Osun kingmakers shun monarch’s selection meeting, govt reacts

The meeting intended to select a new monarch for Iree town in Osun State on Wednesday did not hold, as kingmakers failed to show up.

The kingmakers had been invited to a meeting scheduled to be held at Iree Town Hall, by the leadership of Boripe North Local Council Development Authority through a letter signed by D. Oyelakin, a Director in the LCDA.

The letter stated that at the meeting, the final selection of the new monarch for the town would be done but none of the kingmakers came for the meeting, thereby stalling the selection process.

Instead, the kingmakers under the aegis of Aree-In-Council wrote a letter to the state governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, to complain about the alleged imposition of a warrant chief.

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The letter, copies of which were sent to the chairman of Boripe LCDA, Commissioner of Chieftaincy Affairs, the Inspector General of Police and Osun State Police Commissioner, further read in parts, “We write to inform you about the forced imposition of a warrant chief on the kingmakers of Iree Osun State by the local government.

“This is to avoid breakdown of law and order in Iree town. The statutory laid-down laws on the appointment of Warrant Chief, is that, if there are vacancies in the community, it is the responsibility of the kingmakers to produce a chief who can act as a kingmaker to fill the vacancy of the dead chief.

“It is where the kingmakers could not provide an alternative chief for the purpose of selection of a new king; this is where the government has discretion to appoint a ‘warrant chief.’ We have the person of Chief Odoka Oke Eesa of Iree Land the next in seniority among the chiefs who has accepted to act as warrant chief. We hope the peace relatively being enjoyed by the community of Iree town will not be unduly shattered.”

 However, speaking at the venue of the meeting, the chairman, Boripe LCDA, Azeez Oladejo said adequate security was provided for the kingmakers, adding that it was the third time the kingmakers had refused to show up at earlier meetings.