JUSTIN IN………OKE-ONIGBIN STOOL TUSSLE : Ruling family writes Gov. Ahmed (READ FULL TEXT)

5th May, 2017

The Executive Governor of Kwara State,
Kwara State Government House,
Ilorin, Kwara State.

Your Excellency,
NOTICE OF DISPUTE IN RE:
APPOINTMENT OF ALHAJI KAMALDEEN SALAUDEEN AS ONIGBIN OF OKE ONIGBIN
We, the Principal Members of Odo-Oja Ruling House of Oke-Onigbin Town, Isin Local Government, Area of Kwara State, on behalf of ourselves and the entire Odo-Oja Ruling House, hereby bring this Complaint before your Excellency, in compliance with Section 3 (3) of the Chiefs (Appointment and Deposition) Law of Kwara State, to draw your attention to the apparent distortion and breach of the Customary Law and practise of Oke-Onigbin in the purported appointment of one Alhaji Kamaldeen Salaudeen as Onigbin of Oke-Onigbin.

In our apprehension of the breach of our Native Law and Custom with the consideration of Alhaji Kamaldeen Salaudeen as the Onigbin of Oke-Onigbin, we had filed a suit at the High Court, Ilorin in Suit No. KWS/ 88/ 2015 between Chief Timothy Alabi-Bamidele & 2 Ors and Mr. Kamaldeen Salaudeen & 5 Ors; but the suit was struck out based on the letter of the Attorney- General of 27th January, 2015 where we were informed that “there is no indication of any request being received from anybody requesting for approval of Appointment, Gazette and installation of Mr. Kamaldeen Salaudeen as Oba of Oke-Onigbin.”

To our greatest surprise, rumours became rife that while the case was on going, that your office had considered Mr Kamaldeen Salaudeen as Oba of Oke-Ongbin despite the reassurance by a letter from the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs and Community Development of 2nd March 2016, that they await the outcome of the Court process. Copies are attached herein.

On the 27th March, 2017, we instructed our lawyers, Messrs TSA-Zion Attorneys, to write to your good office to confirm the status of the stool in Oke-Onigbin and a letter of reminder dated 10th April, 2017 was also forwarded on our behalf to ascertain the true position of things. We are yet to receive a reply to these letters.

In the course of our findings, we stumble on a booklet allegedly titled ‘The Official Programme; Kwara State Government Presentation of 3rd Class STAFF of OFFICE to OBA (Alhaji Kamaldeen Salaudeen, Onigbin of Oke-Onigbin by his Excellency (Alhaji) (DR) ABDULFATAH AHMED EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF KWRA STATE Date: Saturday, 16th April, 2016” which goes to confirm all the rumour we have being hearing. The programme was done in secrecy and the said document was brought to our notice on the 15th of April 2017 which prompted this complaint.

OUR COMPLAINT

That while our matter was still pending in the Courts, a wrongly nominated person was installed to the vacant stool;
That Mr. Kamaldeen Salaudeen is not from a ruling house known to our culture and history; and
That this action has distorted the history and the sanctity of our custom and tradition.

While our matter was pending in court, a wrongly nominated person was installed to the vacant stool. The Courts relied on the information supplied by the Attorney – General of the State in response to our of 17th January,2015 not approve the appointment of Mr. Kamldeen Salaudeen as Oba of Oke-Onigbin to utilize any legal means of resolution to determine the subject matter and in the word of the Attorney General, he responded as follows.

“Please be informed that after going through our records and consultation with the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development, there is no indication of any request being received from anybody requesting for approval of Appointment, gazette and installation of Mr. Kamaldeen Salaudeen as Oba of Oke-Onigbin”

Base on this correspondence we approached the courts and when the matter was pending a wrongful person was nominated and installed.

MR KAMALDEEN SALAUEDDN IS NOT FROM A RULING HOUSE KNOWN TO OUR CUSTOM, TRADITION AND HISTORY: The founder and first settler of Oke-Onigbin was our forefather, BABA AKOO and the town was formerly known as Oke-Igbo. BABA AKOO invited his elder brother’s (Baba Odumo) children after his demise to join him at Oke –Igbo from Odo-Igbo. Baba Akoo begot two children whose descendants are now known as the Ile- Nla and Odo-Oja Ruling Houses.Our forefathers have been fully settled before other people came to join them which subsequently form/comprises of various compounds today forming Oke-Onigbin town in Isin local Government of Kwara State. The other people that came to join them later formed various Compounds in Oke-Onigbin which are today known as Idolu (foreigners) and by the records, there are four Ruling Houses in Oke-Onigbin, which are listed hereunder.

That the traditional chieftaincy stool/title of Onigbin of Oke-Onigbin, is a creation of established norms and custom of Oke-Onigbin that only the direct descendants of Baba Ako and Baba Odumo that can ascend the throne of OBA of Oke-Onigibn in case of any vacancy.

That it is pertinent to note the Ruling Houses that have been Oba (king) of Oke-Onigbin in accordance with the Laid down native law and custom of Oke-Onigbin Land are:

Egbaraojosan Ruling House Ile-Nla
Aniyaloye Ruling House Ile- Odo-Oja
Amoyeniyi Ruling House Ile Baale (Ile Olotin)
Aleniloye Ruling House Ile Odogboeyin
Note however that Amoyeniyi Ruling House is an arm of Odo-Oja Ruling House and are of the same descendants.

That these ruling houses have produced the following Obas (kings)

S/NO

---

Past Rulers

Ruling House

From

To

Baba Koro

Ile-Nla

15th Century

No Record

Egbaraojosan

Ile-Nla

No Record

No Record

Aniyaloye

Ile Odo Oja

No Record

No Record

Amoyeniyi

Ile Odo Oja

No Record

No Record

Okiri

Ile Odogboeyin

No Record

No Record

Asosuparan-Kadeyi

Ile Odo Oja

No Record

No Record

Alekunlogba

Ile Odogboeyin

No Record

No Record

Ologbaraogbo

Ile Odogboeyin

No Record

No Record

Ajayi Omola-Oye

Ile- Nla

1800

1909

Aleniloye

Ile Odogboeyin

1909

1921

Adebayo Abata

Ile Odo Oja

1936

1950

Gabriel Adeoye Olayinka

Ile-Nla

1950

1954 (STEPPED DOWN)

Jimoh Olaoye

Amowoeru Rabaka

1954

1975

Joseph Atoyebi Olayinka

Ile-Nla

I975

2014

That from record and history our forefathers, descendants of Baba Akoo and Baba Odumo have been Oba (king) over the entire Land of Oke-Onigbin since time immemorial without any interruption or challenge to the throne of Oba of Oke-Onigbin by anybody including the present Ile-Alapo family where Mr Kamaldeen Salaudeen hails from. Ile-Alapo is one of the compounds recognised as Idolu (foreigners) which literally means ‘outsider’ that came to reside with the first settlers. It is this same Mr. Kamaldeen Salaudeen that has been purportedly appointed as the Onigbin of Oke-Onigbin n breach of our custom and tradition in the appointment of Onigbin of Oke-Onigbin.

This action has distorted the history and sanctity of our culture, custom and tradition.

Your Excellency, this action if not corrected, will continue to distort the sanctity and custom of our people; it is a common norm in our town that an Idolu (foreigner) cannot become an Oba (king) in Oke-Onigbin but because some people had conspired to distort and misrepresent facts and history of our town to push their selfish interest, thereby imposing their wills and caprices on us and misguiding your Excellency in considering and subsequently appointed Mr. Kamaldeen Salaudeen as the Onigbin of Oke-Onigbin.

By an affidavit filed and deposed to one Mr. Kolawole Lasisi on the 2nd July 2009 before the Omu-Aran High Court wherein all the Idolu compounds in Oke-Onigbin were listed and signed by their representatives. It is noteworthy that the representative of Ile-Alapo in the resolution was one late Chief Alapo Salawu Ajide the father of Mr. Kamaldeen Salaudeen.

With the above admission, it becomes clear that Mr. Kamaldeen Salaudeen, being from Alapo compound, an Idolu in Oke-Onigbin, is not qualified to be appointed as Onigbin of Oke-Onigbin and it is safe to conclude that Your Excellency’s appointment of Mr. Kamaldeen Salaudeen as Onigbin of Oke-Onigbin is irregular, null, void and of no moment, and if unchecked it will distort our heritage for life.

We are mindful of Your Excellency’s powers under Section 3 of the Chiefs Law of Kwara State and hereby call upon your Excellency to abide by, be bound with and only act upon the established native law and custom of Oke-Onigbin by appointing only a member of the Ruling Houses in Oke-Onigbin as the Onigbin of Oke-Onigbin; and in doing so, your Excellency will be writing your name on a gold plate of history in Oke-Onigbin.

We thank your Excellency for your usual and anticipated response to this complaint and wish you more success in the administration of Kwara State as a whole.

Yours faithfully,

Chief Samuel Abolarinwa

IN THE PRESENCE OF:

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Pastor H.L Mohammed Adeola Bamidele

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Musa Adelodun Mohammed Adesina Raphael Bola

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Isiaka Adebayo Chief Adesina Olabisi

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Chief Kamaldeen Yusuf Adesina Olarewaju

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Ope Bamidele Samuel Afolayan