Ooni Stool: Ife Elders Forum Urges Princes to withdraw case from courts

Bordered by continuous delay in the process of selecting the new Ooni of Ife after the demise of Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Ife Elders Forum has appealed to the ruling houses to withdraw the cases in courts and resort to amicable settlement of the matter.

The elders at a meeting held on October 17, 2015 observed that the litigation surrounding succession to the throne of Ooni is not in the interest of Ife and has been affecting the progress of the town.

The resolution of the meeting issued by the Chairman and the Secretary, Chief Mosadoluwa Omisore and Prof. Muibi Opeloye, suggested that “the Sookos (princes) should appeal to the ruling houses to withdraw the cases in courts in order not to cause undue delay in the selection process.

Stressing that well-meaning Nigerians are waiting for the vacant stool to be filled because of the importance of the stool, the forum resolved that “even though there is obvious need for review of the Ooni’s Chieftaincy declaration, the review should wait till Ooni is in place since chieftaincy declaration cannot be amended during an interregnum.”

The forum also urged the kingmakers to ensure compliance with the requirements of law in their selection process, saying that “the candidate should meet moral and ethic standards.

Meanwhile, the Chief Judge of Osun State, Justice Adepele Ojo, has fixed Friday 23rd October, 2015, for ruling on applications, urging the court to interpret the 1980 declaration and the suit challenging the jurisdiction of the court.

One of the ruling houses is contending that Section three of the 1980 Ife Chieftaincy declaration does not zone the next Ooni to Giesi Ruling House, stressing that the decision of the government to allow Giesi produce the next Ooni was wrong.

Also, the first defendant in the suit, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, is challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit, saying that 1980 declaration was used to produce the late Ooni, Oba Sijuwade and too late to review the declaration.