Awujale stool: Ijebu chiefs dissolve interim council, inaugurate new body

Traditional chiefs in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, have dissolved the Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council.

They have replaced it with the Adele Oba Awujale in Council to oversee the affairs of the ancient town pending the emergence of a substantive Awujale.

The decision was reached at a meeting of the Ilamuren, the Pampa, the Odi and other chiefs of Ijebu-Ode.

The traditional leaders unanimously adopted a resolution mandating members of the AIAC to step down from their existing positions and join the newly constituted Adele Oba Awujale in Council.

About a month after the death of the 91-year-old Oba Sikiru Adetona in July last year, the state government constituted an administrative body to manage administrative and traditional responsibilities during the transition, until a new Awujale is installed.

The body was constituted in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, and made available to journalists.

It was to be chaired by the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland and co-founder of Eko Hospital, Lagos, Folorunso Kuku, who is also designated as one of the Ilamuren.

In the resolution signed by the Chairman of the Adele Oba Awujale in Council, Sonny Kuku, however, the chiefs said the decision to transition from the interregnum administration to the Adele Oba Awujale in Council was informed by their consideration of the traditional and statutory frameworks governing the Awujale chieftaincy institution.

The statement, a copy of which was sighted by our correspondent on Monday, noted that the Ogun State Chiefs Law of 2021 did not expressly provide for the establishment of an Awujale Regency Council or prescribe a general procedure for appointing a regent during an interregnum.

It, however, maintained that the Chiefs Law and the 1957 Declaration provided an existing framework for the recognition of customary arrangements, including the traditional institution of the Adele Oba Awujale in Council.

The statement said, “Upon consideration of the applicable traditional and statutory framework, it was observed that the Ogun State Chiefs Law of 2021 does not expressly establish an Awujale Regency Council, nor does it prescribe a general procedure for the appointment of a Regent.

“It was further noted that the Chiefs Law and Declaration of 1957 provide an existing framework within which customary declarations are made and recognised, including the traditional institution of the Adele Oba Awujale in Council.

“In view of the foregoing, a motion was moved and unanimously adopted that all members of the Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council (AIAC) should formally step down from their existing positions and transition into the Adele Oba Awujale in Council.

“Consequently, the Adele Oba Awujale in Council shall henceforth assume responsibility for the administration of the affairs of Ijebu-Ode during the interregnum and exercise, on an interim basis, such administrative powers and functions as may appropriately be required in the absence of the Awujale, subject to applicable laws and established customs and traditions.”

The 14-member council comprises Sonny Kuku, who holds the Ogbeni Oja title; Rasheed Adesanya (Olisa); O.B. Okuboyejo (Obasewa); Chris Okunowo (Bobasuwa); and Jide Ajayi (Jagun Aso).

Other members are Lekan Osifeso (Olootu Olowa); Jimi Lawal (Olotu Ifore); Kunle Ogunade (Apebi); B.O. Osibogun (Iyalode); Adegoke Balogun (Jaginrin); Agboola Alausa (Balogun); Abimbola Okenla (Kakanfo); Adebisi Adaran (Ogbeni Odi Awujale); and Ayotunde Odulaja (Lapoekun).

The chiefs described the arrangement as a recognised traditional administrative structure designed to ensure continuity and stability in Ijebu-Ode while the process of producing and installing a substantive Awujale continues.

“The Adele Oba Awujale in Council shall henceforth serve as the recognised traditional administrative body for the management of the affairs of Ijebu-Ode throughout the interregnum, in accordance with applicable laws, customary practices and the established traditions of Ijebuland,” the statement added.

The traditional leaders further said the resolution was anchored on the customs and longstanding cultural practices of the Ijebu people, particularly those relating to the Awujale chieftaincy institution.

They maintained that the arrangement reflected their collective responsibility to protect the integrity of the traditional institution during the period without a substantive monarch.

“Our position is firmly rooted in the ancient customs, established cultural practices and time-honoured traditions of the Ijebu people, particularly as they relate to the Awujale Chieftaincy Institution,” the chiefs stated.

They added that the decision was consistent with the historical traditional framework of Ijebuland and was intended to preserve the institution pending the emergence of a new Awujale.