Groups bicker over plans to install Senator Adeola as chief in Yewa

The Ogun West Liberation Forum has kicked against plans by the Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, to install Senator representing Lagos West at the National Assembly, Solomon Adeola, as the Aremo Oba of Yewaland.

The forum described the plans to install Adeola as a title chief as an “attempt to sabotage collective unity by politicising the chieftaincy process without following due procedures,” while noting that a check on Senator Adeola’s background and ties to the region is unclear.

But in a swift reaction, Media Aide to the senator, Kayode Odunaro, said there is no contention about the indigeneship of the senator popularly called Yayi and his ties to Yewaland.

The forum at a press conference addressed by its vice-chairman, Wale Akinwande, in Abeokuta area of Ogun State, noted that the senator’s origin has been a source of concern to the relevant stakeholders of Yewaland.

Akinwande stressed that the traditional chieftaincy title is highly coveted and must be conferred on an indigene whose lineage is known and can be confirmed with proofs that cannot be controverted.

He further noted that it will be unfortunate for Senator Adeola to be installed as a title chief when stools of many first-class traditional rulers such as Aboro of Ibese, Onisare of Ijanna, Onigun of Odan Abuja and Onijoun of Ijoun among others are vacant.

Akinwande said: “The Aremo Oba of Yewaland Chieftaincy is a traditional title with deeper cultural importance than the honourary chieftaincies listed earlier.

“Therefore, more consciousness and constraints are expected to be exercised before conferring such sensitive traditional chieftaincies on someone. With all honesty and without being biased, the background check carried out on Senator Olamilekan Adeola ‘Yayi’ has given a conflicting revelation with respect to his precise origin or source in Yewaland.

“It is insulting to the entire Yewaland that someone who has been in a neighbouring state less than one and half hours drive would have missed his way to his village.”

The forum urged the Yewa Traditional Council headed by Oba Olugbenle to avoid the “politicization of the highly coveted traditional chieftaincy title of Aremo Oba of Yewaland,” while urging the state government to suspend the appointment process until “all grey areas are straightened before the whole issue degenerates into chaos within the already divided Yewa clan.”

Meanwhile, Odunaro who is an aide to the senator, said his nomination was made by the traditional council headed by the Paramount ruler of Yewaland, adding that “it is done deal” and nothing can come out of other controversies.

He urged the forum to prove that Senator Adeola is not an indigene of Yewaland after Obas in the region has attested to his indigeneship at several fora.

Odunaro said: “There is no contention or acrimony. In the first place, this is the traditional title awarded by all the traditional rulers of Yewaland ably led by their president who is the Paramount Ruler of the whole Yewaland. All the traditional rulers are the custodian of the tradition and all of them are on the same page.

“Let them go to his compound, Pahayi, Ilaro, let them meet the Baale there. Let them meet the people there to ask ‘is this your son or not’. This man has been given the traditional title by all the Obas of the Yewaland and the man has accepted it. All these things they are doing is mere just flogging a dead horse. Nothing can come out of it, it is a done deal.

Adeola qualified for Aremo Yewaland title ― Group

Meanwhile, a group in the region, Ogun West Frontliners, has said that the senator is more than qualified to be honoured with the traditional title of Aremo of Yewaland by the Yewa Traditional Council.

The group in a press release made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, on Sunday, argued that the senator was well qualified for the traditional title as a bonafide indigene of Ilaro.

The statement signed by the leader of the group, Dr Kunle Salako, and over 25 other members, described the allegation by another group that Adeola is not qualified for the title as frivolous and mere pettiness.

The Frontliners said those opposing the emergence of the lawmakers as a traditional title holder in Yewaland are those being remotely controlled by their paymasters to destabilise Yewaland and by extension, Ogun West for selfish political gains.

They said: “The conferment in question is not only within the purview of Yewa Traditional Council but also a collective decision of the Council under the Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle.

“It is instructive to state that the decision is in consonance with the customary and chieftaincy law of Ogun State, which give the authority to the Paramount Ruler and the Traditional Council to confer Chieftaincy Title as they deem fit.

“A close scrutiny of the petitioners shows that they are known aides and political surrogates of a former governor of Ogun State who has never hidden his disdain for the person of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (YAYI).

“We, therefore, deduce that the motive of the petition is to politicise a purely traditional matter and create a semblance of crisis in Yewaland where actually, there is none.

“As bonafide and proud indigenes of Yewaland, we condemn unequivocally this act of betrayal of our heritage and the attempted desecration of many sacred crowns of Yewaland.

“We call on well-meaning individuals to disregard the falsehood and propaganda being bandied around, designed to promote ulterior political agenda of a non-Yewa indigene with the active connivance of his few cohorts in the land.

“It is unfortunate that a few elements have offered themselves to blackmail and create an unfounded crisis in order to desecrate the exalted Yewa traditional Institutions. We are also aware that the petitioners have failed to approach the Paramount Ruler or the Traditional Council for any clarification before going to the press; of course, they will not toe such honourable line as their intent and purpose are very mischievous.

“As bonafide and proud indigenes of Yewaland, we condemn unequivocally this act of betrayal of our heritage and the attempted desecration of many sacred crowns of Yewaland.”

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