Ekiti govt restates ban on chiefs, individuals wearing beaded crown

Ekiti State government has restated ban on any High Chief and individual adorning in beaded crown in the state, saying only the recognised traditional rulers are empowered to use such paraphernalia.

The government said it became worrisome how some individuals and high chiefs seeking autonomy often resort to the use of beaded crown even when his request has not been granted, restating that anyone found parading himself as a monarch shall face stringent punitive action.

The state Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, issued the warning recently in Ado-Ekiti, while presiding over a lingering chieftaincy crisis between the head of Irorin Quarters, Ilawe Ekiti, High Chief Sunday Olu Atolaju and the Alawe in Council.

Intervening in the festering crisis, Mrs Afuye, in a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, explained that the practice, by which a chief parades himself as a traditional ruler, was a flagrant violation of the Ekiti State Chiefs Law.

Mrs Afuye warned individuals and chiefs from wearing crowns all in the name of observing yearly or monthly cultural practices.

The Deputy Governor said that the present administration holds Ekiti tradition and traditional institution in high esteem and will not allow any act or action that could breed cultural disunity, violence or rewrite the good Yorubas cultural heritage.

 “Communities seeking autonomy should wait until the government pronounce them autonomous and no individual or group of people have power to install a chief or king without the approval of government.

“The activities of Ifa priests and Aworos in Ekiti should always be subjected to the approval of prescribed authority in their domains and live within the laws and principles of their tradition,” Afuye said.

Mrs Afuye, who expressed worry on the increasing cases of usurpation of power by many power drunk priests, said Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration detest action that could denigrate the stool of traditional rulers in the state.

She reminded the people of the existing laws that forbid individual from wearing beats, crown and other paraphernalia of traditional stools except such a person had been installed lawfully and pronounced by the constituted authorities to occupy such position or act in that capacity.

At the peace parley, the Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, Oba Ajibade Alabi, represented by six chiefs from Alawe in Council, led by the Elemo of Oke-Emo, High Chief Gbenga Agbona, emphasised that it was alien to the Ilawe Ekiti people, culture and traditions for priest to wear crown and other paraphernalia of office like a monarch, all in the name of festival.

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The Alawe in Council said such practice often demonstrated by the Chief Ororin of Irorin Quarters, Ilawe Ekiti, High Chief Sunday Atolaju was capable of bringing division in the ancient community.

The monarch urged government to stop him from parading himself as a king, saying that Ilawe Ekiti had one king and should stop further action that could denigrate the stool paramount ruler in Ilawe Ekiti.

The defendant and Head Chief of Irorin Quarters, Chief Atolaju and his supporters presented pictorial evidence and other to justify their claims that the head of Irorin Quarters is entitled to wear crown and other paraphernalia of office during their festival.

Chief Atolaju had in previous meeting claimed that their culture allows him to wear crown, saying that his predecessors had been practicing such from time immemorial.