By Yetunde Oluwo, Abeokuta
In an open letter to Governor (Prince) Dapo Abiodun, with the Ogun State executive council and Chief Justice copied, the ILAWO COUNCIL OF CHIEFS alleged a plot by Mr Alex Macgregor to manipulate executive and judicial processes to stage-manage and unduly interfere with the Obaship process of Orile ILAWO, Alagbagba in Odeda Local government.
Our correspondent gathered that at least siz (6) independently different suits have been instituted at the Abeokuta High court challenging the process that brought up Alex Macgregor as the Oba Elect.
Alex Macgregor has allegedly been making frantic and desperate efforts, to ensure the executive council of Ogun State and the Governor approves him as Oba Elect despite pending litigations in court.
All six (6) of the suits have included demand for an interlocutory injunction, seeking to stop all actions on the process and all subjects to maintain status quo and preserve the subject matter of the litigation until the trial is over.
Our correspondent gathered that the Ministry of Justice, and commissioner for Chieftaincy office amongst others have all be served a copy of the suit by the court as at the time this report was being written.
The claimants averred that the process for the nomination and selection of Macgregor contravened the native law, the custom, and the applicable chiefs laws of Ogun state 2021.
In a Suit No., AB/789/22, copy of which was shown to our correspondent, the plaintiffs want the court to grant an order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st- 6th defendants ( The Executive Governor, The Attorney General, The Hon Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs, the Executive chairman of Odeda, HRH Alake of Egbaland, HRH Osile Of Oke Ona respectively) from approving , installing, gazetting and/or parading Alex Macgregor as the Oba Elect or Oba of Orile Ilawo community. The further averse and prayed the court to restrain all defendants as listed earlier from installing or giving of Staff of office and instrument of appointment to Alex Macgregor as the Oba of Orile Ilawo.
The Ilawo people have been subjected to variegated levels of abuse by a singular family who perhaps believe they own the people. This power and control is exerted through all manner of tactics by Alex Macgregor in other to jettison the will of the people of Orile ILAWO for personal aggrandizement and the government needs to investigate and understand this thoroughly.
The matter at hand is that of a tussle of various families from the original progenitors of Ilawo , entitled to the throne in question in the filling of the vacant Olu of Orile ILAWO stool since Ilawo has no declaration.
The last Olu of Ilawo joined his ancestors about a year ago. Afterwards, the rightful candidates who are known to be the original blood lines of the progenitors of the clan were properly scrutinized and sent to the appropriate local government authorities for offial purposes. It was at that point that Alex McGregor - a man alien to the original blood lines of the progenitors of the clan started using his power to add his name and made brazen attempts to become king of a land he nor his past generations does not originate from!
Hon. Taiwo Adewuyi, who is from ALAGBAGBA, Orile Ilawo made a statement to the press present.
“Naturally, the people of Orile Ilawo want to be governed by one of theirs, one who shares a past, present with them and Macgregor is not related in anyway to any family from Orile Ilawo.
Speaking to our correspondent, Chief Afolabi Soaga said," We have seen their transgenerational abuses of Power and violence on us all at Ilawo, backed by reckless impunity possibly because of a backing of wealth. This certainly will not end well if the government of Dapo Abiodun perpetuates injustice on our people".
Chief Olabanji Olaogun, Ogboye of ILAWO, speaking on behalf of the ILAWO council of chiefs emphasized that "Our government should not make the mistake of approving Macgregor as Oba of Orile ILAWO. This will never be accepted by majority of people. First on eligibility grounds and also the process that brought him up which is allegedly fraught with fraudulent motives.This person being peddled does not have a homeland , Village or blood relation in our homestead, Orile Ilawo. Again, we openly challenge him to come and say to us where he really is from?
Pa Michael Sorunke , 89, who is an Ilawo Elder said Macgregors Family “Oriki” is "lJAMO, Omo oju rokoko. Akara kan be ni ita oje Omo duro dako fun”. If Macgregor does not know his history, he needs to ask if there are any elders left in their family. His generation has never been from Orile Ilawo Clan.
Oriki in Yoruba land is a praise poetry usually consisting of songs of praise and identity of the family ancestors. This means of Identity can prove what part of Yoruba land right to the household you are from. Just like tribal marks also in conjunction serves the same purpose of identifying what part of Yoruba land you are from to the household.
He spoke further, “For the records, there has never been in Orile Ilawo history, the existence of “Macgregor compound” or “Gbadamosi compound as sometimes claimed by Alex Macgregor (7th defendant) as it soothes him for convenience. Emphatically, this further establishes the fact that their generations are strangers in Ilawo without any link to any village or town in Orile Ilawo”.
In a joint statement released by the Orile Ilawo Council of Chiefs, headed by Oluwo of Iledi Ilawo, Chief Samson Dosumu, urged the government to stop any action or plan to declare McGregor the Olu of Ilawo elect. They emphasized that in all Yoruba land, it’s the prerogative of the Orile Ilawo Traditional council of Chiefs headed by the Oluwo Iledi Ilawo to scrutinize, nominate and present a list to 4th defendant (Odeda Local government) for the possible selection of warrant chiefs to act as kingmakers to elect who to fill the vacant stool.
“We appreciate the peace we are enjoying in Ilawo. We urgently urge the government of Prince Dapo Abiodun, who is a prince himself and understands the intricacies of Obaship to restrain from creating a bigger problem for us in Ilawo township. We have written 4 different letters directly to the commissioner , ministry of Justice and the governor himself. Our ancestors are not sleeping.”
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