The Olu of Ilado, Chief Johnson Kayode Ajomole has described his purported removal by the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi as barbaric, uncivilized, and unfounded in the history of culture.

Chief Ajomole stated this in an Exclusive Interview with TENET.

Excerpt:

The Deji of Akureland , Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi last week removed you as the Olu of Ilado for alleged gross traditional misconducts, and replaced you with Chief Ifedayo Joshua Afelumo. What will be your reaction ?

I am Chief Johnson Kayode Ajomole, the Olu of Ilado, a retiree and productive farmer, I am 73 years old, I was installed and bagged my chieftaincy seat as the Olu of Ilado in 1987. By then Akure Local Government was still one under the headship of Deji of Akure, late Oba Adelegan Adesida. I was unanimously picked by my community to be the Olu which I was installed in February, 1987.

In 1996, there was division of Akure South into two, which now comprises of Akure South and North Local Governments by the Federal Government and after that we have elected chairmen for the both Akure South and Akure North.

My village, Ilado in Igbatoro area happens to fall to Akure North, ward 4 and since then I have my farming activities in Ilado while I have my business activities in Akure South, I normally pay my dues, tax to Akure South because I have my business activities here.

But as a Chief my activities is limited to Akure North because we have various authorities. Each Local Government has its own Chieftaincy department, we have 6 Obas in Akure North that were spread across, which includes Okiti, Ogbolu, Oloba, Alayede and Familugba and their spread.

But sometimes, we have problems on matters relating to chieftaincy affairs.

The Dejis of Akure believe that the areas they have governed before are still under them under local administration in respect of chieftancy matters.

The state government have done their best, issued us circular that a prescribed authority does not cut across to another local government, it is clearly said, you don't move from your local government to another local government.

A prescribed authority should stay within his or her own domain. Immediately Akure South and North was created in 1996, there was a proposal by the then Deji of Akure, Adebobajo Adesida that he was going to head the both Akure South and Akure North but the government said no, that he should stay within his own local government. 

When a problem erupted, we held series of meeting and the meeting resulted to, that the Deji being the first class Oba and there is nothing like paramountcy in chieftaincy laws, a chief is a chief, that is what the law says.

At a meeting in 1999, we all agreed that if the Deji wants to appoint any minor chief in Akure North, he should consult the Oba in that area that he has interest in the chieftaincy position and if they wanted to install that person, we agreed that the Oba in that area will now take him to the Deji for royal blessing but the council of chiefs in Akure South said no, that it was a wrong idea, that the Deji is the Paramount Ruler, he can do and undo.

The current Deji of Akure, had continue to appoint and reappoint people and those he had been appointing ,they can not see the light of Akure North local government administration. They should go to Akure south.

That was why the late oba Alayede instituted a case in court in 2014 and the judgment will come up in July.

I am a member of Osupa ruling house, this current Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi is from Alayere, in ward 6 of Akure North Local Government, that is where he was born and bred, and immediately he ascended the thrown, we said we should allow peace to reign but he does not believe in Peace. He started installing people around without considering chieftaincy law at all.

I had been made as the Chairman of Olus and Baales almost 18 years ago in Akure North.

He first removed me as the Chairman about 5 years ago. He said he dethroned me that I have stayed long in that position and we said he has no power to remove me as the Chairman of this registered association.

The association retained me because of him, I'm still the current Chairman of the association in Akure North local government area.

The person he appointed could not surface in our meeting because we have some processes before you can be a member of the association. You must be installed by the prescribed authority within Akure North.

We held a meeting last year at the Osupa ruling house where Oba Aladetoyinbo reported me to all Osupa ruling house that I was not cooperating with him, that I was supporting Akure North Obas which according to him it shouldnot be so and I told him that, that is where I have my place of birth, that I will support my local government to grow.

I now asked him that what did he want, he now told me that I should go and make a press statement in the two national newspapers that I will support him, that I will not support Obas in Akure North and I told him point black that I could not do that and since then he had been looking for a way to dethrone me. 

He wrote a petition against me in order to dethrone me, he did not even call or write me on the petition, when I later observed that he was planning to remove me, I now have to institute an urgent legal action to stop his action in order not to dethrone me.

I made him the forth defendants but he refused to receive the writ of summons which was sent to him while other defendants received their own writ.

We had also filed an action for alternative service and the court will hear the legal action on Monday, 27 June (today) of which he had gone to install the person he wanted to install and before this we have written so many petitions against him, warning him not to go to Ilado to install any person there, that it is contrary to the Laws of this state.

Three problems are now await him, the High Court judgement that will be coming up in July, another case at the Court of Appeal that is against him, and the result of the Ajama panel which will come up at any time.

Currently, I am not among his chiefs in Akure South, I am under the Akure North chieftaincy committee, so I don't have any place or seat in his palace or kingdom, I don't belong to him, I have no rituals to perform in his palace.

His action is very barbaric, unfounded in the history of culture, uncivilized, not normal, he said he has dethroned me and I'm ready to tackle him.

He has no reasoning, he has no written, I was the first person who nominated him in the hall on that day during his contest within the royal family.

But you said you are from Ilado Community, how come you also belong to the Royal family in Akure ?

Thank you, for now, there is no delineation as regards Osupa ruling house. Osupa ruling member can come from Ilara mokin. That is from Royal family. But when it comes to chieftaincy matters, I belong to Akure North not in Akure South. But when you are talking about subject, I am his subject because I also belong to Osupa ruling house. His problems are multi-purpose and this is a constitutional issue which the Osupa ruling house cannot treat.

He has undeveloped mind, I am not his age mate, I have served under six Obas in Akure and non of them gave me problems.

So, I want the government to intervene, I want the rule of law to prevail.