• Thursday, October 31, 2024
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Osun review c’tte receives 1,000 petitions on chieftaincy tussles

Osun State at 33: A journey from dream to reality

Ademola Adeleke, Governor of Osun State

The Chieftaincy Affairs Review Committee set up by Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State says over 1,000 petitions have been received from aggrieved individuals on chieftaincy matters in the state.

Receiving the detailed report in Osogbo from the committee, Governor Adeleke assured that his administration would study the report and the recommendations, promising that no one would be witch-hunted.

It would be recalled that crises had engulfed some towns following the alleged imposition of monarchs by the immediate past administration.

The governor said rule of law and due process would be applied in settling controversy surrounding the selection and approval of traditional rulers during the immediate past administration.

Addressing the committee, the governor said: “You have done a good job looking at the detailed report that you have submitted to me. I will take my time, with my team, to look at it and I am sure that we will put all the recommendations into use.

“I want to congratulate you and your team for doing this. We will rule with the fear of God. We are not here to witch-hunt anybody. We will make sure that we have rule of law and due process.”

Read also: Aregbesola tackles Oyetola over Osun’s rising debt profile

Speaking after submitting the report, the chairman of the committee, Bunmi Jenyo, said that over 200 persons, including kingmakers, were interviewed by the committee.

Jenyo said, “You can rest assured that a committee under my leadership have done justice to the chieftaincy tussle within Osun State, especially with the terms of reference chieftaincy and installation of kings between July 17 and November 26, 2022.

“We investigated; we attended to petitions and looked at them critically because we believe in equity.

“We have over 1000 petitions on chieftaincy matters; we have over 200 interviews with individuals, including kingmakers of all affected communities, especially in Igbajo in Boluwaduro local government area, Iree in Boripe and Ikirun in Ifelodun local government areas. These are three volatile towns that were badly affected during the crisis. We looked at critical issues and we advised the government on what to do and how to do it in a legal way. We are not being sentimental or attending to issues with prejudice. We are just and God-fearing.”

On why the committee spent five weeks instead of the initial three weeks period given by the governor, Jenyo said that the period was extended because of some rigours the committee faced during sittings.

“Some individuals that were invited did not turn up and also up till now they did not. We were given three weeks to submit the report and we are the first to finish among the committees that were inaugurated. In the course of our assignment, we revisited a memo of Bola Ige of 1983 from the archives,” he stated.

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