Kunle Adelabu
The Asiwaju of Igbogbo and chieftain of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Basorun, has reacted to the controversies surrounding the Iyaloja – General of Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
Asiwaju Basorun, who was General Secretary, Igbogbo Market Association for 23 years, described the emergence of the new Iyaloja -General, Lion (Mrs) Ashake Adenike Wahab, as a nullity, stating that it does not follow the due process.
The elderly man said that he had to call a press conference which held at his office in Igbogbo, on Monday, to warn against crisis over the matter.
“I have advised that we should save ourselves from possible eruption of controversy in the community.
“A new Iyaloja General, they said, has been appointed in Igbogbo, but the way it has been done, to me, is not right. It is like trampling on the rights of the people of Igbogbo.
“I founded several organizations such as Igbogbo Multi-Purpose Agricultural Society, Igbogbo Corporative for Marketing Foodstuff, Igbogbo Students’ Union, with some other colleagues, and in 1973 precisely, I founded the Igbogbo Market Association. I have been guiding the market association since then. I was the Secretary of that association from 1973 to 1996.
“The late Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji held me in high esteem as the Secretary of the association. Even when I was Secretary to the State Government, I remained the Secretary of the Market Association. I handed over to the man who is now our LGA Chairman, Matthew Orenuga in 1996.
“Among other organizations, this one has survived. We have had three Iyalojas and we have never had problems”, he said.
While stating that the Council Chairman of Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA told him that the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, Oba Semiudeen Kasali, was planning to install the new Iyaloja -General, Asiwaju Basorun said that he tried reaching out to the monarch to stop him, but all to no avail.
“But from what I gathered from last week Monday, that Kabiyesi had submitted name of somebody to be Iyaloja General of this community, up till now, I don’t even know the person”, he alleged.
“It was when (pointing to THE IMPACT’s reporter) you published a report that one Mrs Wahab has been appointed as the new Iyaloja -General, that became aware of the situation. Also, the Chairman of the Council (Builder Olusesan Daini), told me on Monday that he told Kabiyesi that he would be holding a meeting to appoint an acting Iyaloja -General.
“Acting? At this time? I told him it’s an ingenious approach, because crisis was almost coming. That one (the acting Iyaloja that was picked by the council), happened to be the Deputy Iyaloja -General and the Iyaloja of Owode Ibeshe and I asked him to go ahead”, he said.
The elder statesman, who printed out his chats with the Kabiyesi on the matter, also said that the Odofin of Igbogbo later visited him on the matter, but that he was not available, adding that he later told the Odofin when he later called to speak with him, that it is the Kabiyesi that he wanted to advise on the matter, and that he doesn’t want to get involved in the matter.
However, after the appointment of an acting Iyaloja by the council last week, Asiwaju Basorun said that he got another call from Builder Daini who, according to him, was very worried and that he told him that there was a plan to cap Alhaja Ashake Wahab at the secretariat of the market association in Ikeja, by the Iyaloja -General of Lagos State, Chief Folashade Tinubu – Ojo.
He also expressed his disappointment at the reaction of Chief Tinubu – Ojo whom he said did not accord him any regard when he spoke with her on phone through the Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA council boss who visited the Iyaloja – General of Lagos State, to stall the capping of Alhaja Wahab as the new Iyaloja – General of Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA against his own appointment of an acting Iyaloja – General, Chief (Mrs) Oyesanya.
“I was holding a revival service in my Church at Orile on Wednesday, when I got a call from the Chairman (Builder Daini) who was breathing heavily with worries. He said that they were planning to do that thing with the new Iyaloja (capping) and you better warn Kabiyesi, but I told him that I have said that I don’t want to get involved in the market matter.
“When I asked him what he wanted me to do, he said that he was going to see the Iyaloja – General, Chief Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, and I asked him to phone me when he get there so that I could talk to her.
“When he got there, he phoned back and I spent about 10 minutes trying to talk to Iyaloja – General, that I do not want crisis in Igbogbo community where I have grown. I am now 86years plus. I cannot sit here, close my eyes and see this community in flames.
“Apart from the other activities that I had participated in, I have said that nobody should call me into matters concerning any Oba, Chiefs or Iyaloja -General. I participated in the confrontation of late Oba Fatola (Oba Johnson Olatunji Fatola), for 14years before we settled, and the day we settled, I warned myself that I won’t be involved in such thing again.
“After talking to that woman (Chief Folashade Tinubu – Ojo), I appraised her approach which was cynic. She didn’t even give me regard whether I could be her father. She knows. I told her that Mama, when alive, took me more seriously than what you are doing and she said, “ti omode bati goke agba, oti ju agba lo” (any young person in position of authority is an elder).
“I felt threatened and that was why I sent a message to her (chats between Asiwaju Basorun and Chief Ojo were printed out and a copy was given to our reporter and others at the briefing).
“In the message, I didn’t hide that she ignored the words of our elders. At the end of the message, I said in capital letters that, ‘A WORD IS ENOUGH FOR THE WISE”, Asiwaju Basorun said.
While stating that Iyaloja – General, Tinubu Ojo acted against his elderly advice, Asiwaju Basorun described her action of capping the Iyaloja as a nullity and of no effect.
“She went ahead on Thursday and performed the ceremony. As I sent her the message the other night, I also sent another to Kabiyesi that he should put the ceremony on hold and not bring any crisis to this community again. When I woke up the next morning and found out that he has not done anything, I sent another one which the heading reads: “Repeat for Action” (a copy of his chat with the Kabiyesi was also circulated to the journalists in attendance).
“Thereafter, Kabiyesi replied, “Good morning sir, above is noted, I will try and reach out, be assured nothing will happen in the palace in connection to the issue pending resolution”, Asiwaju Basorun read out.
“He knew that Folashade Tinubu-Ojo was going to do the capping. So, what Oba Kasali and Chief Folashade have done in my opinion are ‘ultra vires’. They don’t have a role. The only role they have is ceremonial. When you look at the constitution, if somebody is to establish, to maintain and regulate, such person should have hand in the appointment to start with”, the elder statesman alleged.
Narrating the process that Builder Daini said that he took last week Monday, in appointing the acting Iyaloja, Asiwaju Basorun said that:
“When I asked the Chairman on Monday, what exactly he did at the meeting that he called, he gave me the list of those in attendance. He called all those who should know, to discuss the appointment of the acting Iyaloja.
“He invited two Chiefs from Adeboruwa palace. The Kabiyesi asked them not to go, so I was told. Two Chiefs were also invited from the Olubeshe palace and they were there (the Odofin of Ibeshe and one other person). Also, two Chiefs from the Fidimolu of Elepe, that is the third Kabiyesi, and he sent two representatives and one of them is Chief Okemati, and another person. They were all there.
“The Chairman did not lord it on himself. It’s only for local recognition and respect that Kabiyesi should have hand in it (process of selecting the Iyaloja), and that hand is after the appointment, which is to offer blessings….
“The Council, which is to establish, to maintain and regulate the market, should be able to appoint whoever are going to operate in the market. So, I want to repeat that, what Oba Kasali, who took the name for capping and Chief Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, who accepted and capped the nominee, were ‘ultra vires’. Whatever they have done, to me, it’s a nullity”, Asiwaju Basorun emphasized.
THE IMPACT gathered that the Adeboruwa palace took action by not allowing chieftains of the market association to visit his palace last Thursday, after the capping, as it was planned.
It was also gathered that the palace has also turned down the request for another visit on Tuesday this week, while they setup a committee to look into the controversies.
Meanwhile, the Babaloja – General of Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, Prince Jimoh Ogunmuyiwa, has denied the involvement of the Adeboruwa in the selection of the new Iyaloja – General, Alhaja Ashake Wahab, stating that neither the palace nor the council has any power to select who the Iyaloja or Babaloja should be.
“Ideally, the process of appointing or electing the Iyaloja of Babaloja, is not the responsibilities of a traditional ruler or the local government, because I was once an elected council Chairman. The power of the council is just supervisory roles and not the one to appoint for the marketers.
“The local government can build markets just the same way that they can build hospitals and other infrastructures since they campaign with the promises, but they don’t have the power to appoint Iyalojas and Babalojas.
“That responsibility rests upon the members of the market association. These are the people that operate in the market, and they are the ones that know the person that is capable of representing them”, he said.
