Funmi Olaitan, Ibadan

The controversy over the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by Oyo State government on Olubadan chieftaincy declaration, has assumed a new dimension as Oba Saliu Adetunji on Tuesday described the recommendation of 32 crowns for Ibadanland by the commission as a joke taken too far.

The monarch while reacting through his Director, Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Adeola Oloko, to a statement credited to the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Bimbo Kolade, by a private radio station in Ibadan, said the opposition of Oba Adetunji to the chieftaincy review embarked upon by the state government still stands.

According to him, the erroneous impression by the Commissioner that he had at one time opposed the chieftaincy review before he later changed his mind to support it, was a figment of his imagination.

He said, "For the avoidance of doubt, there was never a time that Olubadan supported the review embarked upon by Oyo State Government. This was why the first class monarch did not submit any memorandum nor make any representation to the panel. When last week the panel submitted its report to the state governor, the public would vividly remember that Olubadan was not in the picture at all, because he was not invited."

"Both the young and old in Ibadanland know that the Ibadan chieftaincy system is not a creation of the government. It is a creation of Ibadan people. No king, no governor, no elite, no High Chief has the right to tamper with the system without recourse to our people. How many town hall meetings has the state government convened before arriving at the conclusion that Ibadan deserves 32 crowns? To show ignorance of our tradition, the panel lumped our highly respected High Chiefs with Baales who are always nominated by the family Mogajis.

"Secondly, if the traditional institution wants a review, it is not the duty of government to spearhead the review. It is the duty of the Olubadan sitting in council to sit down and look at what they want to review and register same to the state government for approval. In Ile-Ife, where the Hon. Commissioner mentioned in the interview hailed from, this was the tradition. Osun State government did not spearhead the review. In Lagos and Ogun States, the case is similar.

"Besides, there are two cases in court in respect of this same issue, which Oyo State government is not unaware of.

"Thirdly, you do not have to be a member of Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs to know that creation of royalties and crowns is a matter for discussion and deliberation. So, the question is how long ago has the council met?

"Therefore, it is an exercise in futility to embark on creation of new crowns and royalties without first of all resolving these issues.

"Besides, how many Emirs are in Kano City, if you are talking of size and population? How many Sultans are in Sokoto? And, how many Queens are in England? Kabiyesi will not be able to attend the meeting called by Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters to discuss the issue slated for Wednesday 23rd because of a subsisting court order as Olubadan is a law abiding citizen of Nigeria."