Gov Adeleke’s White Paper On Akinrun of Ikirun’s Stool: Lest We Should Be The Worst

Osun State Government recently released Six White Papers – five on various committees that investigated issues raised by the executive orders issued by Governor Ademola Adeleke, at the inception of the current administration in November 2022, and the other one on Education Summit.

According to a release by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, the White Papers earlier approved by the State Executuve Council, were finally ratified, after further review by a special committee, chaired by Governor Adeleke himself, in line with the his promise to ensure due process, indepth consultation and compliance with the rule of law.

The five other white papers approved include those of Committees on Chieftaincy Matters, Contracts/MOU/Agreements review Committee, Solid Minerals Committee, Assets Inventory and Recovery Committee as well as Staff Audit /Appointments/ Promotions review Committee.

On the report on the chieftaincy matters, chaired by Reverend Bunmi Jenyo, the white paper ordered that all previous steps taken in relation to the installation of Aree of Iree and Owa of Igbajo stand nullified. And that all inclusive selection process (es) for a new Aree of Iree and Owa of Igbajo, respectively, should commence immediately.

Meanwhile, on the disputed Akirun of Ikirun’s stool, the White Paper directed that the parties await the outcome of the case before the Court of Appeal, adding that the stool remains vacant.

At this juncture, it is very critical to observe that the government declaration on Ikirun royal tussle looks like a white blanket, hence the need for stakeholders to be conscious of this, in order not to put Ikirun on bondage longer than expected, as some power mongers and desperate politicians may capitalize on the loopholes for their selfish interests, not minding the consequences.

In the first instance, the status of the case before the appellate court remains unknown. In fact, nobody knows, if the said case has ever been opened for hearing, and how long it will take before it would be finally decided, as such a case can always take a decade or more before the final ruling.

As a group of well meaning Ikirun indigenes, who can no longer fold their arms and be watching when their hometown is experiencing a lamentable degree of degeneration, the *Ikirun Reformers’Generation, IRG*, hereby:

i) Calls on all stakeholders, most especially the royal families, to jettison their personal interests and come together to pursue the collective interest of Ikirunland. They should all remember the repercussions of their actions or inactions.

ii) As a matter of urgency, recommends that the appeal by the Gboleru Ruling House should be withdrawn, while all the three ruling houses, namely: Gboleru, Obaara and Adedeji, should allow the next ruling house to provide candidate(s) for the Akinrun of Ikirun’s stool, in accordance with the existing arrangement.

iii) Urges the local and State governments to be sincere in their interventions, by helping Ikirun to get out of the current quagmire, because a town without a king is a town without direction.

iv) Appeals to all the kingmakers in Ikirun to speak with one voice now and to follow due process to elect/select a prince from the next ruling house, who would become the Akinrun of Ikirun. Our kingmakers should be conscious of the fact that they would one day meet their creators as well as the ancestors of Ikirunland.

V) And finally, admonishes all indigenes of Ikirun, both at home and in the diaspora, to prevail on the stakeholders to do the needful now, as the continued vacancy in Akinrun of Ikirun’s stool has adversely affected the progress of our dear town, just as it does not help the future of Ikirun – a town that had hitherto been at the forefront, not only in Ikirun zone, which comprises SIX local government areas, but also in the entire Osun State as a whole.

Awon Alale Ikirun Agunbe a bawa se e o. Amin

e-Signed by:

Ogundare Saheed Olatunji,
For: Ikirun Reformers’ Generation, IRG
ikirunreformersgeneration@gmail.com