The Timi of Ede, Osun State, Oba Munirudeen Lawal has dismissed claims that he stripped Ibadan-based lawyer, Chief Yomi Alliyu of the chieftaincy title of Jagunmolu of Ede, saying the allegation was to whip up sentiments.
The monarch explained on Friday night that he did not know Alliyu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was given the title by his predecessor, and that the moment the legal practitioner contacted him to complain he was the holder of the title, he dropped the idea of conferring it on a former Minister of Interior, Lt.-General Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd.).
Alliyu was in the defence team of former Osun State Governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, who lost re-election last year to Senator Ademola Adeleke, a prominent Ede son.
A statement by the planning committee of the Timi’s 15th coronation had indicated that Oba Lawal would confer the title of Jagunmolu of Ede on Dambazau, as part of events lined up for the celebration.
Alliyu however reacted that he was installed as the Jagunmolu of Edeland in March 1999 by the then Timi, Oba Tijanni Oyedokun.
Oba Lawal said: “I didn’t know he was given the title by my predecessor until when he contacted me and said he heard that I planned to bestow the title of Jagunmolu of Edeland on another person, asking me to check records, saying he was the Jagunmolu.
“I told him that I have been on the throne for close to 16 years and I asked him if he ever presented himself to me as a chief of Timi before. He asked me to reconsider my plan to install another person as Jagunmolu. Because of what he said, I decided there and then to give our friend the title of Are Jagunmolu instead of Jagunmolu that I initially told him about.
“When he (Alliyu) heard that I have changed the title, he called Prof. Akanji and complained again that giving Are Jagunmolu to another person was like elevating the person above him. That got me annoyed. He was just whipping up sentiments, saying because he defended the ex-governor I wanted to remove him. That is not correct, and that has nothing to do with me. I am not involved in partisan politics”.
