A seeming crisis is brewing among three of the four kingdoms in the coastal communities of Ilaje local government area of the state over plans by some traditional rulers to install traditional heads outside their territorial jurisdictions.
Raising alarm over the development, the Chairman of the Aheri Regency council, Prince Adekunle Lebi and the Head of the Royal House, Prince Olu Mafo, specifically pointed an accusing to the Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Obateru Akinruntan and the Amapetu of Mahin, Oba Lawrence Omowole, of disrupting the existing peace in Aheri Kingdom.
In a letter signed by the two Community leaders and addressed to the state governor and the ministry of Local government and Chieftaincy affairs, called on the state government to call the two monarchs to order in the interest of peace in the area.
They said in the letter ” the Olugbo is better advised on the impossibility of his crossing two kingdoms of Mahin and Etikan to install an Oba on Aheriland and Amapetu whose boundary terminates at Ereke should be told that his territory is not contiguous with Aheriland been separated by Etikan Kingdom and the Alape River
The leaders of the Aheri kingdom however called on the state government not to act on the recommendations of a commission that will jeopardise the peace in the coastal communities.
“In the interest of peace in Ilaje land, government is urged to reject this adventure of jumping one or two kingdoms to install Obasanjo in a place not historically or traditionally associated with Ugbo and Mahin kingdom or geographically contiguous to their kingdoms.
“The Aheris will revisit to the last man on this land grabbing adventure. We are not conquered people.
“For us, it is regrettable that the present Olugbo whom some of us supported on the ground of his evident capacities to unite the Ilaje people has become an instrument of shameful disunity” the leaders said.
They however requested that the recommendation of the Ajama Commission on the recognition of other Obas in Aheriland based on the application and the consent of the two traditional rulers should be rejected by government in the interest of peace in Ilaje land.
They said “the Osobitan of Erun-Ama and the Orunmija of Idigbengben having received the consent of the Regency Council of the Maporure of Agereige Aheriland be approved as new Oba Aheriland.
” That the Maporure Ogun Aheriland being an ancient stool, which have long enjoyed parity of status with other Obas particularly the Amapetu and the Olugbo, be also accorded the status of grade A Oba”.