The
home-town of the late first premier of the western region, Chief
Obafemi Awolowo in Ikene Ogun State is in trouble. JEREMIAH OKE who
visits the ancient town reports that the recent demise of late chief
Idowu Awolowo was instrumental to the crisis and there is need for
urgent intervention of government in the town.
Ikene, the
home town of the late siege, Chief Obafemi Awolowo is on fire. The town
needs urgent rescue. Old, young and major stakeholders in the town took
to street last week to protest against the monarch of the town, Prince
Moshood Adeyinka Onakade. He was allegedly self-promoted traditional
ruler in the town.
One Chief Babatunde Eki who spoke on behalf
of the protesters argued that the office of Alakene of Ikene which has
been declared vacant by the State government since 1983 took another
dimension in the last five years when the prince started parading
himself as the monarch in the town.
However, Prince Moshood Onakade described the protest as a political motivated exercise.
He
narrated how he was crowned as the Alakene of Ikene land towards the
tail-end of the tenure of the former governor of the State, Otunba
Gbenga Daniel and how the protest was induced by some well-to-do
personalities in the town in their effort to dethrone him. He noted that
immediately after the demise of mama Idowu Awolowo, the people have
been instigating his subjects against him.
According to him,
the crisis in Ikene was masterminded by one of his opponents Prince
ademolu odeneye who contested for the office of Alakene in 2010 but
scored one vote against him who scored 6votes.
In his
appointment letter issued by the Ogun State Ministry of Local Government
and Chieftaincy Affairs and signed by a Director (chieftaincy affair)
on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Mr. N.B Oyedele and made available
to our correspondent, his appointment took effect in May 27, 2011.
In
an interview with The Nation, Onakade said some bigwigs in the State
cannot be exonerated from the crisis in Ikene land adding that the death
of the late Chief Idowu Awolowo was why the crisis resurfaced again.
"After
the demise of late Akene Oba akindoyin awomuti in 1984, I contested for
the stool in 1985 when the State government declared the office vacant
but we were unable to installed Akene due to the reasons best known to
the then government. Government also declared the stool vacant in 1991.
We were seven contestants. We were unable to be installed again and
finally in 2010 we contested and I was the only one who scored maximum
votes of six and emerged as the Alakene of Ikene land. I was receiving
salaries and other benefits as a monarch until December 2012 when the
State government stopped paying my salaries. I sued the State government
to court and the judgment was in my favour. Court asked the government
to pay all my outstanding salaries and allowances but till now, I have
not received a kobo from government because the state government
appealed the judgement and it is still pending in Oyo State high court.
"I
am aware the late Ooni of Ife, the late mama Idowu Awolowo and the
former president Olusegun Obasanjo have all persuaded the governor to
intervene in the crisis but we are yet to hear from him. I know these
miscreants creating tension in Ikene are being sponsored by people
because they go about with dangerous weapons. There was a day they
invaded my palace but God saved me from their evil plans.
"I
want to urge the governor to kindly intervene in the chieftaincy tussle
in Ikene to avoid further crisis before its resulted to bloodbath. The
records are there in the ministry of local government and chieftaincy
affairs to confirm if I am a crowned monarch or not. They can cross
check my facts and figures.
"These people are going about
vandalising my properties and beating up my children and anytime police
arrest them, they will be released immediately. One of my sons Gani
oyelaja was seriously attacked and was almost killed.
"I heard
from a grapevine that these same people have been moving around
boasting that they will deal with me since mama Awolowo is no more. We
don't have any chief in Ikene land again. Mama Awolowo was the last
chief we had in Ikene land because the State government had banned all
move to install chief in the state. So, I wonder where these people
parading themselves as chiefs got their conferment of their titles."
However,
One of the protesters who claimed to be high Chief, Oluwo of
Ikenneland, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, Chief Babatunde Eki
had earlier said he was among chiefs in Ikene land adding that it has
been over 30 years that the town didn't have a king. He noted that he
was surprised that Prince Onakade who happened to be son of the late
king's princess is Parading himself as Oba of Alakenne, which the
residents and the High Chiefs disagreed on.
Eki said "this man
said he want to become a king at all cost despite the fact that the
State government had declared the office of Alakene vacant in the last
five years, therefore, we want governor Amosun to help us install a
credible monarch".
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