Waving placards bearing several messages, Odo Nla community youths held a peaceful protest last Tuesday at the residence of Olootu Omoba Meta(head of the Royal families), Otunba David Afolabi Ekiyoyo in Ikorodu, Lagos State.
Some of the placards read: “Kabiesi Ayangburen, please handsoff Odonla Royal stool”, “Freedom is priceless for Odo Nla people in the restoration of her royal heritage”, “Say NO to treachery from Oba Ayangburen on this matter“, “Odo Nla and other communities are not subject of Ayangburen“.
The youths, chanting solidarity songs, raised their voices against what they alleged was a fresh plot to truncate the wishes of the people of Odo Nla kingdom, Ikorodu, Lagos as regards the resuscitation of its ancient Obaship by some elements in the community, allegedly in connivance with the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi, and Otunba Olanrewaju Afuwape among others.
The protesters also accused the traditional ruler of meddling in the traditional affairs of independent communities in Ikorodu Division.
The peaceful protest, which lasted about two hours, was staged even after the community elders had gone to court seeking for an “an order granting leave to the applicants to apply for an order of Mandamus to compel the respondents to perform their legal or statutory duties of taking further or necessary steps towards the conduct of an inquiry into the applicants’ proposal for the resuscitation of the Obaship stool of Odo-Nla Town in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State as the respondents are mandated to do by Sections 24 and 25 (1) & (2) of the Obas and Chiefs Law of Lagos State Ch.02 Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
The matter has been adjourned to 3rd May for further hearing.
Last December, Prince Olusoga Elias Adeyemi Olowolekomoh emerged the Oba-elect of Odo-Nla kingdom, among other five contestants to the ancient throne, from the Ogbodo and Raselu ruling houses.
As revealed in a statement by Otunba David Afolabi Ekiyoyo, it was a painstaking and thorough exercise that produced Olowolekomoh. Ekiyoyo had said: “Prince Olusoga Elias Adeyemi Olowolekomoh is the most suitable and perfect Oba-elect according to the best Odu Ifa prognosis and divination interpretations of the oracle consulted as acknowledged by non Omo’ba Meta Royal family members Odo-Nla, different twisted and fictious stories that shall all be discredited accordingly at the tribunal soonest. It is also without doubt that he posses sterling quality leadership skills sets of sound moral character and mind complimented by high level educational background in conjunction with his verified amiable charitable disposition and relations with different segments of the Odo-Nla community at large. With the above findings and recommendations, it is credible beyond any doubt whatsoever that Prince Olusoga Elias Adeyemi Olowolekomoh in all finality emerged as the consensus Oba-elect in a unanimous decision and agreement between the entire Omo’ba Meta ruling houses of Ogbodo, Raselu and Upenyenwa respectively prior to the official announcement and formal presentation to the Odeyemi Ofinran Royal Family at large including general members of the public in Odo-Nla”.
And just recently, all the heads of the three ruling houses – Ogbodo, Raselu and Upenyenwa – signed a joint statement affirming the decision of the Omo Oba Meta-led Obaship committee at the palace of Ayangburen of Ikorodu, who was present with his cabinet and large number of Omo’ba Meta Royal family members at the special resolution gathering.
In a 15th August 2022 appreciation letter to the Ayangburen, all parties resolved to continue with the “resuscitating process and procedure embarked on as the collective voice of the entire family of Odeyemi Ofiran Royal family members”.
“It then came as a rude shock that as preparations are in top gear for the coronation of Olowolekomoh, plans were uncovered that Otunba Olanrewaju Afuwape’s name has been forwarded by the Chairman, Ikorodu Divisional Chieftaincy Committee, who incidentally is the Oba of Ikorodu, to the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs for him to be upgraded from his Otunba to Oba status against the wishes of Odo Nla people”, the community said.
In a 3rd April 2023 reply letter a request for Afuwape to be made Oba, L. A. Folami, who signed on behalf of the Permanent Secretary in Lagos State Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs said that, “in accordance with the Chieftaincy Law, the report of the Tribunal is compulsory for upgrading to Obaship”. The Oba of Ikorodu was copied in the letter.
“And that put paid to their surreptitious plans to undermine the wishes of Odo Nla people”, a member of the Omooba Meta family said on Wednesday, adding: “We are aware of their meeting this Saturday, but whatever they will discuss is a nullity because the court action has torn their plans to pieces”.
The royal family of Odeyemi Ofinran of Odo Nla town, Ikorodu, Lagos took the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Lagos State Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, and Ikorodu Divisional Chieftaincy Committee to the High Court of Lagos State, Ikorodu Judicial Division for allegedly refusing to perform their legal and statutory duties.
The case was heard on Wednesday, 5th April by Justice Adeniyi Pokanu, who adjourned the case to 19th April for the respondents to show cause why the order of Mandamus should not be granted.
In a suit filed on behalf of the Odeyemi Ofinran royal family, Chief Afolabi Ekiyoyo and Prince Tola Ogunsami prayed that the court to grant “an order granting leave to the applicants for an order of Mandamus to compel the respondents to perform their legal or statutory duties of taking further or necessary steps towards the conduct of an inquiry into the Applicants’ proposal for the resuscitation of the Obaship Stool of Odo-Nla Town in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State as the Respondents are mandated to do by Sections 24 and 25 (1) & (2) of the Obas and Chiefs Law of Lagos State Ch.02 Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015”.
Other reliefs sought included: “An order granting leave to the applicants to apply for an order of Mandamus to compel the respondents to perform their legal or statutory duties of taking further or necessary steps towards the conduct of an inquiry into the Applicants’ proposal for the resuscitation of the Obaship Stool of Odo-Nla Town in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State as the Respondents are mandated to do by Sections 24 and 25 (1) & (2) of the Obas and Chiefs of Lagos State Law Ch.02 Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015” among others.
In a prepared statement titled, “Reason for Odonla Court Matter”, read to the media at the protest ground by the President of Odo Nla Youths Association, Prince Mare Ibrahim Adesola, the youths of the community accused the Oba of meddling into the affairs of Odo Nla kingdom in addition to trying to impose an unpopular and unqualified candidate as Oba over them.
“It occurs that the Obaship status of Odonla has been held unattended to years back mainly in the era of the immediate late Ayangburen of Ikorodu, HRM Oba Salaudeen Afolabi Oyefusi (Oguntade II). The family had made countless attempts in the struggle to revive the long anticipated stool of Fuwagbade of Odo-Nla but through the lukewarm influences of the late King over the Ikorodu local council authourity all documents presented were suppressed in transits and without seeing the lights of the day.
“After all processes were done and dusted, the Omo’ba Meta of Odo-Nla Royal family through an unanimous decision and consensus picked Omo’ba Olusoga Elias Adeyemi Olowolekomoh through a painstaking selection process and his emergence thereafter brought significant development projects with ongoing promises to do more to enhance the growth and development of our great kingdom of Odo-Nla respectively. Subsequently, the Omo’ba Meta Royal Family Odonla were invited by the Ayangburen of Ikorodu who claimed to have intended to settle some rifts among the Omo’ba Meta Royal Family of Odo-nla and our Otunba, Chief Olanrewaju Afuwape but was later discovered to be indulging Otunba Olanrewaju Afuwape as his preferred choice of interest and candidate against the expressed wishes of Odo-Nla community at large. After all these evil plots and connivance were uncovered, the Kabiesi claimed he is helping the family with upgrading the status of the Otunba of Odonla to an Obaship, a claim the entire family found absolutely unacceptable and unpalatable which they rejected and condemned in clear words and terms with the following statement in quote “We demand for the resuscitation of our long Anticipated FUWAGBADE stool” and “No Oba can install another” respectively. Afterwards, the matter was discussed within the family meeting and it was resolved that a signed letter by all Olotu’s of the Omo’ba Meta Odo-Nla Royal Family and its general Secretary be sent out with respect to the affirmation and general interest of the entire family to the relevant individuals and entities on…”
Ekiyoyo however stopped the youths, who were insisting on taking the protest to the palace of the Ikorodu monarch, saying it was not necessary. “My sons and daughters, I appreciate your coming here first, but I am telling you now not to go to where you have originally planned to go because we, the elders, are handling the matter the legal way and we are confident we will triumph. We all all in the same boat as far as this issue is concerned and if you wait a bit, you will see members of the Odo Nla town executive arriving for a crucial meeting, and one of the reasons for the meeting, is this issue that brought you here. So, for peace to reign, go home and be rest assured that we are handling it very well”, he admonished.
The youths however vowed not to back down in their ongoing efforts to ensure that their wishes come through.
