The children of the founder of Ogunmakin community, located in Obafemi-Owode local government area of Ogun State have raised alarm over an alleged plot to impose a non-indigene as next traditional rule of the village.
The community last year lost the traditional ruler, Oba James Sodiya , hence, process of selecting new traditional ruler has commenced, with descendants of the founder claiming it was the turn of their ruling house to produce the new monarch.
The family, led by Saheed Ogunmakin and Alhaji Kazeem Ogunmakin told journalists at a press briefing held at the conference room of Penpushing Media at the weekend that some forces were plotting to install an Ibadan indigene as the next ruler.
Kicking against the said move, they explained that after the demise of Sodiya, they were invited by the traditional council to present candidate for the stool.
The family explained that in view of this, they presented Saheed Ogunmakin as their choice candidate, with all necessary 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.
They said to their amazement, and after a long silence from the traditional council, news filtered out of plan to install another peraon, one Ramoni Ayinde Busari, who they claimed to be Ibadan indigene.
They emphasized that this same Busari had earlier contested with the late monarch and was disqualified following discovery that he was not indigene of the community.
‘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 late Oba Sodiya, and was disqualified when it was discovered he is from Ibadan’, they said.
‘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, he confessed he is from Ibadan, with his parents fro. Oluyole local government.”
The aggrieved family disclosed that following the ugly development, they had written a petition to the Osile Oke-Ona, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso and Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo
The complainants called on the Egba traditional council to wade into the issue, to avoid loss of the community to Ibadan, as is the case of Bakatari, which is Egbaland, and now being under the control of 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 next traditional ruler of Ogunmakin, a village founded by our forbears. Don’t allow politics to lose
our community to Ibadan. “
