, a new Alajede will emerge”.
Also speaking with THE IMPACT, High Chief Babatunde Ogunumuyiwa, the Odofin of Ijede, stated that the renovation is not because the community is ready to install another Oba. Though, he stated that the community looks forward to having a new monarch every day.
“Well, of course, we are renovating the Alajede palace but not because we are about to having another Alajede. But it is worthy of note to state here that every day, we always look forward to installing another monarch in Ijede and that will happen very soon”, Odofin stated.
“There is a proverb in Yoruba which states that, ‘Ilu ti o ba l’oba, bi eni to n rin ti o ni ori ni’, (nothing happens in a community without a monarch). Every day, we expect that another Alajede will be installed”.
He stated that the rehabilitation of the palace is being spearheaded by the Egbin Power PLC as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility to its host community.
“The palace renovation is courtesy of Egbin Power PLC. They are doing it out of their own Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). We had before resolved that proceeds from the last Ajede Day would be used for the palace renovation before the Egbin PLC’s intervention. Right now, what you are seeing us doing on the palace is from the Egbin Power PLC”.
On Alajede crisis, High Chief Ogunmuyiwa stated that the matter is still in court, adding that they hope to get the matter resolved and installed a new traditional ruler this year.
“We are still in Court over the Alajede stool. The Claimant has been cross-examined and the Responders are now being cross examined. That is the stage where the Ajede issue is now. We want to believe that a new Alajede will be installed this year by the grace of God”, he stated.
“Thank God that the palace is being rebuilt. It may probably be God’s design that a new Alajede will installed in a renovated palace”.
The Odofin, while explaining the efforts of the community in having the Obaship matter settled out of court, stated that:
“We have tried to reconcile the warring family. The Osugbo fraternity which l am a member, alongside other chiefs and the Ikorodu Division Chieftaincy Committee have all tried their best to resolve the matter but all were to no avail and since they say that the court is the last hope of common man, that is why we are still in court”.
“Both the Claimant and the Respondent are family members”.
In his view, the main issue preventing the installation of another king is that matter in which Prince Kazeem Amusa from Ajanaku Ruling House is challenging the decision of the Alajede Kingmakers in picking Hon. Saheed Adefarasin Hassan, another Prince from Ajanaku Ruling House, as the Alajede-elect.
“There are five ruling houses in Ijede – Ladega, Orese, Atobatele, Ajanaku and Aniyera royal families. The last Oba, Alaiyeluwa Fatai Oresanya, was from the Ladega royal family where I am from. According to the Declaration, it is the turn of the Ajanaku royal family to ascend the throne but a section of the community has started saying that Ajanaku should not be part of the Declaration”, he stated.
“This is the issue that we are facing now. But to my own knowledge, if anyone has issue with the Declaration, they should be heading to the tribunal and not court. That is my layman understanding.
“The issue between Prince Kazeem Adebayo Ajanaku and Prince Saheed Adefarasin Ajanaku is the main issue before us which is preventing us from having another Oba in Ijede. That is where we are now”.
The journey to fill the vacant throne of Alajede stool after the demise of the last Oba, HRM Oba Fatai Adeboye Oresanya, Ladega II and Alajede of Ijede, who joined his ancestors on August 13, 2012, began on March 28, 2013, with the issuance of Public Notice to the Idowu Ajanaku Ruling House with the directive to produce candidate(s) for the Kingmakers’ consideration as stipulated in the declaration made under section 4 of the Chiefs Law (Cap 19) of the revised laws of western Nigeria 1959 and adopted by the Lagos State government (Applicable laws) Edict No.2 of 1968 of the Customary Law regulating the selection of the Chieftaincy Title of Oloja (Oba) of Ijede in Ikorodu District Council which identified five major ruling houses- Orese, Ladega, Idowu Ajanaku, Salako Atobatele and Aniyera ruling houses. The ruling houses are to present candidate for the throne in the order stated.
