The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, on Monday strongly criticized the decision of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, to confer the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on a businessman, Dotun Sanusi.
The Ooni, at the weekend, bestowed the title on Sanusi during the unveiling of 2geda, an indigenous social media and business networking platform, held at Ilaji Hotel, Ibadan.
Conferring the title, Ogunwusi described Sanusi’s commitment to the cultural and economic growth of the Yoruba race as unparalleled.
But the Alaafin, in a statement issued on Monday through his media aide, Bode Durojaiye, said the Ooni overstepped his bounds, insisting that no traditional ruler other than the Alaafin reserves the authority to confer a title covering the entire Yorubaland.
Oba Owoade has demanded that the title be revoked within 48 hours, otherwise the Ooni will “face the consequences.” He stated, “The attention of the Alaafin of Oyo and the Titan of Yorubaland, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has been drawn to the purported conferment of the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on a business tycoon, Dotun Sanusi, by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi. “The Ooni of Ife appears to be behaving as if there is no authority to check and call him to order. Due to this ‘above-the-law’ syndrome, he is in the habit of disregarding the authority of others, including the apex court in the country, the Supreme Court, which had ruled on the exclusive preserve of the Alaafin to confer any chieftaincy title that covers the entire Yorubaland.”
The notion that no individual is above the law is currently undergoing a crucial examination. The Alaafin is demanding the revocation of the purported Okanlomo of Yorubaland chieftaincy title conferred upon Engineer Dotun Sanusi within 48 hours, failing which there will be consequences. The Alaafin further posits that the Ooni’s jurisdiction regarding title conferments is limited, emphasizing that “the instrument of office presented to Oba Ogunwusi during his installation explicitly restricts his traditional authority to Oranmiyan Local Government, which has now been divided into three local governments, namely Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South.” While cautioning against attempts to undermine his peace-building endeavors across Yorubaland, Owoade reiterated his earlier appeal to traditional rulers to work towards unity. He stated, “It is our forefathers’ desire for us to be united, and they played their part in ensuring peace and unity in Yorubaland. We must also strive to achieve this. God Himself is invested in our matter; therefore, we must always prioritize the peace and unity of Yorubaland. We advocate for development, but no meaningful and sustainable development can occur without peace and unity.”It appears that the Ooni of Ife is misconstruing the Alaafin, Paramount with the Heart of Gold, and his peace initiative as a sign of weakness, thereby making decisions that are not only ultra vires but derogatory to the Titan of Yorubaland. Efforts to reach Moses Olafare, spokesperson for the Ooni’s Palace, for comment were unsuccessful as calls to his line did not go through. Text and WhatsApp messages sent to his lines also went unresponded as of the time of filing this report.
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