Amosun wades into Alake, Awujale feud

•Amosun flanked by Oba Adetona (left) and Oba Gbadebo III at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta...yesterday.

Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun may have waded into the festering rumble between the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo and the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona.

There have been exchange biting words between the two prominent Yoruba traditional rulers over the ranking of the Obas by the Alake.

Last Monday, the Alake through 22 Egba chiefs, including 15 Ogboni chiefs, insisted that the Awujale remained the least in the echelon of status among major Yoruba traditional rulers.

The Alake said his earlier listing of the Awujale as occupying the last position after the quartet of the Oni of Ife, Alaafin of Oyo, Oba of Benin and Alake of Egbaland, “was supported by documentary evidence and therefore stands by his position”.

According to the Egba Paramount ruler, the ranking of the Yoruba Traditional Rulers was carried out in 1937 by the then Ooni of Ife.

This followed Oba Adetona’s last Thursday claims among other things that the Alake was a junior chief in Egba forest under Alaafin who fled to Ibadan and that Alake is also of the same status with some Ijebu Obas like the Ebumawe of Ago – Iwoye who are under his(Adetona) jurisdiction.

The Awujale made the remarks in Lagos during the launch of an Endowment Fund for a Chair at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago – Iwoye,  in reply to an earlier ranking of the Yoruba obas by Alake which placed him at the tail end on the hierarchy.

But yesterday, Amosun, Oba Adetona and Oba Gbadebo met privately for about 75 minutes at the Oke – Mosan Governor’s Office, Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.

Details of what transpired were kept away from reporters when they emerged at about 3:45pm.

Even when prodded several times by reporters to say what happened, all of them responded in general terms.

Amosun said the monarchs were in his office to deliberate on how to keep Ogun more peaceful and vaguely blamed the press for the negative reportage of the matter.

He said: “I don’t you to go and write anything out of context. Yes, we are here, our fathers are here to see me. Of course, we deliberated on so many things.

“Don’t forget that this would be the first time I would have the opportunity to show my appreciation for the 40th anniversary celebration – so, it’s an opportunity for me to still show that.

“So, if you think you want to ask that what is the outcome, outcome of what? We have come here to deliberate and as always, it’s always a pleasure for me to have our fathers around here.

“These (you) are the people writing the thing. Don’t just sit somewhere and write. But this one, there is nothing like ranking of Obas.

“We know ourselves. Our fathers they have ways, even before the advent of all these colonials and what have you we have ways of how we live in harmony and I think we will continue to do that.

“Don’t forget, and I’m saying this again with all due humility and sense of responsibility, that in the context of we Yoruba, we know our pre-eminence status. Those of us from Ogun State, so we want to keep up with that tradition. We are not going to fan any ember of disunity.

“What we are known for in Ogun State is that all of us are one and we are still one. Indeed, in the comity of the Yoruba, we know what we do, we know what we stand for and we will continue to do that.

“You know I told you that they are here to ensure there is peace and harmony in Ogun State. These are parts of the things they have come to discuss with me. “Unless, you are now saying that we should discuss what we considered to be classified openly. But our Kabiyesis are here; they can say maybe hello to you.”

AAwujale said there was no problem and that he merely came to say hello when asked why he was in Oke – Mosan Governor’s Office.

“I want to say hello to you….there is no problem gentlemen, please. Thank you very much,” he said.

For Alake, he was in Oke – Mosan to see Governor Amosun for many things and not for issues regarding Obas’ ranking.

“I have come to see my governor for many things, including the strike actioný of the workers, and I’m very sure they would go back to work very soon by the grace of God,” Alake said.