The Ekiti State Government has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the kingmakers in Oke-Ako in Ikole Local Government Area of the state to fill the Owa stool that has been vacant for 25 years.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the deputy governor, Mrs Monisade Afuye, gave the directive on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti, while interacting with stakeholders from the community.
Afuye said that to ease the selection process, the kingmakers should narrow the emergence of a new Owa of Oke-Ako to “Oke and Odo Aafin” extractions of the Aafin ruling house.
“The third arm named “Afata”, has been barred from participating in kingship because they had been producing kings from that dynasty,” Afuye said.
She appealed to the Afata family to withdraw the case they instituted at the court to facilitate a seamless selection process.
She buttressed that the rampaging kidnappings and killings in Ipao-Oke – Ako-Irele axis would have been suppressed for long, if there had been a substantive traditional ruler who could rally his people against the daredevil.
“We have no reason not to continue with the selection.
“No restraining order, or a stay of execution order from any court that can stop the government and kingmakers from continuing with the selection process, so we have to move forward,
“Let your town move forward, many of you are not living there. Nobody will be happy with the way things are in the Oke Ako community. Oke Aafin and Odo Aafin should go and produce the next king.
“Afata should step down, because it has enjoyed the stool before.
“Do what is necessary to save your town from underdevelopment,” Afuye said.
Commending the government for the action, an elder from the Aafin royal family, Mohammed Obafemi, said the crisis stemmed from the Afata ruling house’s insistence that “they have the sole right to produce Owa of Oke Ako.”
Obafemi explained that by history, all the male children from Oke Idi Osan and Aafin ruling houses have the legitimacy to the royal stool.
The chairman of the local government, Mr Bayo Omojola, commended the government for being truthful and open in the handling of the matter.
Omojola assured that the local government would complement the efforts of the state government to ensure the success of the selection processes.
