The descendants of the progenitor of Ogunmakin community in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State have raised alarm over alleged plot to impose a non-indigene as next traditional ruler.
Last year, the community lost its traditional ruler, Oba James Sodiya. Thereafter, the Ogunmakin descendants said it was the turn of their ruling house to produce the new monarch.
The Ogunmakin descendants, led by Prince Saheed Ogunmakin and Alhaji Kazeem Ogunmakin, alleged that some forces are plotting to install an Ibadan indigene as the next royal father.
At a media briefing, held at the conference room of Penpushing Media on Sunday, the descendants kicked against the said move, explaining that after the demise of Oba Sodiya, they (the offsprings) were invited by the traditional council to present candidates for the stool.
The family explained that they presented Saheed Ogunmakin as their choice candidate, with all rites undertaken at the Ile Ogboni Ikereku Nla, adding that, at the end of the exercise, the council promised to get back to them for final screening.
The descendants said that, to their amazement, and after a long silence from the traditional council, news filtered out of plan to install Ramoni Ayinde Busari, who they claimed to be Ibadan indigene.
They emphasised that this same Busari had earlier contested with the late monarch and was disqualified following discovery that he was not an indigene of the community, expressing shock that it was same disqualified candidate that some people are pushing to be the traditional ruler of the community.
The group said: “We can tell you that Ramoni Busari popularly called Jawe is a non-indigene. He is from Ibadan, and this fact is on record. He once attempted to contest with the the then Prince Sodiya, and was disqualified when it was discovered he is from Ibadan.
“The records are even there that this same Busari, when questioned during the earlier exercise which eventually brought in Sodiya as traditional ruler of Ogumankin, confessed that he is from Ibadan, with his parents’ resident in Oluyole Local Government Area”.
The aggrieved family disclosed that, following the twist in the selection process, they had written a petition to the Osile Oke-Ona, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso and the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo.
The complainants called on the Egba traditional council to wade into the issues, to avoid the loss of the community to Ibadan, as in the case of Bakatari, which is Egbaland, and now being controlled by Ibadan
“We have petitioned Osile Oke-Ona, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso and Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, calling on them and the Ogun State Government to come to our aid. It is our family’s turn to produce the next traditional ruler of Ogunmakin, a village founded by our forebear. Don’t allow politics to lose
our community to Ibadan, as is the case of Bakatari, Egbaland being controlled by Oyo State”.
