BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Indigenes and residents of Ido-Osun, a town in Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State have sacked their traditional ruler from his palace over alleged mysterious deaths in the land and its underdeveloped condition.
The indigenes staged protests in the town recently, chanting songs to ventilate their anger. They claimed that since 2005, when their monarch, the Obalufon of Ido-Osun, Oba Aderemi Adedapo, was installed, his reign had not recorded any significant progress or achievements in the sleepy town.
Rather than developing, they claimed that the town had been backsliding in growth.
The angry indigenes also claimed that the town had witnessed mysterious deaths of both the young and old and that the traditional ruler failed to do anything concrete to stem the ugly tide.
Frustrated, they trooped out in a peaceful demonstration, armed with leaves and marched to the palace of the Obalufon.
Upon hearing their unpalatable songs, it was gathered that the monarch bolted away from the palace to escape any assault or confrontation with his angry subjects.
Since Friday, May 26, 2023, when Oba Adedapo allegedly fled the palace, some sources in the town informed The Point that he had yet to return to the palace as at the time of filing this report for fear of being attacked.
Speaking under the condition of anonymity after the protest, one of the ruling family members of the town, said the demonstration was carried out because the traditional ruler had refused to take counsels from stakeholders concerning some happenings, which had become worrisome for citizens of the town.
While accusing the monarch of being autocratic, the prince disclosed that most of the chiefs died in quick succession.
Asked if Oba Adedapo had returned to the palace, he said, “He has yet to return to the palace. We are waiting for him to return from wherever he has gone to hide himself so that he can settle the issues the people have raised. We are saying he should return to the palace because we want to have some discussions with him on the peace and development of our town.”
Giving further insights into the cause of the protest, he said, “The development that we used to record in this town has suddenly disappeared. Almost all the compounds in the town are divided over some actions of the traditional ruler.
“The Oba is running the town like an occultic group and whoever doesn’t belong to his caucus is being sidelined. For instance, where I am from, there is a chieftaincy title the town usually confers on our family, but the monarch refused to confer this title on us, saying that anyone who is not among his supporters or clique will not be chosen for the title. Once you are not within his clique and you are not rich, what you are entitled to in the land will elude you.”
“The Oba can ask someone whose family’s right it is to be honoured with a chieftaincy title to bring the sum of N5 million before he could confer the title. He is there to make money, nothing concerns him with the development of the land or welfare of the people. His rulership style only understands money and that’s for his personal benefits. The whole of this land, no one can suggest any good developmental idea that he would take.
“People are dying in the community mysteriously and in very close rate. Even all the Oba’s cabinet members are almost dead and he has refused to allow the affected families to replace them or even seek solutions to these mysterious deaths. He is very autocratic and that’s why we protested,” the indigene further narrated.
Efforts to speak with the traditional ruler did not yield result.
