Ogun State arguably has the largest number of traditional rulers in the country . To buttress the status, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Jide Ojuko released the officially recognised number of traditional rulers in the state, saying, they are 249 in number.
The commissioner who took his time to explain how the State got to the level said; “In the past, the process of selection of Obas, I want to say, has been abused and the interest of this government is to ensure that responsible, people of good character, people of high pedigree, people of recognized means of living are made Obas of our various communities.”
He further said; “Because, we have discovered that many of them were made Obas, only to start selling land, to start disturbing the peace of their environments. We have discovered that it is the Oba in some communities who caused the problem that is happening in those communities.
“And this is because many of them before they were made Obas, they don’t have means of livelihood. Many of them, I am sorry to say, would have been linked to thuggery, to quite a number of bad things before they were made Obas, but, these are the things we are trying to correct.
“We inherited about 249 traditional rulers in the state and they are of three categories. We have the paramount rulers, they are four in number.
Traditional rulers of the state
That is the Awujale of Ijebuland ,the Alake of Egbaland ,the Akarigbo of Remoland and the Olu of Ilaro as the fourth paramount ruler. Of course we have first class Obas, we have part two Obas and we have the part three chiefs, those are the ones we call coronet Obas . These are the three categories.
“At the lower helm, of the system,there are the Baale’s that we have all over the towns and villages. So, these are the categories of the traditional rulers of the state”, the commissioner said .
While speaking on what the current administration led by Governor Ibikunle Amosun has done for over five years, Chief Ojuko said “since we came on board, I want to put it on record, that, we have only put in place only one new traditional ruler. Only one, since this administration was in place. All the ones you see us doing or installing all over the place are sort of replacement of the past ones.
“We inherited quite a number of Obas that have gone before we came . The communities were becoming restless as to the fact that they want their Obas in place and that is why you see us installing one today, another one tomorrow. And in any case, as I am talking to you we have not finished replacing them.
“Unfortunately or interestingly as we are replacing, they are dying. So, it is possible that you see us continuing to install. But, the policy of this government is that we don’t just install Obas, without due process and without ensuring that there are reasons, cogent reasons why the selected candidates will be installed as the Oba of any territory,” he said.
On preferential treatment
On the allegation that, the government gives preferential treatment to politicians especially those in the same political parties, Chief Ojuko explained that “ It is the view of this government that we don’t link Obaship with politics. We have discovered that in the past, selection and whatever have been linked with political situation in the environment and the various communities.
“We will continue to ensure that whenever we are going to install any Oba, we will go into their records and ensure that anybody that we are putting forward will be people of impeccable character.”
Stranded LCDA officials
Meanwhile, the State government has refuted the allegation that the newly created Chairmen and their executives of the Local Government Development Areas were stranded following the failure to get offices.
The rumour has spread that the chairmen were just squatting with the already existing council chairmen.
But, in his remarks, the commissioner said the local councils are functioning well but assured that the LCDAs would soon begin to function.
The Commissioner explained that out of the 37 LCDAs, 30 of them have been given offices through the help of the government and the people of the LCDAs.
He also attributed the current economic recession in the country to the delay of the LCDAs activities and assured that the government would make sure they start functioning soon.
He said: “The government is putting in place a prototype for the newly created 37 Local Council Development Areas in the state. Only seven local council development areas do not have offices at the moment. Soon, they will get offices. The local government and the local council development areas in the state will start functioning in their various capacities soon.”
On controversies trailing vigilance service in the state, the Commissioner affirmed that Vigilante Service of Ogun state (VSO) is the only recognized vigilance body in the state.
“Ogun State Government is in charge of Ogun State. Whatever the government feels will make Ogun State prosperous will be implemented by the government. The issue of security is very sensitive. The government must trust the persons that it will entrust security to. Approval has been given to Vigilante service of Ogun State. In Ogun state, what we recognize is VSO and not Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN).”
On the Fulani herdsmen menace, Ojuko stated that the issue is beyond the control of Ogun State Government, stressing that it was a national issue.
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