•Ibadan elders, mogajis wade into Olubadan chieftaincy crisis

Ibadan elders have again waded into the crisis rocking the review of the Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration.

They are working with some mogajis and the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) to find a truce between the Olubadan and 21 other obas as well as other stakeholders in the crisis.

To broker peace, a Truth and Reconciliation Committee (TRC), led by an elder, Dr Lekan Are, has been set up.

A spokesperson of Authentic Mogajis in Ibadan, Chief Wale Oladoja, told reporters that a meeting of the TRC, which Dr Are convened, was ensuring “that the pride and dignity surrounding the obaship crisis in Ibadan will be amicably resolved within the shortest time possible”.

Oladoja said the Reconciliation Committee has Are as Chairman while the President General of the CCII, Chief Yemi Soladoye, would serve as the Coordinator.

The authentic mogajis, like Alhaji Abass Oloko (Mogaji Oloko), Chief Abduljelyl Karheem (Mogaji Adanla), Alhaji Moshud Gbolagade (Mogaji Akere), Alhaji Ademola Oladosu (Mogaji Olasomi), are members of the reconciliation committee.

Also listed are: a former Military Administrator of Lagos State, General Raji Rasaki (retd.); a former Commissioner for Information and CCII chieftain, Chief Adegboyega Arulogun; Primate Ola Makinde; the Aare Musulumi of Yoruba land; Alhaji Dauda Makanjuola; Prof. Adeola Adeyemi; Chief Lere Adigun; Dr. Kunle Oyedele and other eminent elders in Ibadan.

The maiden meeting, according to Oladoja, was held last Thursday evening at Kakanfo Inn Hotel in Ibadan and had all the aforementioned in attendance.

To sustain the new rapprochement, Oladoja said their camp had agreed to the peace moves in a way that the pride and dignity of Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, as the paramount traditional ruler in Ibadan would be protected.

He said the meeting was successful because of the presence of “respectable and prominent peace-loving Ibadan elders” in the meeting.

Oladoja thanked Ibadan indigenes for allowing peace to reign, adding: “We are still solidly behind the Kabiyesi and we shall not waver. We use this opportunity to felicitate with all Ibadan indigenes on the Christmas and New Year celebrations. We wish to assure them that truce is on the way, and our prayer is that the ongoing reconciliation ends well.

“As true born and mogajis, we are sheathing our swords, especially now that our respected Ibadan elders, under the leadership of Dr. Lekan Are, has waded in to reconcile the issue. We are ready to give peace a chance. We shall continue to communicate with Ibadan people as family heads.”