My Attention has been drawn to the statement credited to the Director of Chieftaincy in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy matters, Mr Z. O. Jaiyeola, restraining Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odugade Odulana 1 from promoting the nine high Chiefs in the land, pending the deliberate delay caused by governor Abiola Ajimobi to ascent to the letter written by Olubadan-in-council for over three weeks prescribed by law to ask for the latter's consent.

Not only that, the government in the statement step up the stake bringing in extraneous factors that each of the concerned High Chiefs should submit their records of health certified by any of the government hospitals, while it added that security agencies should carry out checks on each of the occupants of the stool.

Based on the aforementioned, I dare challenge the authority of Mr Z.O. Jaiyeola, who is acting on government prompting to cite the relevant section(s) of the Chieftaincy laws either in Old Western Region, Western Nigeria or and the present Oyo State's laws to justify its claims on these extant law in reference and to tell us whose interest was he serving in the state with his inconsistency/ambiguity contained his statement.

He should state clearly what the relevance of Section 14(2) Cap 28 of Oyo State laws of Nigeria 2000 says clearly devoid of any undertone.

I hereby call the attention of men of goodwill within and outside the state to prevail on this lose cannon superintending over Oyo State and its agents in the Ministry of Local government and Chieftaincy Affairs not to set the state on fire.

The institution of Olubadan deserves respect from those at the corridors of power and would not subscribe to any form of denigration from any quarters be it government or whoever. If Mr Jaiyeola is oblivious of historical antecedent of Ibadan and its culture, he should ask for enlightenment from his principals who directed him to issue such a highly demeaning press release to the only prescribed authority and the custodian of Ibadan traditions and culture.

What the law stipulates was after 21 days of submission in writing to seek for authority's consent, whether such authority consent or withheld such as the case may be, Olubadan is empowered to go ahead and perform his traditional functions. What I don't understand here is whether the rules were changed over night because someone somewhere wanted his perceived political enemies humiliated to massage the ego of his in-laws?

I therefore say without any fear of contradiction that:

* Each traditional institution in the state has its own declaration. To this, Ibadan has its own declaration under which Olubadan-in-council regulates its ascendancy/succession to the throne of Olubadan and these include the promotion of all its Chiefs. With this therefore, Ibadan needs no government interference on how it should conduct its tradition/oversight functions. In essence, the section 14(2) Cap 28 of Oyo State laws 2000 being referred to has nothing to do with the promotion of Ibadan Chiefs by the consenting authority, which is Olubadan. It is equally important to mention here that the section of the law in reference was misinterpreted.

* It is not one of the conditions or terms to ask the chiefs to submit any document to affirm their state of health, except if such aspirant/candidate has records of mental illness and the sanity or otherwise of such person needs to be ascertained. It is only on this ground that clean bill of health is required.

* the height of absurdity is the proviso that the DSS should carry out security checks on the prospective candidates. First, they are not applicants seeking for jobs in any government institutions. Two, they could not have been criminals or shady characters/personalities not known within the community/society all these years and were allowed to move up the traditional ladder of accession to the throne only to be embarrassed and subjected to ridicule of being frisked by the security agents for no specific offence committed except for fulfilling the role bestowed on them by the Ibadan people traditionally.

The act of subjecting these eminent personalities to security scrutiny is a figment of someone with a warp sense of history not to understand the totality of Ibadan represents.

* it may be of interest to note that this is the first time ever in the history of the ancient city that any government would attempt to impose such a frivolous condition(s) on any reigning paramount ruler in Ibadan. The colonial master gave due recognition to operational functions of Ibadan and its modus operandi while all the subsequent governments that came on board further subscribed to the traditions of our forefathers without tinkering. The military governments upheld the standard as ethical, five civilian administrations in the state did same, and these include governor Abiola Isiaka Ajimobi in his first term. I dare ask Governor Ajimobi what has changed to warrant bringing the institution of Olubadan to opium? Is it true that power intoxicate.....?

I hereby call for caution on the part of government and its officials that the ascendancy to the throne of Olubadan must not be politicsed, usurped or subjected to any form of tinkering by government and or its agents in whatever form. This is a tradition that had stood the test of time for close to a century. Ibadan and its sons and daughters both home and abroad would resist any attempt to re-write our age long tradition/culture. we would not shy away even if it demands the last paints of our blood.

Whoever has a score to settle should not use the platform of our revered institution of Olubadan to carry out his nefarious activities and trample on our collective inalienable rights and to further stop insulting the sensibilities of Ibadan indigenes.

The change of baton to the throne of Olubadan is peculiar to the ancient city and there's no way it can be compared to any other place in terms of the peaceful transition and the experience garnered over the years before one ascends to the of Olubadan.

The denigration of the institution of Olubadan of Ibadan would not be tolerated any further. The system is peculiar to the ancient city of Ibadan and there's no way it can be compared to any other place in terms of the peaceful transition and the experience garnered over the years before any of the occupiers ascends the Olubadan throne.

In word of the famous playwright late Professor Ola Rotimi in "The God's are not to blame", he the gods would destroy would make mad first..... A word is enough for the wise.

Lanre OGUNDIPE

Former National President

Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ)

January 3, 2016.