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Oniru stool: Abisogun Family Wants LASG To Be Impartial
As the succession crisis to who becomes the Oniru of Iru land, Lagos, rages, the Abisogun Ruling Family has called on the Lagos State Government not to be biased in the selection of the next king and to allow the traditional law to have its way.
At a news conference on Thursday in Ikeja, addressed by elders of Abisogun Ruling House, they called on residents of Oniru of Iru Land to allow peace to reign as they awaited who would ascend the highly revered throne, PM News reports.
“We want to use this opportunity to critically urge Lagosians and members of the public in general, irrespective of their Ruling House, to please remain calm and be law-abiding, we must also warn our youths to never take laws into their hands.
“We are confident that the state authority will not be biased in their judgement. Knowing fully well that the law is greater than any individual. We urge everyone to go about their businesses in peace, for it is only when there is peace that we can possibly record growth and development in our society,” said Prince Cornelius Kashimawo Bello, spokesperson of the Abisogun Ruling House.
The contestants for the vacant stool are Akeem Ajasa, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) and Adesegun Oniru, a former Lagos Commissioner for Waterfront Development.
However, going down memory lane, Bello said the ruling houses included Abisogun, Akiogun and Ogunyemi Ruling House as stated in the Declaration Made under the Customary Law Regulation Selection to the Oniru Chieftaincy of Lagos of 14th September 1993, approved by the then Executive Governor of Lagos State, Sir Michael Agbolade Otedola.
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He said the declaration clearly stated the number of Ruling Houses, the approved rotation and the procedure to be followed in the nomination of the candidates by the Local Government Authority, saying that since 1589, 14 different monarchs had ascended the stool as Oba of Oniru.
“According to the standing tribunal of inquiry into the chieftaincy matters in Lagos State in respect of Oniru of Lagos, submitted by Hon. Justice W. Ajao Oshodi in September 1995, the late Oba Ìdòwú Abiodun Oniru was asked who the first King of Oniru was, he answered that Oba Onigefon was the first who ruled from 1589 to 1620 and 13 different Obas have ruled after Onifegon, because all the Olofin’s children, also known as Idejos are Obas in their respective domains.
“But what many Lagosians are not privy to, is the fact that the 13th Oba of Oniru, His Royal Highness, Oba Yesufu Abiodun who reigned from 1934 to 1984 was from the Akiogun Ruling House and upon his demise, it was the turn of the Ogunyemi Ruling House to ascend to the throne of Oba of Oniru.
“However, the Ogunyemi Ruling House who was next in line to produce the candidate to the stool of Oba of Oniru declined and conceded their right to the Akiogun family thereby paving the way for the immediate past Oniru, HRH Oba Idowu Oniru, who was the 14th Oba of Oniru Kingdom.
“So, by every standard, the Akiogun family which has now reigned for a total of 75 years and was only fortunate to have presented the immediate past Oniru. Going by the existing structured rotation, the Abisogun Ruling House is the next in line to nominate and select a candidate to ascend the throne as the 15th Oba of Iru Land. It would have been a different ball game entirely if the Abisoguns accept that the Akiogun family continues with the reign.
“But clearly, that’s not the case, and in the absence of such agreement, it is important that we preserve the integrity of our traditional institutions and not distort history for any reason. The essence of this laid down structure is to uphold the sanctity of our institution and anything beyond that is a deviation from the norm.,” Bello explained.
According to him, the Abisogun Ruling House understood that not many were familiar with this history and that some Ruling Houses were all out to misrepresent facts for personal interest, saying that public interest was bigger than that, and that the traditional institution was no respecter of persons.
“The four branches that make up the Abisogun Ruling Family namely, Omowunmi, Omishade, Oresanya, and Ewumi branches have jointly presented Mr Hakeem Oriyomi Ajasa of the Ewumi branch of the Abisogun Ruling House as the candidate to fill the vacant stool of the Oba Oniru of Iru land.
“To uphold peace and harmony, Mr Hakeem Oriyomi Ajasa and Aremo Adesegun Oniru, two days ago, signed the Peace Accord, at the Police Headquarters in Lagos to ensure that peace reigns in Iru Kingdom and to avoid break down of law and order,” he added.
The six elders of Abisogun Ruling House at the press conference were: Cornelius Kashimawo Bello ( Omisade Branch), Prince Tajudeen Oniru from (Oresanya Branch), Prince Wasiu Ogunbambi ( Omowunmi Branch), Prince Saliu Agboola Salau ( Ewunmi Branch), Chief Salawu Isa Gbenga ( Baale Igboshere) and Prince Muideen Adebiyi (Omowunmi Branch).
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