AMILOADED MEDIA HUB NEWS UPDATE
The Sooko Awodeyi House has called for the intervention of the Osun State Government over the controversy surrounding the Sooko of Ita Akun, Ikire, AMILOADED reports.
The Ruling House, at a press conference addressed on Monday, said there has been refusal to follow customs and tradition in the selection of the Sooko of Ita chieftaincy.
It added that the actions of the chieftaincy department of the Osun State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs will plunge the state into crisis if the controversy surrounding chieftaincy titles are not stopped.
The House said, “First of all, there are four ruling houses of , Sooko Awodeyi chieftaincy family , Ita Akun, Ikire and the four ruling houses are Ademuyiwa, Falade, Metiku And Atere.
“The Sooko of Ita Akun chieftaincy is exclusive to these four ruling houses and only their member can be made Chief Sooko of Ita Akun. The Sooko chieftaincy originated from Ile Ife and the 1st Sooko of Itakun was their ancestral father called Awodeyi who founded Ita Odan which he later called Ita Akun.
“The said Awodeyi was the first son of Ooni Ogbooru, the 23rd Ooni of Ile Ife who reigned as Ooni for so many years and had to be treacherously and deceptively deposed from the throne by Ife chiefs. Ooni Ogbooru, after his treacherous removal left Ife with his children and followers and migrated to and founded a place called Ife Odan where he became the Adimula of Ife Odan.
“Awodeyi who was the first son of Ooni Ogboru was not allowed to ascend the throne of Ooni inhis fathers stead but had earlier been conferred with the title of SOOKO OLAEKUN as was the Ife custom then. Awodeyi left with his father and having secured the blessings of his father, went further from Ife Odan with all the royal paraphernalia as a prince of Ooni and sooko of Ogboru ruling house of Ife and later founded and settled at an expansive virgin land called Ita Odan which was about 6 kilometres to the present day Ikire.
“Awodeyi came with the sooko prince title, the title designed only for Ife Princes under Ife native law and custom. He was known and popularly called Sooko throughout his lifetime at Ita Akun and environs and was addressed as sooko of Ita Akun.
“Awodeyi begat four sons to wit: Metiku, Ademuyiwa, Falade and Atere. Which became the four ruling houses of Sooko of Ita Akun till today.
“Awodeji produced the following Sookos from his loins and they all reigned as Sooko in this order: Mokoyo; Metiku; Ogunsina Atere(1800-1840), Ademuyiwa (1840-1891), Falade (1891-1935) Sooko Oyebitan Aransi (1935-1970) and Sooko Akinloye Oyekanmi (1976-1992). All these Sookos were all members of Awodeyi family recognised by the palaces of Akire and Ooni of ife.
“It was after the death of Sooko Aaransi in 1970 that an attempt was made to smuggle in Omomimi family as a 5th ruling house relying on a. Politically motivated chietaincy declaration of 1958.
“The four ruling houses of Sooko Awodeyi vehemently fought and resisted this declaration which led to the setting up of the J.B Abegunde commission of inquiry to look Into the matter.
“The report of the inquiry was as follows:
“That there are four ruling houses for the sooko of ikire chieftaincy
“That their identities are Ademuyiwa, Falade, Metiku and Atere
“That the Momimi ruling house who’s member allegedly reigned about 200 years ago is too remote and is therefore affected by section 4(4) of the chiefs Law, cap. 19; and
“That Molaja house is not a ruling house for the purpose of the chieftaincy.
“The report was accepted by the Government and Omomimi family was excluded from the ruling houses. We rely on the statement dated 23-10-1972 issued by Dr L.O. Adegbite, then commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs.
“It was in Februsry 1976 that the permanent secretary by the hand of O. O Dare drew attention to the fact that the sooko chieftaincy has been derecognised by the Recognised Chieftaincies order 1976 and that amending the rejected Declsration was no longer necessary.
“We call on the Osun state government through this conference to look into the matter. The blatant refusal to follow customs and tradition by the ministry and the usurpation of the powers of various prescribed authorities by surreptitiously upgrading minor chieftaincies to recognised chieftaincies in favour of strangers across the state will only spell doom for the traditional institutions of the state and create crisis and desecrate the traditional authorities of our revered royal fathers.
“The actions of the chieftaincy department of the ministry of Local Government and chieftaincy Affairs will plunge Osun State into avoidable crisis if the open bazaar and hawking of chieftaincy titles going on there now are not halted.”
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