Osun obas council meeting disrupted

Aregbesola wades in, resolves dispute
The monthly meeting of Osun state Council of Obas, yesterday ended abruptly over an alleged plan by the Owa Adimula of Ijesaland, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran to preside over the meeting.

The royal father was alleged to have rough handled some aides of the paramount chairman of the council and the Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi,Ojaja 11 in a bid to take over the seat of the council chairman

The Guardian learnt that the monarch suddenly became angry and argued with Ooni’s aides {Emese} when they allegedly prevented him from occupying the chairman’s seat to preside over the meeting in the absence of the Ooni.

Oba Aromolaran who was said to have ran out of patience as the Ooni’s aides reportedly prevented him from sitting on the chairman’s seat, walked them out of the meeting venue, a development, which brought the meeting to an abrupt end.

It would be recalled that before the presentation of staff to Oba Ogunwusi, on December 7, 2015, Owa acted as the chairman of the council

Oba Aromolaran and the Orangun of Ila, Oba Wahab Kayode Oyedotun Bibire 1 are two Deputy Chairmen of Osun Traditional Council while the Ooni  is the permanent Chairman, who presides over the monthly meeting of the Obas.

Sources from the meeting told The Guardian other monarchs present at the meeting who could not withstand what transpired between the Owa and Ooni’s aides, left the venue immediately.

The Owa’s action is a fall out of hostility at the October 2015 meeting of the council, which was presided over by him in acting capacity. Then, some prominent monarchs including the Orangun stayed away, in apparent protest of the decision of the council to allow Owa to lead it.

Also, during the November meeting of the council, Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, was said to have moved a motion that Oba Aromolaran be made permanent chairman of the council, the development caused a serious disagreement among monarchs in the state and heightened fears of clash
whenever the then new Ooni starts attending the council’s meeting.

However, in December 2015 meeting of the council, the fear of possible collision between the two monarchs did not happen, as aides of Ooni brought a special chair for him, after Owa had occupied the seat meant for him at the meeting.
Also at the meeting, Oba Aromolaran, while introducing other members of the council, introduced self as deputy chairman of the council.

At the yesterday’s meeting of the council, some aides of Ooni of Ife, it was learnt brought a special seat for him and stood by it awaiting the arrival of Oba Ogunwusi.

An eyewitness account said Oba Aromolaran on arrival went to the raised platform where Ooni’s seat was placed and ordered the aides to leave the venue of the meeting. But the Ooni’s aides resisted the directive
“There was a kind of struggle and we just saw that white cloth of the Emese (Ooni’s aide) was torn and the meeting just ended before it commenced at all”, a source told The Guardian
The Ooni it was gathered got wind of the ugly development, decided to visit the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola instead of going to the venue of the meeting at Ministry of Finance building inside the state secretariat, Osogbo.

What transpired between the Ooni and Aregbesola could not be immediately known but it was gathered that the governor might have advised the Ooni to be magnanimous and allow the matter to be laid to rest.
The Ooni later visited the Owa in his palace in Ilesa where the issue was resolved amicably.
As a fallout of the council’s meeting, members of the council met with Aregbesola at the Government House, Okefia.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting at Owa’s palace, Oba Aromolaran, said Ooni’s visit was a surprise and least expected one, saying, “now that you have come to show hands of friendship, I will now join your unity train to unify the Yoruba race.”

Responding, Ooni of Ife posited that the stool of Owa is among the prominent ones in Yorubaland, adding, “It is in my own interest and that of the larger Yoruba people to relate very well with Owa. I just spent about three months on the throne now, while you, Owa has spent about 45 years.”