AMILOADED MEDIA HUB NEWS UPDATE
Four ruling houses of Alawo of Awo Chieftaincy namely; Awojobi, Akinsilo, Abioye and Okunji have condemned the appointment and the subsequent installation of one Adegboye Abdul Rasaq Taiwo as the new Alawo of Awo.
This condemnation was made known on Wednesday, November 29 in a press conference held at Chicken Republic, Aregbe, Osogbo.
The heir apparent to Abioye Ruling House of Awo, Prince Babatunde Dhikrullahi while addressing newsmen on behalf of four ruling houses condemned the process leading to the installation of the new Alawo of Awo.
Prince Babatunde disclosed that the Court of Appeal, Akure Judicial Division in August, 2022 in its judgment set aside the selection, the appointment, the approval and the subsequent installation of one Adegboye Abdul Rasaq Taiwo as the new Alawo of Awo in Egbedore Local Government of Osun State.
According to Babatunde, the Court further order that the Appeal of the said Adegboye Abdul Rasaq Taiwo lacks merit and same was dismissed with N800,000:00 costs.
The statement reads in full:
Consequently, the Court further order that Adegboye Abdul Rasaq Taiwo be restrained from parading himself as or performing any of the functions of Alawo of Awo or wearing any insignia of the office of Alawo of Awo including beads, crowns and all other paraphernalia of the stool of Alawo.
In the said judgment, the Court of Appeal bemoaned the office of the Honourable Attorney General of Osun State and all its officers for misleading the government of Osun State in installing Adegboye Abdul Rasaq Taiwo as Alawo of Awo. In the words of the Court,
“Perhaps more preposterous is the participation of the eleventh
Respondent, the Attorney General of Osun State, the supposed Chief Legal Adviser of the State, in the whole saga.
This is not right. It is unexplainable and cannot engender public confidence in our justice system. We must never lose sight of the fact that justice is rooted in public confidence and the moment members of the society lose confidence in the system of administration of justice, a descent to anarchy begins.”
The Court of Appeal finally held that the actions of the Appellants
including the Governor, the Attorney General of Osun State and the said Adegboye Abdul Rasaq Adegboye were in total disregard for the Court of Appeal and they are guilty of contempt.
Upon receipt of the Certified True Copy of this judgment, the Governor, the Attorney General and Adegboye Abdul Rasag Taiwo were served with the copy of the judgment. Our lawyers also wrote several letters to the Governor and the Osun State Attorney General to enforce the terms of the judgment but because of political influence, they closed their eyes to the judgment.
When this new government came to power under Senator Ademola Adeleke, all the Ruling Houses who felt aggrieved wrote two sets of letters to the Governor and the Attorney General for them to respect the rule of law.
In the first letter dated 23rd August, 2022 titled “Re-Court Removal of Hon. Taiwo Abdul Rasag Adegboye as Alawo of Awo. A call on your government to redeem its image before judiciary.”
This letter was jettisoned with impunity by the Governor and its government.
On the 26th April, 2023, another letter titled “Re Suit No: HOS/84/2020 Prince Lawal Oloyede Oyekunle & Ors Vs. Alhaji Abdul Kareem Adegboye & Ors. Admonition to exercise restraint in presenting or approving the presentation of instrument of office as Alawo of Awo to Hon. Abdul Rasag Taiwo Adegboye in flagrant disobedience of the judgment of the Court of Appeal.”
The above letter was written to the Governor and his Attorney General when all the Ruling Houses authoritatively heard that notwithstanding the judgment of the Court of Appeal and its admonition not to recognize Adegboye Abdul Rasag Taiwo as Alawo of Awo, the new Governor Senator Ademola Adeleke had approved the grant and presentation of instrument of office to the deposed Alawo of Awo, an act which is in contempt of Court.
Unfortunately, the same Governor Ademola Adeleke who had subscribed to the Oath of office to obey the Constitution of Nigeria and the Rule of Law still fell to the ill-advise of the new Attorney General of Osun State against the recommendation of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs that since the case is still in both the High Court and the Supreme Court, they should exercise restraint. The said Alawo of Awo’s file was minuted to the office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for justice who now, under the political influence of politicians advised the Governor to go ahead with the presentation of the instrument of office to the deposed monarch.
Subsequently, another letter was written to the Governor dated 5th September, 2023 with the same title as the one dated 26/4/2023 but because the deposed monarch had agreed to install the immediate biological sister of the Governor and her husband namely Athaft Adoremt Sanni as Bobajiroro of Awo and Yeyeluwa Modupeola Adeleke – Sannl as Yege Bobajiroro of Awoland, the Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke quickly approved the presentation of the instrument of office to Adegboye Abdul Rasag Taiwo, the deposed Alawo of Awo which event is fixed for 9th December, 2023 at Awo.
In order not to take law into our hands, we have instructed our lawyers to approach Court again by filing a fresh Suit “Originating Summons” to ask the Court to determine whether having submitted to the jurisdiction of the Courts 1.e High Court of Osun State in Suit No: HOS/84/2020 and the Supreme Court in Appeal No: SC/CV/1079/2022, which case and Appeal are still pending, the Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, his
Attorney General, his Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Adegboye Abdul Rasag Taiwo can go ahead to present the instrument of office to the deposed monarch.
Lastly, The new Suit with Suit No: HEJ/13/2023 had been filed along with motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction to restrain the Governor from presenting the instrument of office to the deposed monarch. All of them had been served with the new case.
If with all these, the Governor still maintain its stand not to obey the judgment and order of Court, but went ahead to present the deposed monarch with instrument of office and the installation of the immediate Senior sister of the Governor Yeyeluwa Modupeola Adeleke – Sanni and his hushand with Chieftaincy titles, we will have no option than to cite all the officers concerned with contempt of Court and to commit them to prison. A stitch in time saves nine.
Leave a Reply