Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde is not only a man of precision, based on the training he got as an Engineer, he is also a just leader that has continued to subdue the biases that come along with many other people in the corridor of power.
If there’s anything in the recent time that exemplified his strict observance of the oath of office he took four years ago, especially the aspect that forbids him from allowing personal biases to influence or undermine decision making, it was the way his government handled the approval of beaded crowns for some monarchs in the recent time, most importantly, the one that gave birth to jubilations in Ilero, Iwa LCDA.
As I write this piece, Ilero, my ancestral home town is agog- Elero of Ilero is being officially presented with approval to wear beaded crown.
The icing on the cake for us is that Governor Makinde is due to take another oath in a matter of days, needless to say that the next four years will be run under a just leader.
From 1984, when Elero Olayanju, joined his ancestors, Ilero had enmeshed in royal brouhaha, lasting for more than three decades, the royal fisticuff was multifaceted, it came as inter and intra royal families war of attrition.
The destruction that came along this needless battle of royalty affected almost everyone that participated in the struggle, it was a cul de sac sort of thing.
Fast forwarding, in the year 2000, a judicial pronouncement that finalized which family was the next to occupy the vacant stool of Elero came, but this joy was short-lived, due to internal wrangling, two brothers- late Oba Adedokun Ajayi, who was the immediate past Elero, and his brother, Prince Egunjobi Afolabi, the duo of Olowu ruling house had enmeshed in another separate battle, as to who was the rightful claimant to the throne.
Background information about the royal brouhaha in the ancient community indicates that late Oba Adedokun Ajayi was initially unanimously nominated by his family at the early days of selection, but when he has to confront an alleged politically motivated sanction imposed on him by Oyo state government, he gave way for his brother- Prince Egunjobi Afolabi, as the alternate nominee from the ruling house.
It was further gathered that while the selection was ongoing, Aberuagba family, another ruling house dragged all the ruling houses to court, challenging the Chieftaincy Declaration done under the late Oba Olayanju, which at any rate positioned Olowu ruling house as the next family.
By year 2000, Aberuagba family had lost the legal battle, and Oyo state government through ministry of Local government and Chieftaincy Affairs consented the nomination of late Oba Adedokun Ajayi, having crushed the sanction imposed on him by same government through judicial process, but at this time, Olowu ruling house was more than polarized, the two Princes as it were then, did not only polarized their family, but the entire community along political and religious lines.
Sadly though, few weeks after Oyo state government under late Alhaji Lam Adesina installed Oba Adedokun Ajayi, and precisely on December 17, 2001 another attempt to install a parallel monarch was made, Prince Egunjobi Afolabi through the support of late Alaafin of Oyo Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who was at the point in time fighting against Oyo state government under late Alhaji Lam Adesina to retain the abrogated consenting authority in the state, allegedly directed that Prince Egunjobi Afolabi be equally installed as Elero.
This event however came with sad realities, war broke out in Ilero, the attempt was greeted with guns, no fewer than three lives were lost in the battle for the soul of my ancestral home, with many sustained injuries.
By the year 2004, after Alhaji Lam had lost governorship seat to Chief Rasheed Ladoja, Oyo state government under him (Ladoja) bowed to political pressure of petty party politics, and directed late Oba Adedokun Ajayi to vacate the throne, his brother was thereafter got the recognition of the state government, this lasted till 2012, when late Abiola Ajimobi came on board as the governor of Oyo state.
As at the time, Governor Abiola Ajimobi came on board, the controversial consenting authority had been crushed and resolved in favour of the state government, no thanks to supremacy battle between the duo of late Adebayo Alao Akala and the imitable Alaafin, thus only state government has the power to approve the nomination of an Oba-elect in the state.
It is upon this situation that late governor Abiola Ajimobi recognized the earlier appointment and approval of late Governor Lam Adesina, thus late Oba Adedokun Ajayi regained his status as Elero of Ilero until he joined his ancestors in March, 2017 where in, he was given a befitting burial of a monarch.
Naturally, with the demise of the immediate past Elero, indigenes of the community, home and abroad had assumed the crisis was over, thus the next ruling house was beckoned to present nominee, and Prince Wasiu Saka Oyedele Olokolonigi, as he was then, became Elero elect, he was installed in July 2018 by Oyo state government as Elero of Ilero.
For us, it was a dawn of new era, and to say the new monarch had made frantic efforts to unite the community and heal the wounds of the past is like stressing the obvious, he has traversed the length and breath of Nigeria soliciting the supports of all sons and daughters of Ilero, as he continues to appeal to all tendencies for peace to reign, it was therefore a surprise and bizarre of sort that when Governor Makinde approved beaded crowns for monarchs in Oyo state, of which Elero was conspicuously listed, approval letter to Oba Wasiu Saka Oyedele Olokolonigi II disappeared.
Personal investigation revealed that some subversive elements are equating the royal quagmire to political battle, and with the support of an outgoing member of the state House of Assembly, it is their belief that they wileded political power to thwart the wish of majority, they therefore worked round the clock to frustrate the approval of beaded crown to Elero.
These unfortunate elements had as support base, some disgruntled allies in Ibadan, the state capital and were hell bent on thwarting the seamless process of the state government, satanically claiming that Olowu ruling house has not taken its turn, impliedly suggesting that late Oba Adedokun Ajayi’s reign was nullity, what a jejune opinion?
It was equally gathered that while Kabiyesi, Oba Wasiu Saka Oyedele Olokolonigi II invited all sons and daughters of the ancient town to a meeting on 1st of April to discuss his concerns, a reconciliation delegation led by Prof Oladimeji Oladepo, a passionate son of Ilero and retired University of Ibadan Don and Alhaja Fatima Hamsat Olowo, an illustrious daughter of the town, amidst other eminent personalities met with some leaders of thoughts on the way out, but thereafter, it was gathered that a particular leader who advised them on who to meet to broker a lasting peace, led another delegation, including the outgoing member of the state Assembly to Ibadan to lobby some political leaders, with unfounded argument that Elero stool is still a subject of litigation, thereby advocating that the approval of beaded crown for Oba Wasiu Saka Oyedele Olokolonigi should be put in abeyance.
But on 17th of May, the approval letter of beaded crown landed in the ancient community, with jubilation, home and abroad. It is therefore heartwarming that Governor Makinde and members of his kitchen cabinet rose above petty party politics to listen to leaders of thoughts from Ilero, thus crushing the efforts of the subversive and disgruntled elements.
Governor Makinde deserves the commendation that comes with this community feast in Ilero.
As members of the community continue to appreciate God and government, it is my personal wish and prayer that may the reign of the ebullient and influential Oba Wasiu Saka Oyedele Olokolonigi II continue to witness tremendous progress and peace in Ilero.
Kabiyesi, E ku Ori re!
Gbade Wolu!
Afidi Ote janle!
Kade pe Lori!
Ki Bata pe lese!
Ki iruke di Okinni!
Kabiyesi, congratulations sir!