White Paper: An Open Letter To Governor Adeleke Over Igbajo Chieftaincy Stool

His Excellency,
Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke,
The Executive Governor,
Bola Ige Governor Office House,
Abeere, Osun State.

Igbajo for Equity and Justice (IFEJ), a social justice organization represents all the sons and daughters of the ancient town of Igbajo home and abroad who believes in truth, equity and justice including development.

Igbajo, our peaceful town known for truth, equity and justice, has been engulfed with one crisis or the other with uncertainty since the former Government of Mr. Gboyega Oyetola imposed the immediate past Osun State Chairman of his political party, All Progressives Congress (APC) illegally as Owa of Igbajo at the twilight of his administration which the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke government of justice and equity had reversed the illegal action with the promulgation of Executive Order Number Five (5) and subsequently set up a Chieftaincy Panel to look into the mindbogglingly issues.

Following the uncommon action of Governor Adeleke in reversing the illegality of yesterday action of Oyetola, peace had returned to the ancient town of Igbajo partially as good people of the community were thrown into jubilation when the news flittered the town that new Government of Senator Ademola Adeleke was going to look into the open illegality being perpetrated by Oyetola on Igbajo Chieftaincy Stool which produced Oyetola’s APC State Chairman, Mr. Adegboyega Famodun.

So, Governor Adeleke declared the thrones of Akirun of Ikirun, Aree of Iree and others, including that of Owa of Igbajo occupied illegally by former APC Chairman, Mr. Gboyega Famodun vacant and set up a committee headed by current Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Reverend Bunmi Jenyo, to review all the appointments caught by the Executive Order and to ensure there was a strict compliance with due process of Chieftaincy declarations and native law, custom and tradition.

And the affected ruling houses and stakeholders appeared before the Committee to state their own side of the story on the subject matter on how Oyetola Government abused its position to impose Adegboyega Famodun without following due process and in flagrant disobedience to suit No. HIK/10/2021at the material time.

Refers to the case of Ezeugbu Vs. FATB Limited (1992)1 NWLR (Part 220) 699 at 735 paragraphs A-F,Tobi JCA ( as he then was of blessed memory), Registered Trustees, Apostolic Church Vs Olowoleni (1990)6NWLR (Pt158) at 537-538 per Nnaemeka-Agu, JSC (as then was), Agbai Vs Okogbue (1991)7NWLR (Pt 204)391, Abiodun Vs Chief Judge, Kwara State (2007)18 NWLR (Pt1119)489,Bass & Matt Enterprises (Nig)Ltd Vs Keystone Bank Ltd (2015)1 NWLR (Pt 1441) 609, Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Ltd Vs Cutra International Ltd(2020) 11 NWLR (Pt 1735)302, Governor, Kwara State Vs Adeniyi(2021)12 NWLR (Pt 1790)305 and Alhaji Abdulkareem Adegboye &1Ors. Vs. Prince Lawal Oloyede Oyekunle(2021) per Olumuyiwa-Abiru(JCA).

But it was a surprise that six (6) months after Osun Chieftaincy Panel of Enquiry had submitted its reports on their minds boggling revelations at the sitting of the Chieftaincy Panel, the much awaited panel report yet to see the light of the day as at the time of writing this open letter to Governor Ademola Adeleke because it has come to the knowledge of the good people of the State that Governor Ademola Adeleke government was planning to jettison the Panel’s reports because of political hanky-panky.

IFEJ, is using this medium on behalf of the good people of ancient town of Igbajo in Boluwaduro Local Government area of Osun State, to appeal to the State Government under the leadership of Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, to release the white paper of the Panel of Enquiry Committee that was empowered to look into the Igbajo Chieftaincy matter.

Non-release of Panel reports had hung the fate of the entire residents of peaceful Igbajo community to have a true and generally acceptable traditional leader to give directions to the people of the town and as well put the ancient town in jeopardy since illegal imposition of Gboyega Famodun. To this effect, lgbajo residents in their large number staged a peaceful protest to the Governor’s office sometimes in May this year to register their displeasure over the unnecessary delay to make the reports of the panel public. On behalf of the Governor, the deputy Governor, Mr. Kola Adewusi attended to the protesters and promised that the long awaited report will be out by June.

With the emphasis, the much awaited White Paper on the report of the Chieftaincy Panel still hang the fate of the good people of Igbajo imbalance and then, majority of the people clapped for the State Government under Governor Ademola Adeleke when promulgated the Executive Order Five (5) and subsequently setting up of Panel to look into the satanic emergency of Famodun and others.

Moreover, the stakeholders understood the earlier non-formation of the just formed cabinet by Governor Ademola Adeleke but the politics playing with the reports after the constitution of the State cabinet members have much to be desired now when the said reports yet to see the light of the day after the six(6) months of public submission of the said reports to Governor Ademola Adeleke by the Panel.

Upon the submission of the reports to you Your Excellency Sir, you said publicly to uphold the contents of the report with respect to equity, Justice and fairness to all.

Your Excellency Sir, the above analysis might have seemingly correct of the insinuation that the Governor Ademola Adeleke would soon jettison the reports and put the reports in the cooler forever as being peddling around by some political figures under the incumbent government of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

We cannot foreclose our eyes in a believe that there are pressure from Gboyega Oyetola faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Adeleke family not to release the reports because Famodun was their baby imposed on the throne without following due process of law against the Supreme Court of Nigeria in SC:1/2020 which the Court has been coming hard against the political class on their impunity that ” The supreme court of Justice in this regard is against the total violation of the principle of natural justice, equity and good conscience by consistently punished parties, particularly, the government, for their recklessness, impunity and gross disregard for due process”.

But it would be unfair for Adeleke’s Government as a product of justice not to do justice to the Chieftaincy issues at hand and history might not be kind to him in the nearest future because justice must see to have been done, even if heaven would fall.

Your Excellency Sir, only the truth and justice should be the bedrock of your government because only the truth and justice could build your government and anyone who encourages you to look the other side whenever the issue of truth and justice arise to take a decisive decisions are not doing your government any good than defaming your Government in no distance time.

In addition Sir, it has come to the knowledge of all the citizens of the State, especially, in the mouth of people in your government that you will soon jettison the reports of the Chieftaincy Panel that you would not make the reports to see the light of the day because of pressure from the opposing political class.

But when the injustice you’re planning to perpetrate to favour opposing political party of APC and to be sidelined on the altar of politics in respect of the subject matter and if allow to succeed, this would be the beginning of where the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) would commence the attack against your government in the next fifteen (15) months by calling you all sorts of names.

A stitch in time, saves nine, they say. It would have been better for this government to stand on truth and justice in respect of Igbajo Chieftaincy Stool by releasing the White Paper reports because most of the present Adeleke government lovers were manipulated against on the issue of Chieftaincy Stool by immediate past All Progressives Congress Government of Gboyega Oyetola and the irony of it now is that the same current Adeleke Government are now called upon to be covering their shameless actions of yesterday government. What an irony?

It is wise for Governor Ademola Adeleke Government to write his name in gold by ensuring that Igbajo and others crisis ridden Chieftaincy Stool are reprocess all over again with the due process ethos before the law of natural justice takes its due course soon.

IFEJ, as an ambassador of progress and development would never silent in the face of political clandestine of the Governor Ademola Adeleke until justice is seen to be done on Owa of Igbajo Chieftaincy Stool because playing unnecessary politics with the issue of importance like this nature, may cause threat to the peace of the community and Osun State at large.

This is high time for Governor Ademola Adeleke to show the whole world by correcting the insinuation from the government circle that the reports of the Chieftaincy Panel would not see the light of the day by ensuring the timely release of the Panel reports in the interest of the truth, progress, equity, and justice.

And it would not be urgor well for the state government to heed to wrong advice on how to sustain the illegality of yesteryears and today because of its negative consequence such may pose on the state. A word is enough for the wise and Yoruba adage says;” Bi oni seri, ola ki ribe lofi maa n mu Babalawo difa ororun”.

It is expectation of the people that Ademola Adeleke government would stand with truth always as truth has no characteristics of colour and politics but reversed was the case again on the subject matter as enemies of Ademola Adeleke government had been the one directing the affairs of the government today in Osun State thinking to sink the boat of Ademola Adeleke government with substance of injustice.

You cannot clap with one hand by promulgating a law and still violate or not obeying such law to the letter and such a society and its government would soon face legal and credibility quagmire and also the government would just loose its credibility before her citizens untimely.

It would be a blunder for Ademola Adeleke’s Government not obey its law in respect of Executive Order Five (5) as it affected the Chieftaincy Stool, particularly, Owa of Igbajo.

Lastly Sir, this is a wise counsel to you as the number one citizen of the State by not allowing grand conspiracy against your government for selfish reason of certain elements to be sustained, advising you to cultivate the habit of standing for what is right as being postulated by the late foremost human rights activist and socal crusader, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN as everything about your political government would soon be a thing of the past like others as history would be speaking either positively or negatively about all your actions in government and that of your family as you should not think of today alone.

“A sticth in time, saves nine”

E – signed by:
Comr. ‘Wole Alabi
Chairman, IFEJ.