Fresh royal row is brewing between the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, and Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, over who is the prescribed authority to confer the revered chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on any deserving Yoruba son.
What touched off the renewed row is the alleged conferment of chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on a business tycoon, Engineer Dotun Sanusi, a development the Alaafin deemed as Ooni stretching his hand beyond limit.
Oba Owoade, the Paramount Ruler of Oyo Kingdom and the Superior Head of Yorubaland, said he is the prescribed authority to bestow any chieftaincy title which covers the entire Yorubaland on anyone.
In a statement on Monday through Bode Durojaiye, his Director of Media and Publicity, the Alaafin warned Oba Ogunwusi to stop stirring hornets nest, and ordered him to withdraw forthwith within 48 hours the Okanlomo title conferred on Engineer Sanusi.
The statement read, “The attention of the Alaafin of Oyo and the Titan of Yorubaland , Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1, has been drawn to the purported conferment of chieftaincy title of OKANLOMO of Yorubaland on a business tycoon, Dotun Sanusi, by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
The conferment of chieftaincy title which bothers on Yorubaland by the Ooni of Ife is not only an affront to the referred institution of the Alaafin who is the Titan of Yorubaland and on who hold Exclusive right to confer any chieftaincy title which covers the entire Yorubaland on anyone
The Ooni of Ife is behaving as if there is no Authority to check and call him to order and because of that “above the law” syndrome of his, he is in the habit of walking on everybody’s’ back including the apex Court in the country, the Supreme Court, which had ruled on the Exclusive preserve of the Alaafin to confer chieftaincy title that covers the entire Yorubaland on anyone.
The instrument of office presented to Oba Ogunwusi, during his installation, specifically limits his Traditional area of authority to Oranmiyan Local Government which has now been split into three Local Governments, viz: Ife Central, Ife North and Ife South.
The dictum that nobody is above the law of the land is now being put to a crucial test and the reality of our time makes it very obligatory for the Alaafin to call the Ooni of Ife to order and demand REVOCATION of the so- called OKANLOMO of Yorubaland chieftaincy title conferred on Engineer Dotun Sanusi WITHIN 48 HOURS or face the consequences
It is a statement of fact that during the Alaafin’s unity tour to Yoruba monarchs, he reiterated his message that there could not be development without unity.
Oba Owoade had told the gathering that ‘it is the joy of our forefathers for us to be in unity and they did their part in ensuring peace and unity in Yorubaland; we must also strive to achieve this. God Himself is involved in our matter therefore we must always, at all times, be concerned about the peace and unity of Yorubaland. We say we want development, but no meaningful and sustainable development will come without peace and unity.
But it seems the Ooni of Ife is misconceiving the Alaafin, Paramount with the Heart of Gold, and his peace initiative, as as the symbol of his humility, hence taking decisions that are not only Ultra vires, but derogatory to the Titan of Yorubaland .”
