Kunle Adelabu
-Palace charges court on timely delivery of judgment
Palpable tension has enveloped Ijede community in ljede Local Council Development Area (LCDA), as residents await court judgment over the vacant Alajede stool, 11 years after the former monarch, His Royal Majesty, Oba Fatai Adeboye Oresanya, Ladega II, joined his ancestors, while Prince Kazeem Amusa, is currently challenging the emergence of Prince Saheed Hassan Adeferasin as the Alajede – elect.
The matter, challenging the Alajede selection process, was instituted in the Suit No. IKD/82/2013, with Pa (Chief) Olayiwola Saka Owoyele, Prince Kazeem Amusa and Prince Babatunde Sulaimon Amusa as plaintiff/claimants, suing Hon. Saheed Hassan, Chairman, Ijede LCDA, Chief Alliu Musediku Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs and Governor of Lagos State, on behalf of themselves and the Idowu Ajanaku Royal family of Ijede.
Chief Adedayo Aba Ajanaku and Tunji Pero, were joined as defendants by the order of the court in January 2017.
The late monarch died August 13, 2012, and the process to fill the vacant position began on March 28, 2013, and was concluded with the selection of the two term representative of the Ikorodu Constituency II and two term Chairman,l of Ijede Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Hon. Saheed Hassan Adefarasin, as the Alajede – elect by the ljede Kingmakers. However, the outcome of the selection process was challenged by other members of the Alajede – elect’s ruling house.
A total of 10 Princes vied to fill the vacant Alajede stool.
THE IMPACT, which has been following the matter since the demise of the late King, within the Ijede community and in various courts, went back to town recently to find out about the state of the matter in court, and the positions of the stakeholders on the matter.
However, stakeholders have agreed that the absence of a king in the town has caused the Ijede so much setbacks, and there is need to resolve the matter as soon as possible. The Alajede – in – Council, led by High Chief Musediq Alliu, in this regard, appealed to the Lagos State Government, to ensure that the matter is resolved in good time.
Hon. Motunrayo Gbadebo – Alogba, Chairman Ijede LCDA, who spoke with THE IMPACT, in her office over the matter, said that the community is trying to resolve the matter, adding that Ijede community will have an Oba soon.
“The truth is that not having a king is giving us lots of setbacks. The family that is supposed to present the next Alajede, is having issues and its members are in court. To the best of my knowledge, the court case will be cleared soon. We all know that we need an Oba in Ijede for the community to move forward, and the families are already coming together. So, very soon and by the grace of God, they will come to resolution, and we would get an Oba”, she said.
“We have different stakeholders in the community like the Ijede Resource Forum that has invited the families over the matter, and I believe that we are getting somewhere. It is way beyond me, and I cannot do anything alone, but with the support of these groups, we are getting there”, Hon. Alogba said.
Meanwhile, the Regent and Olisa of Ijede, High Chief Musediq Alogba, who spoke with our reporter at the Alajede palace, in the presence of other Kingmakers – Aro, Odofin and Otunba Alajede, appealed to the government on the matter.
The regent, who said that parties to the matter have made their final submissions at the court, added that the community is awaiting the judgment of the court over the matter.
“We are appealing to you (our reporter) to assist us in appealing to the government in ensuring that we have another Alajede. Our last monarch passed on in 2012, and we are yet to have another one since then. Any community without a monarch cannot progress, and we, as the Alajede – in – Council, is trying in this respect to install another Oba”, the regent said.
“We have made submission in court and we are awaiting the court judgment. We were called for the matter recently and suddenly, we heard that the sitting was not going to hold again, and they are yet to call us back. At it is now, we don’t know what to do again, so, we are appealing to the government for intervention”.
He said that the palace intervened to prevent the family dispute from delaying the installation of a new king, but their appeals were ignored.”
“We actually intervened when the whole thing started. We appealed to the ruling family to ceasefire and resolve the issue. We did all that is within our power, but they (royal families) ignored all our appeals, and headed to court”, High Chief Alliu recalled.
In his own reaction, High Chief Babatunde Alliu Ogunmuyiwa, the Odofin Alajede who also spoke with our reporter, blamed the court for the delay over the matter.
“To the best of my knowledge, the issue now lies with the judiciary. As I have said that to the best of my knowledge, we have given the judge our positions and how we went about picking Prince Saheed Adefarasin Hassan as the Alajede – elect”, Odofin Ogunmuyiwa said.
“We have told the court our positions and the other side has also done same thing in canvassing their own position.
“Our expectations were that the judge would have delivered judgment in the matter but to our surprise, we have not heard anything from the judge despite the fact that both sides have made their submissions. We are expecting judgement from the court”, he said.
While explaining issues involved in the matter, the Odofin Alajede said that the court ought to have given judgment on the matter.
Odofin Alajede said that the lack of an Oba in the community has caused traditional chiefs and the Ijede community many things.
“There are actually two cases on the Alajade matter. One is the matter called by theTafina family, which was joined by other two houses – Orese and Aniyera joined. They are seeking the declaration of the court to divide the ruling houses into two. Meanwhile, there are five ruling houses (at the moment). The other case is the one Prince Kazeem (Amusa) called against Prince Saheed, which is an internal family issue”, the traditional chief said.
“Before now, the judge consolidated the matter only to again last year deconsolidated the cases, thereby, hearing the matter separately.
“The first one which is between Prince Kazeem and Prince Hassan, to the best of our knowledge as a Kingmaker, we ought to have been given the judgement before now, so that we can install Alajede of Ijede”, Odofin expressed his disappointment.
“It is a pity that since August 2012, Ijede has been without an Oba. It is a shame to us, particularly, the Alajede – in – Council. I keep telling our people that we cannot be recounting what we are experiencing outside, because of lack of an Alajede. There are so many things that ought not to have happened”, he lamented.
He also appealed to the government to ensure that justice is done by delivering judgment in good time.
“We will continue to appeal to the government, particularly the judiciary arm, to please, do justice on this matter. I don’t want to talk much because we have been advised by our lawyer that there are some areas that we cannot speak about when matter is in court, if not, I would have said many things”, he said.
“In all, we pray and believe that very soon, Alajede of Ijede would emerge and that shall be Saheed Adefarasin Hassan, by God’s grace”.
Prince Kazeem Amusa, a contender to the stool, who is challenging Prince Saheed Hassan Adefarasin’s selection as the Alajede – elect, in a telephone convrastion with THE IMPACT, said that the judgment on the matter is near. He expressed confidence that he would have a favourable pronouncement from the court.
“The situation now is that both parties have submitted final written addresses, and we are awaiting adoption before the court went on vacation. It is after the adoption that the court will deliver judgment. At the moment, we are waiting for the judge to return from vacation”, Prince Amusa said.
“The court is resuming on September 15. It is after the resumption that the court would give us date for the adoption of the written addresses that we have submitted. It is after this that that the court will deliver judgment. So, we just have one more appearance before the court.
“I know that the will of the people will prevail. It’s been a long journey which you (our reporter) are aware of”, he added.
