The botched installation of a new Mogaji for the Aliiwo Ruling House at the Olubadan Palace, Oke Aremo, Ibadan on Monday has been described as a dishonour unbefitting the memory of the immediate past Olubadan, Oba Dr. Sen. Lekan Balogun, CFR, Alli Okunmade II.
This was the reaction of the Aliiwo Ruling House to the incident which left the sons and daughters of the ruling house, who thronged the Olubadan Palace for the installation, dazed.
They left the venue of the event wondering why and how a scheduled and formalised programme could be halted at that critical stage without consideration for all the resources already committed to the planning?
The failed installation of the new Mogaji of the Aliiwo Ruling House was aimed at filling the vacuum created by demise of Oba Balogun, the 42nd Olubadan who joined his ancestors in March, 2024.
The Aliiwo Ruling House however exonerated the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Akinloye Owolabi Olakulehin, from the ugly episode, describing him as a royal father that cherishes truth, justice and fair play.
More importantly, the family acknowledged that Oba Olakulehin passionately loved and honoured his predecessor, Late Oba Balogun, recalling his historic visit to the family at Aliiwo after his demise, an unprecedented development in the traditional history of Ibadanland.
To show the preparedness of the Palace and the readiness of Oba Olakulehin to install the new Mogaji, the name of the Aliiwo candidate, Prince Kamaldeen Adeboye Giwa, featured as the first on the list of four proposed Mogajis to be installed at the occasion.
It would be recalled that the United Kingdom (UK)-based Prince Giwa was chosen by the Aliiwo Ruling House as the Mogaji of the family following the demise of Oba Balogun who held the position of Mogaji of the family from 1986 until last year March when he joined his ancestors, after spending two years on the throne as the Olubadan of Ibadanland.
The three others were Alhaji Raaji Ramoni Abiola, Sado Family, Odoye/Alabata Area (Ibadan North); Aderounmu Abideen Aderemi, Ogongo Compound, Oje Area (Ibadan North-East); and Hon. Oluseye Olaniran Oladejo, Lapata Family, Alafara-Oje Area (Ibadan North-East).
Monday’s scheduled installation was already sanctioned by the Olubadan Advisory Council, via a letter dated 3rd February, 2025 and signed by Balogun A. Kolawole, Clerk to the Olubadan Advisory Council.
After all the necessary Palace requirements in cash and kinds had been met, the Aliiwo family members, both at home and in the Diaspora, mobilised in large numbers to the Oke Aremo Palace of the Olubadan for the epoch-making event only to be utterly disappointed.
Investigations however revealed that the unpalatable incident was an alleged handiwork of a Special Adviser to the Olubadan on Chieftaincy Matters, Chief Isiaka Akinpelu, who was relieved of his job as Personal Assistant (Chieftaincy Matters) to the late Olubadan, Oba Lekan Balogun, due to some actions unbecoming of such an office holder.
The infuriated Aliiwo Family in a release signed by Senator Kola Balogun, wondered how a mere Special Adviser would overrule the decision of the Olubadan Advisory Council.
It noted that, as far as the family is concerned, “a leopard cannot change its skin when Chief Akinpelu is involved but one can only hope that when a supposed advice is adversary, the Council members should smell it.”
Senator Balogun, the immediate past lawmaker representing Oyo South Senatorial District, added: “Ordinarily and when a straight-forward person has such opportunity of having garnered experience of those number of years, such should become handy for the betterment of such an office, but it is unfortunate that Chief Akinpelu is not so moulded.
“Even, as recent as the tenure of his former and late Principal, Oba Lekan Balogun, it was a settled matter that only court judgment or injunction could stop the scheduled installation of any Mogaji or Baale.
“It was not once or twice that the issue was raised at the Olubadan Advisory Council’s meetings and was so reported in the media.
“The logic behind the decision which cannot be faulted is that for anybody to be scheduled for installation either as Mogaji or Baale, aside meeting all the palace requirements, there must have been preparations at the family compound or the community to entertain guests.
“So, what happens to the prepared food if an installation is scuttled based on some frivolous petitions or whatever?
“It is not within the purview of our family to recommend to either the Olubadan or his Advisory Council who to be employed for whatever position, but we owe posterity and our fatherland the counsel that a sacked staff by the late Olubadan should be properly monitored if he must be engaged to avoid causing the institution unmitigated embarrassment.”
