Members of Odo-Ijesa, a community in Atakumosa East local government Area of Osun State, have said it would no longer deal with a committee instituted by Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, for an amicable resolution of chieftaincy crises rocking the town.
Oba Aromolaran had set up a committee to resolve the chieftaincy crises as two individuals had laid claim to the stool of Orisa of Odo-Ijesa, which led to litigation.
Presenting a letter written to the monarch which stated the decision of the community to pursue its matter before the court, rather than working with the committee, while speaking with journalists in Ilesa on Tuesday, Secretary of the Odo-Ijesa community, Isola Odusanya, accused the committee of an attempt to impose a candidate as monarch.
The letter read in parts: “We realized that the committee had already made up their minds to foist a non-member of our community on us despite being in possession of all the facts. By asking High Olugbenga Ogunniyi to pick up another title aside from the Orisa title that rightfully belongs to his family, is a slap on our tradition, culture and
custom.
“Although the matter is before a competent court of jurisdiction we thought you will be able to settle it and call a spade a spade. But the recent happening has made us to lost confidence in the Committee arbitration. How can the committee ask royal blood to leave his title for non-royal blood? This is sacrilegious!
“We wish to state here once again as we had done in all our meetings with the committee that High Chief Olugbenga Ogunniyi is the authentic Orisa of Odo-ljesa, and the Jakuta family which High Chief Olugbenga Ogunniyi came from had always been the bearer of the Orisa title.
“Changing it will bring the curse of God on us all. We are surprised at your insistence on imposing an Ise-Ijesa-indigene on us as our Orisa. We totally reject it. As advised by our lawyer, we will continue to pursue the matter in court to a logical conclusion. We do not want to be in contempt of court as notice has already been served on the committee.”
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