In a bid to address what it sees as a historical imbalance, the Iree Cultural Frontiers is imploring Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State to correct the course by allowing a marginalized royal house to occupy the position of Aree of Iree.
The Iree Cultural Frontiers (ICF), a socio-cultural organization hailing from Iree in the Boripe North Local Council Development Area, has disclosed that the Olubonku Ruling House, sidelined for more than two centuries, is advocating for the opportunity to present the next esteemed traditional leader of the town.
In a statement released on Saturday, Chairman Ilori Adanlawo and Secretary Oluwole Adisa, both undersigned, made the collective appeal in Osogbo, the state capital.
However, the ICF expressed thanks to Adeleke for rectifying what it described as the illicit installation of Prince Ademola Raphael as the monarch for the Iree community by the preceding administration led by former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
The statement read, ‘Recall that Governor Adeleke had on Thursday sacked three traditional rulers, namely the Akirun of Ikirun, Oba Yinusa Akadiri; the Owa of Igbajo, Oba Adegboyega Famodun; and the Aree of Iree, Oba Ademola Raphael, based on a government white paper faulting their installations.’
‘The ICF, in making a case for the Olubonku Ruling House for the Iree Obaship stool, also stated that the royal household had long fielded Prince Afolabi Ali as its preferred candidate.’
‘It particularly anchored its plea on the need to give justice to the sidelined Olubonku Ruling House of Iree and also attract development to the town, bearing in mind that Prince Afolabi Ali is an international lawyer, a philanthropist businessman, and an estate developer par excellence.’
According to the ICF, Oba Olubonku, who ruled about 200 years ago, is the forbear of Afolabi Ali, a man who has committed his resources and international connections to develop Iree and empower many homes, especially the youth.
It said that whereas the Olubonku Ruling House in Iree ruled only once 200 years ago, some of the other ruling houses had ruled six times, five times, four times, three times, and two times, respectively.
‘We are eternally grateful to Governor Ademola Adeleke for preventing another historic injustice from taking place by halting an attempt by the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola to foist a candidate that was not wanted by the people of Iree on us.’
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‘But we urge the governor to complete the process by allowing the Olubonkun Ruling House to produce the next Aree of Iree,’ the group enjoined.
Explaining how Prince Raphael was made Oba before his final sack, the ICF stated, “We recall how under former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, the then Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Adebayo Adeleke, also known as Banik, who is from the community in Boripe North Local Council Development Area, wanted to foist their crony as new Aree.
‘Then, all 11 aspirants to the vacant stool were asked to pay N500,000 each to the Boripe local council and N150,000 to the Osun State Government.’
‘They were also ordered to pay varying amounts of money to cover their three-year tax clearances, respectively.’
‘However, the contestants soon smelt a rat when the then Oyetola government, having siphoned various sums of money from them, made a volte-face by subverting the community’s convention through the appointment of a new female chief, an Iyalode, to join the Iree kingmakers.’
‘Meanwhile, it is taboo for a woman to be a kingmaker as such, which has never been witnessed in the history of the community.’
The group contended that the former state government, in disregard of a court order, imposed the governor’s preferred candidate as the monarch and installed him before the governor’s departure.
The group implored Adeleke to reexamine the Iree matter, select Afolabi—endorsed by the youth and the broader community as their preferred candidate—and appoint him as Aree, fostering greater harmony and advancing the progress of the Iree community.
In 2023, the Olubonku Ruling House stood firm in rejecting the plea from the Iwo Traditional Council, headed by Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, which implored the governor to annul the suspension of the monarchs.