Moses Olafare, spokesperson for the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, says the monarch will not respond to a threat from the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, over the conferment of a title on Ibadan businessman, Dotun Sanusi.
The Alaafin had demanded that Ogunwusi reverse the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland, conferred on Sanusi.
“The conferment of chieftaincy title, which bothers on Yorubaland by the Ooni of Ife, is not only an affront to the referred institution of the Alaafin, who is the Titan of Yorubaland and on who holds the exclusive right to confer any chieftaincy title which covers the entire Yorubaland on anyone,” the monarch’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, wrote in a statement.
“The Ooni of Ife is behaving as if there is no authority to check and call him to order, and because of that ‘above the law’ syndrome of his. He is in the habit of walking on everybody’s back, including the apex court in the country, the Supreme Court, which had ruled on the exclusive preserve of the Alaafin to confer chieftaincy title that covers the entire Yorubaland on anyone.”
Durojaiye further claimed that the Ooni’s traditional powers are restricted to the Oranmiyan Local Government Area, which has now been divided into three local councils: Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South in Ondo State.
“The dictum that nobody is above the law of the land is now being put to a crucial test and the reality of our time makes it very obligatory for the Alaafin to call the Ooni of Ife to order and demand REVOCATION of the so-called OKANLOMO of Yorubaland chieftaincy title conferred on Engineer Dotun Sanusi WITHIN 48 HOURS or face the consequences,” he warned.
Reacting via social media on Tuesday, Olafare dismissed the ultimatum, describing those behind the threat as “jokers.”
According to him, the Ooni has instructed not to issue any official statement responding to the Alaafin’s demand.
“My principal has directed me against issuing a press release on the empty threat of the Alawada Babasala. I beg to disappoint you, gentlemen of the press. We can not dignify the undignifyable with an official response. We leave the matter to be handled in the public court of opinion, as it is already being treated,” Olafare wrote.
