Okun Traditional Council Crisis Resolved

To deliver on this mandate, the reconciliation committee visited all parties to the crisis and stated below is the report of the Committee.

At EGBE
The Asiwaju of Okunland, Chief Clarence Olafemi introduced members of the visiting team and summarised the reasons for the team’s vision as follows :- that we are aware that there is some crack in the unity that hitherto prevailed amongst traditional rulers in Okunland up until the transition of the erstwhile Chairman of Okun Area Traditional Council who was also the Obaro of Kabba/Oweland early in 2016. This has manifested in the cold relationship that now exist between the state appointed Ag Chairman, the Olubunu, and the traditional rulers in the three LGs in Yagbaland to the extent that the traditional rulers in the three LGs no longer attend any meeting called by the Ag Chairman. It is this disturbing situation that troubled the minds of some eminent Okun citizens and made them conclude that this is not good for the peace and development of Okunland. That Okun cannot afford this untoward situation at this time of our life when we need to pool all resources together for Okunland to truly assume her pride of place in the state. The ODI therefore raised this team to embark on a fact finding visit so as to uncover the causes, remote and immediate,  of the crack and make appropriate recommendations for an amicable resolution that will bring oneness back amongst our royal fathers.

Response of the Royal Fathers.

All the royal fathers present contributed to the discussion.

The summary of their worries can be contextualised in HISTORY, LAW, JUSTICE, FAIRPLAY AND INCLUSIVITY:-

1) that shortly after the transition of the Chairman who was also the Obaro of Kabba there was a meeting of traditional rulers at the Government house in Lokoja. At that meeting, Protocols introduced the Elegbe of Egbe as His Royal Majesty and the representative of Okun Area Traditional Council and invited him to the high table. They took this to mean whenever an Ag Chairman would be appointed, he was going to be the one appointed. Not long after the meeting, the state government appointed the Olubunu as the Ag Chairman. This did not go down well with them. To compound a painful situation, the new Ag Chairman also did not manage the situation satisfactorily. Rather than adopt a fence mending approach all they see in/from him is arrogance and I-don’t-care attitude suggesting that he does not care whether they attend meetings or not such that whatever the entitlement of the traditional rulers from the three LGs he gives to others to share.

2) That a situation where the structure and manner of running the Okun Area Traditional Council, will ignore the fact of history that the council consists of the old BIK and Yagba, cannot promote fairness, justice and inclusiveness. That any semblance of fairness, justice and inclusiveness should suggest that if the Chairman comes from the old BIK, it should be expected that Yagba would produce the Vice Chairman, which would then influence the sitting arrangement. The situation should then be such that when the  Chairman sits, the Yagba Royal father should sit to his right as the first Vice Chairman while the second Vice Chairman would sit to the Chairman’s left.

3) that the entire Okunland with five LGs has only one Area Traditional Council while there are some Traditional Councils that have only one LG and there others with only two LGs. The time has come for Okun to demand for additional Area Traditional Council. This will mean splitting the existing Council into two such that the former BIK will be one and Yagba will be the other autonomous Area Traditional Council. If and when this happens, should there be any meeting involving the two Councils the Chairman from BIK will be Chairman while the Chairman from Yagba will sit to his right.

IN conclusion they emphasised that they have nothing personal against the Ag Chairman and they are not quarrelling with the state government. They believe it would be wrong to interpret their demand, which they consider fair and proper, to mean a hatred for the Ag Chairman or anger and displeasure with the state government.

On Recommendations.

After a careful deliberation, the team concluded that what we have on our hand requires a framework along short term, medium term and long term view in whatever recommendations we make. What follows is along that line.

Our immediate concern that requires immediate attention is how to get them all to attend the same meeting
They all affirmed that no one is asking the government to change its decision that is already in force. Even if the government for some strange reasons does this none of them will be ready to accept to be Ag Chairman. The status quo will and should therefore remain. They will however not be willing to attend any meeting called by the Ag Chairman since he did not see the need to stretch a hand of brotherliness to them initially. However they will be willing to attend any meeting called by a respected third  party. So if this team/ODI decide to arrange a meeting for all parties involved, they would be willing to attend. They suggested that the meeting of all the first class Oba will serve the same purpose.

The team emphasised to them that unless we achieve this short term goal it may be difficult to proceed to the medium and long term goal.

The team also made the point very clear some of the steps to enduring solutions will require inputs from the state government and even the state assembly, where for instance there is need to amend existing state laws.

The team also noted that there is no law on sitting arrangements. Since this an internal agreement amongst them it should not be too difficult to see the fairness and inclusiveness in a new sitting arrangement.

The team expressed appreciation for the candour with which they poured out their mind.

The Egbe session helped a lot in helping the team manage its time at Isanlu and Mopa.

ISANLU
The Royal fathers in Isanlu were of the same view with the findings in Egbe. They also agreed to attend any meeting put together by ODI for all parties on this matter.

MOPA
The team’s experience in Mopa was more of a repetition of exactly what it was in Isanlu. The only thing they did was to shed more light  on the attitude of the Ag Chairman.

OLLE
The team visited the Ag Chairman, the Olubunu, on day 2

The meeting started with him alone in attendance. The Obaro of Olle later joined.

The Asiwaju summarised the reasons for our visit. He also disclosed that we have visited Yagba Royal fathers for the same reasons.

His Reaction
He explained to the team that he is a man of God who is upright and means no evil towards any one. He could not understand why this current situation happened. He even alluded to the warm relationship and respect he has with/for some of the traditional rulers on Yagba.

The Obaro of Olle provided some very useful additions. He said the Olubunu, upon receipt of the letter appointing him, he accompanied him to visit the three traditional rulers in Yagba to notify them and let know that the appointment was for all of them. They met the Elegbe of Egbe on the way. He was traveling to Kaduna and so could not go back. The Olubunu explained why he was coming to see him. Thereafter they proceeded to Isanlu and Mopa where the Olubunu repeated the same point he earlier made to the Elegbe.

Please note that this was not what the team was told at Egbe. We needed to know whether this visit was immediately after receiving the appointment letter or after they failed to attend the first meeting he called. The picture is not very clear. Because the same Obaro of Olle remarked that the Royal father in Isanlu did not give any indication that there was any problem during the visit. According to him it was only when they got to Mopa that the Royal father there said something to the effect that they received a query. Some grey area here need clarification. Specially when was the visit- before or after boycotting the meeting?

In spite of these differences in position, the Olubunu agreed with the Obaro of Olle that they will attend a meeting of all of them if arranged by ODI. It is important to add that they want the meeting to take place urgently so as resolve the issues before some major events that will enable the Royal Fathers demonstrate to the world that they are one – the burial of the Olori Olabayo and the wedding of one Olubunu’s children.

The team promised to work on this.

The thanked the Olubunu and his team for the meeting.

NEXT STEPS
The team agreed that the Chairman will get in touch with critical stakeholders to brief them. And also get back to the Royal Fathers in Yagba on our mission to the Olubunu.
The team also agreed to explore all possibilities to convene a meeting of all the First class Traditional Rulers within one week.

All parties to the conflict have accepted the resolution of this crisis from the feedback after meeting the Ag. Chairman of Okun Traditional Council and consequently Saturday 25th March, 2017 has been agreed for a meeting in Kabba with all the parties to the crisis and other critical stakeholders will be attendance when the restoration of normalcy to Okun Traditional Council will be formalized and celebrated.

The necessary and appropriate channels to communicate with government will be explored and exploited to ensure sustainable peace within Okun Traditional Council.

Special appreciation to God Almighty for the strength and wisdom to see this assignment to a successful end while members of the committee are grateful for the honour to be part of this epoch making task in Okunland with the hope that the confidence reposed in us has been justified. Special thanks to Okun sons and daughters who spared time and resources to make a success of the herculean but sensitive task.

Participants in Saturday’s event will be contacted.

Okun a gbe gha o.