Ondo White Paper: No king has right to claim paramountcy over others ― Govt

Ondo State government on Monday stated that paramountcy is alien to, and not part of the Chief’s Law of the state, just as it declared that no king in the state has the right to paramountcy claim.

Disclosing this, during a press conference in Akure, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Charles Titiloye, said this was contained in the White Paper of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Chieftaincy Matters instituted by the state government, headed by Justice C.E.T. Ajama (rtd).

Titiloye disclosed that the immediate past administration under Dr Olusegun Mimiko instituted the commission on January 30, 2015, to attend to the recognition, adjustment, upgrading and elevation of chieftaincy stools in the state.

He explained that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu-led administration set up a six-man committee at the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting held on January 12, 2022, to review the recommendations made by Justice Ajama Commission.

According to him, the new Committee set up by the present administration reviewed it and prepared the Government White Paper on the report, settling 51 dispute chieftaincy stools across the 18 local government areas of the state.

He said the new report was received on August 24, 2022, and said the SEC directed that its decisions on the recommendation should be published in Government White Paper.

Speaking on paramountcy, Titiloye said that “Government is in receipt of the recommendation of the commission on the paramountcy of some traditional rules in the state.

“Government notes that paramountcy is not part of the Chief’s Law of Ondo State.

“Consequently, the government has directed the office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to set machinery in motion for the amendment of the Chief’s Law of Ondo State in order to accommodate this recommendation.”

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Akinwumi Sowore, commended Governor Akeredolu and stakeholders for painstakingly addressing the chieftaincy crises in the state.

Sowore said “Government is hopeful that this exhausting consideration and review of chieftaincy matters in the state will bring peace, unity and progress to our various communities.

“Government hereby assures the public that the review of chieftaincy matters will be a continuous exercise and requests or issues that have not been looked into in this White Paper will be considered in the future.”

It will be recalled that the state government recently created and recognized some traditional stools under Part 1 of the Chiefs’ Law, which includes; Olurokun of Irokun, Osolo of Isolo, Osowa of Ugboroko, while the government accepted the recommendations on Akure and Arogbo-Ijaw High Chiefs that are classed as Grade C obas, and to receive a staff of office soon.

The Commissioner, however, said 42 Grade C obas were moved to Grade B but for Owa-Ale of Iyo-mefa, Ikare; Ajana of Afa Oke-Agbe, Olumoru of Imoru, Ojomo of Ijebu-Owo, Elemure of Emure-Ile and Moporure of Agerige were elevated to Grade A, while Oloba of Oba and Niyon of Kiribo remained in Grade C.

Also, out of 20 Grade B obas, 16 including Orunja of Odigbo, Olupele of Ipele and Olujare of Ijare were elevated to Grade A; but Olupe of Ipe, Oloba of Oba-Akoko, Ojima of Okeluse and three others remained in Grade B.

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