ASAONI’S BEAT OF WAR; BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, An Open Letter Written By Osun Prince To Gov Oyetola

Akesin Palace Square,
Ora Igbomina.
24th January, 2020
The Governor of the State of Osun,
Governor’s Office, Bola Ige House,
Abere, Osogbo,
State of Osun.

Your Excellency Sir,
ASAONI’S BEAT OF WAR; BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE
Ora Solidarity Front, on behalf of the entire Ora community under the rulership of the Akesin of Ora Igbomina finds it critical and imperative to raise alarm on the recent ill-conceived activities of Asaoni and his co travelers on the part of perdition to discredit the traditional chieftaincy stool of the Akesin of Ora Igbomina and to bring the name of our revered monarch, His Royal Majesty Oba Samuel Oladoye Idowu to disrepute.
Ora people are traditionally very peaceful and hospitable. We have inhabited the present location of Ora since 1330AD when Akesin Adebimpe Dajasiju led his people to Ora Igbomina. Ever since, we became plagued with a virus called the Okewus that now manifest in Asaoni around 1882AD when they wandered their ways to Ora having been decimated, beaten, and displaced by the scourge of wars. Innocently, our Forebears opened their doors and welcomed them with open arms in the spirit of Yoruba oneness and brotherhood and most specially to provide succor for a defeated people in search of redemption. Asaoni and his people’s aggressive tendencies and inordinate ambition to lord themselves over our people who constituted over 90% of the total population sparked legal fireworks that lasted years and climax in the Supreme Court. The judgement of the Supreme Court in Governor, Oyo State v. Folayan [1995] 8 NWLR (Pt. 413) 292 which the Asaoni bandy about did not say the Akesin of Ora is not entitled to wear beaded crown but reinstated the fact the Aboderin Commission of Inquiry was merely advisory as it cannot change or repeal an existing legislation.
Not satisfied at the decision of the Supreme Court, Asaoni instituted another matter at the Osun State High Court in Suit No HLR/6/07 seeking among other reliefs, a “declaration that the decision of the Supreme Court in SC/256/1989 delivered on Friday 1st September, 1995 confirming that the findings of the Aboderin Commission of Inquiry that Akesin is not an Oba and not entitled to wear a beaded crown is binding and subsisting.” The judgment of the court per Justice I. O. Adeleke dismissed the claims of Asaoni in its entirety. The Court held
“It has been argued by the Plaintiff that the Supreme Court’s decisions given on the 1st day of September, 1999 in Suit No. SC. 256/1989 emphatically affirmed that Akesin is not entitled to wear beaded crown and that the said decision binds all the parties in the Suit and that the 1st and 2nd Defendants cannot sit as an Appeal Court over a decision of the Supreme Court.
I agree that the Supreme Court is the final Court of Law in our Land. Its pronouncements are not only final, but final in its finality. The Court, subject to the Constitution and existing laws, is the proud goddess of the Law, who all men must worship.
I have looked at the Supreme Court’s judgment and I cannot see any place in it where the Court. Held that the 3rd Defendant and his successors are not entitled to wear beaded crown. It was upheld by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court that since there is a subsisting legislation, which recognized the right of the Akesin and his Successors-in-title to wear beaded crown, the right cannot be taken away through a press statement issued by the Executive.
The Supreme Court never discussed the rightness or wrongness of the Aboderin Commission’s Report which recommended that Akesin is not entitled to wear beaded crown, neither did the Supreme Court nullify any provisions of Edit No. 5 of 1977 Legal Notice No. 22 which was the existing chieftaincy declaration in respect of the Akesin Stool.
To the best of my knowledge, the decision of the Supreme Court in SC. 256/1989 centres on the fact and re-enforces the law that the power to confer beaded Crown on persons, including the Akesin lies solely in the Executive arm of the Government at the State level- which power is usually exercised through validly made Laws.
The Plaintiff in Suit SC. 256/1989 attempted to nullify Edict No.5 or 1977 Legal Notice No. 22 which recognized Akesin a braded crown via the instrumentality of the recommendations of the Aboderin Commission, and he failed. He has also now in this Suit, tried to nullify the Osun State Gazette No.8 vol. 14 of 16th December, 2004 which recognized the Akesin as a beaded Crown via the instrumentality of the decision in SC. 256/1989. This again, I believe is doomed to fail.
I am of the firm belief that chieftaincy matters are matters for the Residual list and a State Government has the right to make Laws on matters on the Residual List. It is not the business of the Court, (in fact any Court) to propagate Laws on chieftaincy matters. We can only pronounce what the Law is based on existing Legislations. This is however not to mean that a Chieftaincy Declaration cannot be challenged in Court. It can in fact be nullified by the Court if the proper procedures which should lead to the making of the Declaration was not followed. This is not the case in this matter.”
Interestingly, there is still another pending litigation in Suit No: HLR/2/19 where the Akesin and Asaoni have joined issues. If in deed the Supreme Court has decided the issues as claimed by Asaoni, what then informed his decision to institute Suit No HLR/6/07 at the High Court and the current case where the issue of beaded crown was introduced and made an issue by Asaoni? The issue of Akesin beaded crown is obviously a relitigation of an issue that has been decided by a competent court, and in this case, the Supreme Court. This is fitting instance of abuse of court process.
Flowing from the above, it becoming clear that the Okewus as symbolized by the Asaoni’s persistently crises-stocking, controversies and seasonally beat the drum of war is a testimony to the fact that they have no stake in the affairs of Ora. They care less about the peace, unity, progress as they want the town perpetually engulfed in crisis at all times as against us the Ora Igbomina who care about Ora’s peace, unity and development. The Okewus and of course the Asaoni are like the biblical prostitute in King Solomon’s court who would rather prefer a living baby slaughtered than live.
It must be stated that Oba Samuel Oladoye Idowu became the Akesin of Ora-Igbomina through due process as provided by Edit No. 5 of 1977 Legal Notice No. 22. His rights to wear beaded crown is rightly recognized by law and was elevated to the position of a Permanent Member of the Osun State Council of Obas on the 5th day of May, 2009. However, the Asaoni, who was until 1976 known and addressed as Asaoni of Okewu-Ora) is a rotational member of the Osun State Council of Obas.
Let it be made known that we are never battle weary and cannot be battle wearied. Ora is our heritage and the past experiences should show the Okewu that population is power and if lie travels for 100 years, it takes truth a day to catch up with it. It is funny that a character who is a land grabber and involved in land racketeering in Lagos State whose only immunity from justice and EFCC prying eyes is the cloak of a ‘discredited royalty’ in which he dresses himself will be calling on EFCC and ICPC to investigate the ancient stool of Akesin that is fully rooted in law and have been settled by the Supreme Court.
While we are ever ready to defend our communal legacy before any court of competent jurisdiction, we find Asaoni’s penchant for using the media – different outlets and online social media and the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) as instrument to propagating false narratives and defame our cultural heritage as irresponsible, offensive and very provocative. His recklessness if unchecked may push us to the point of no return.
It is curious that this recent avalanche of attacks started after the Asiwaju Yemi Farounbi led peace initiative brought everybody across the divides to the table of peace, the first time ever at the Ora country home of Senator Olusola Adeyeye. The initiative was an opportunity to thank Senator Adeyeye for facilitating road, educational, water and other projects and for making us proud as a distinguished senator and also to lunch the tree of peace. Asaoni and his coconspirators were obviously jolted by the initiative. As war mongers and Zebras that cannot change their stripes, they launched these fresh assaults.
No one is deceived by the latest dimension of involving the so-called Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice in this matter. We know Asaoni is recruiting them to fight a battle he had lost at all fronts and in all ramifications. Asaoni’s use of the CHRSJ to whip up sentiments in a purely non sentimental issue is bound to fail. The timing of the CHRSJ’s intervention, coming shortly after Asaoni was trying to lay a legal ambush at Osun State High Court, Ila-Orangun confirms that. This dimension shows the coward that Asaoni truly is. If Asaoni is an iota of what he claimed to be, there is no basis for this CHRSJ’s proxy fight. Let him confront Akesin directly, and as usual, he will have his fingers burnt.
Before it becomes too late, we have deemed it proper to request your revered office to call on the Asaoni Oba Joshua Tinuoye Atolagbe and his co travelers to tow the path of unity and peaceful coexistence by abiding with the law and stop fanning the embers of war. It is our stern believe that he will heed this call to prevent a complete breakdown of law and order with the attendant serious breach of public peace that is likely to occur.
We shall appreciate your kind intervention in this regard.
Thanks for your anticipated cooperation.
Yours faithfully,

Prince Femi Olanipekun

1. His Imperial Majesty (HIM) Oba Adéyeyè Enitan Ògúnwùsì (Òjájá II),
Ọọ̀ni of Ifẹ̀,
Chairman, Osun State Traditional Council of Obas
2. HRM Oba Wahab Kayode Oyedotun Bibire 1
The Orangun of Ila and President Ila Traditional Council
Orangun Ila Palace, Ila
3. Chief Bisi Akande
Former Governor of Osun State,
Ila Orangun, Osun State.
4. Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye,
Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly
Gbongan Road, Osogbo, Osun State.
5. The State Director,
Department of State Services,
Osogbo, Osun State.
6. The Commissioner of Police,
Osun State Police Command,
Osogbo, Osun State.
7. Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters
Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs,
Osun State Government Secretariat,
Osogbo.
8. Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice
Ministry of Justice,
Osun State Government Secretariat,
Osogbo.
9. Chairman, Ifedayo Local Government