Aromokola Ruling House Petitions Ogun Government Over Bakare’s Impersonating As Community Monarch
By ABIODUN JIMOH, ABEOKUTA
In defiant to government warning on the controversial traditional rulership tussle in Abalabi community, Aromokola Ruling House has petitioned Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun over Taofeek Biobaku Bakare, alleged impersonating as monarch in the community.
Bakare, according to the petition was said to have been warned by the state government to desist from parading himself as the monarch in the community, situated in Ewekoro local government area, Ogun State.
Counsel to the ruling house, Barrister Adewale Adedoyin from Oddiri Oddiri and Co, in the petition confirmed that Bakare has continued to parade himself as the monarch, as well as appointing Baales in the neighbouring villages, despite umpteenth and series of stakeholders in the state to halt what could jeopadise peace in the community.
The ruling house also forwarded copies of the petition to the State Commissioner of Police, Director of Department of Security Service (DSS), Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs for necessary actions.
Barr. Adedoyin in the petition noted that Bakare’s defiance was in contrast to the permissible statue that empowered the local government under Chief Law part 2 of Section 15a-iv of Ogun State, Customary Law. “We are constraint to inform your Excellency that Taofeek Biobaku Bakare has made himself an Emperor.”
‘He did not only present himself as a King, he has constituted a stature, a machinery ostentated to appoint Baales in the neighbouring towns, this is a dangerous precedent. If not avert now, it will form a grandeur to any other person within Ogun State locality to allude and form a parallel prescribed authority to the function of Ogun State order of Ewekoro Local Government whose Abalabi kingdom is under its inherent jurisdiction.
“Despite umpteenth letters and reference to Section 15a of Chief Law part 2 Ogun State Customary Law act, the local government has failed to act, this muteness ushered in all manners of contention from different folks which have no bearing to the legitimacy of the succession to the next throne of Abalabi Kingdom,” the petition read.
Also, he stated that the controversial monarch was earlier invited by the police with a warning to abide to government directive not to parade himself as a tradition ruler, where he was made to write undertaken. Suffice to say that Bakare has not yielded to the warning from the police nor adhere to the undertaken he made with them.
He recalled: “Very recently, your administration stopped him from building a palace in the community which was initiated on the 5th September, 2019; he was defiant to all avenues to stop him from parading himself as an Oba. The most recent action was borne out of Owu Day ceremony.”
Meanwhile, in his swift response, Bakare denied all the allegations leveled against him, and that there was not time he had been compelled to stop parading himself as the traditional ruler in the community.
“There was never a time I was asked not to parade myself as Oba of my town, Abalabi. Olowu of Owu Kingdom created Oba for Abalabi community over ten years ago, and I am the third traditional ruler to have occupied that position. I have not received any letter from government, not to parade myself as Oba,” he claimed.
