The crisis over the vacant stool of Ologori in Ogori-Magongo Local Government Area has continued to linger nearly two decades after the passing in 1999 of Oba Gaius Akerejola, who ascended the throne in 1990. The situation, akin to a dormant volcano that could erupt anytime, has created a schism in the socio-political relations between two clans. As things stand, they remain at loggerhead over who should produce the next Ologori, with the Eni clan accusing the Onu clan of scheming to impose their own as heir to a stool that they say never belonged to them. The Eni clan claims that the kingship has from inception rotated between two ruling houses (Udeji and Eminefo) from their side, and that the principle of rotation which they insist was smuggled in through Edict 10 (1998) under the military administration of the late Colonel Bzigu Lassa Afakirya, should not subsist.
With both sides laying claim to the Ologori stool, the divide is threatening to manifest in parallel observation of important dates and events, including markets days and the age-long Ovia-Osese rite (initiation for maidens into womanhood).
A resolution to the debacle however appears not too far, with the Kogi State government, under Governor Yahaya Bello making stating that it will address all such issues with “fairness, justice and due process”.
The government reiterated this recently during the presentation of letters of appointment to 13 newly appointed traditional rulers between the grades of 2nd and 3rd class.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Abubakar Ohere said that contrary to speculation in some quarters, the recent appointment of traditional rulers was based on fairness, justice and due process.
He said, “The era of imposition of traditional rulers in any community is over. Appointment of any chief is now based on the Kogi State Chiefs Appointment, Disposition and Establishment of Traditional Council Law”.
He called on the newly appointed chiefs to partner with the state government towards its ‘New Direction’ agenda, especially in the fight against crime, criminality and other forms of social vices in their domain.
He urged them to support the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello, and assured of government’s commitment to improve on their welfare packages.
The grouse of the Eni clan and those of their two ruling houses appear to have been woken by a letter titled, “Ogori Chieftaincy Tussle”, by Major-General Emmanuel Abisoye, the late Ogbajiri of Ogori, and addressed to the then Military Administrator of Kogi State, Col. Afakirya, also deceased.
In the letter dated 25th September, 1997, Abisoye appraised the military administrator of a meeting with the chiefs and elders of Ogori, on both sides, on the dispute, “so as to find a permanent solution to the problem”, following which it was proposed that both divides jointly address a memo to Afakirya, “accepting a rotation of the stool, with Eni Clan now”.
The proposal, wrote General Abisoye, “If accepted, shall make it possible for the current Ologori-elect to be formally installed. I shall be meeting with the two parties again to formally collect their joint decision in writing”.
While it remains unclear whether or not the joint written decision of the parties got to the MILAD, Abisoye in follow-up correspondence to
Afakirya, about a month later and with same title, notified the latter that the chiefs and elders of Ogori were now “agreeable to a rotation of the stool of Ologori between Eni and Onu clans, in the spirit of the ‘Wind of Change’ blowing throughout the state in the course of peaceful co-existence”.
It continued, “The entire community shall therefore be eternally grateful for Your Excellency to cause an Administrative Panel to examine the wheretofore therein and thereafter formalize the decision with an Edict on Ogori Chieftaincy Rules and Regulation or words to that effect”.
The Eni clan it appears repudiated the said agreement, challenging the said rotational arrangement which they presumably endorsed. More recently, they submitted a memo- outlining the position of the Ekarabome ruling house on the matter, to the Committee on the Review of Chieftaincy Matters, under the present administration in the state.
In their position paper dated January 10, 2017 and signed by Chief S.K Obajulu and Prof. Olu Akerejola, chairman and secretary respectively, of the Eni Traditional Council, they maintained the course of their right in perpetuity, to the Ologori stool.
They wrote, “The Ologori stool, it must be pointed out has been vacant since 1999, even though it has been one that has been bedeviled by over three decades of litigations. From cradle, the Ekarabome royal dynasty has ruled Ogori, as evident in the order of ascension to the throne in the last 300 years and never in the history of Ogori has the family tree of ruler-ship been broken or challenged. This is the more reason why the Ekarabome royal dynasty has been quite amazed with the mid-day demand of the Onu clan that the Ologori stool be rotated. Having failed in the various legal actions instituted up to the Supreme Court. None of the judgments obtained in competent courts upheld Onu’s claim to the Ologori stool.
“In all the years that Ogori has existed, never has there been any individual picked from Onu clan as Ologori. The Ekarabome royal family would indeed need to be convinced that anyone from Onu clan…has ever reigned as Ologori, be it in the distance or near past…The Onu clan wants to circumvent the traditions of the land in respect of its leadership/kingship structure”.
They expressed hope that the committee will undo the “knotty issues” and pave the way for a rightful Ologori to emerge, even as they pray it recommend the repeal of Edict 10 (1998), in respect of the stool, saying that it was “promulgated in bad faith, aimed at causing disaffection in Ogori.”
Credit: The Nation
