KEHINDE AKINPELU, ILORIN
Kwara state government has been urged to gazette the traditional stool of Olupo of Ajase Ipo in the Irepodun local government area of the state among the seven ruling houses to ensure justice, equity and fairness.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin at the weekend, leadership of the four out of the seven ruling houses in Ajase Ipo, namely; Ige-Oyee, Oyerinade, Oyeyemi, and Adebo-Okun, called the attention of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to the matter with a view to guarantee everlasting peace among people of the ancient community.
According to the community leaders, namely; Gani Oyerinde, Saheed Mubarak, and Ibrahim Oye, the four ruling houses had allegedly been marginalized by the other three ruling houses of Alebiosu, Ariyibi, and Woleola in the Olupo stool.
“We implore the present administration in the state to gazette the Olupo of Ajase Ipo stool as it was done to Onijagbo chieftaincy declaration among the seven ruling houses in order to ensuring justice, equity and fairness. This we believe would guarantee equal opportunity for the ruling houses and more importantly accelerate growth and development in Ajase Ipo town.
“We sincerely request for the immediate intervention of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq in this matter with a view to guaranteeing everlasting peace, harmony and concord of the people of Ajase Ipo town which is sine qua non for the progress and stability of the ancient community.
“We believe that true and lasting peace, equity, fair play and justice can only be established on the ancient tripod of genuine history, respect for tradition and merit. Present attempts to distort things and cause needless rift among the”Omo Oba” of Ajase Ipo should be avoided in the community.
“Sadly, the eventual emergence of a successor to Olupo stool has always been a keenly contest among the princes from respective ruling houses, while it is often given to the highest bidder. This seemingly anomaly usually creates rancour and acrimony among the princes leading most often, to the untimely death of a successful Olupo and by extension culminating in an interegnum within the ancient town each time the stool became vacant”.
End.
