THIS IMPOSITION WILL NOT STAND.
INTRODUCTION
Ode-Lemo is a town South East of Sagamu, in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State. It is one of the ancient 33 towns of Remo Kingdom and it is a border town between Lagos and Ogun States being few kilometres from Lagos State border from both Agbowa and Imota.
The town is a community that accommodates people from all over the country
About 70 years ago, the Government of the old Western Region which operated with fairness and justice, created Ode-Lemo Local Council with the headquarters in Ode-Lemo because of the quantum of economic activities going on in the town which included (but not limited to) Kolanut farming and trading. This period witnessed a lot of influx of people from all over Remo Land and beyond and the Hausa community even had its own Head (Seriki), a mosque and burial ground.
The first school in the town, Saint John’s Anglican Primary School, was established in 1896. By implication, the town has been in existence long before the Christian Missionary Society (CMS), had a strong enough footing to make the establishment of a school in the town a worthwhile venture.
Many Obas have reigned in the town before the last one in the person of Oba S.T Solesi who reigned from 1975 to 2012. Oba Solesi joined his ancestors on Wednesday 11th July, 2012. In accordance with the extant Chieftaincy declaration, it became the turn of the Adeyalu Ruling House to fill the vacant stool. Curiously, some thinly veiled personalities in Sagamu prevailed on Sagamu Local Government to write to someone totally unrelated to Adeyalu Ruling House of Ode-Lemo, as Lemo elect on the pretext that he is from Adeyalu Ruling House of Ode Lemo.
The name of the candidate was thereafter sent to the Kingmakers who voted and rejected his candidature. In an attempt to foist the impostor on the town, an electoral fraud was committed by officials of Sagamu Local Government, who were sent to supervise the election. Result? The impostor lost.
On 24th April, 2014, a case was instituted at the High Court in Sagamu, by Adeyalu Ruling House, to prove that the candidate put forward is not a member of their family. While the case was ongoing, the Secretary to the Sagamu Local Government, wrote another letter to the Kingmakers to vote for the same candidate.
Meanwhile, even though the case was already in court, muscling of Local Government officials continued even after the court had directed that no action should be taken until issues in the case before the court were determined. Regrettably, the Secretary to Sagamu Local Government persisted in his impious design. The result was that the presiding judge almost jailed him (the then Secretary of Sagamu Local Government, who now occupies the position of Vice Chairman of the Local Government) for contempt of court. It took a lot of pleas from lawyers before the judge changed his mind and pardoned him.
Respondents in the said case which is still pending are (1) Hon. Tunde Awojobi (2) Rufai Odumesi (Now Imposed as the Oba) (3) Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs (4) Secretary, Sagamu Local Government and (5) Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ogun State.
We are surprised that an elected Government in this 21st Century could go ahead and act on a case that is pending in court, and in which the Chief Legal Officer of the State and some of its Agencies are Respondents and always represented at every hearing of the case which is even Part-heard. How can a Government allow itself to be manipulated to take any decision on a matter which it is fully aware is sub-judice? Any wonder then, that the State Executive Council’s approval was made on Monday 25th July 2022 the impostor was hurriedly presented with the staff of office and crowned on Friday 29th July 2022, in total breach of the customs and traditions of Ode-Lemo. The fact that the Governor is a Remo Prince who is expected to be familiar with the process of coronation of a king makes the whole development puzzling and inexplicable.
It is obvious that the Government of Ogun State and the eventual beneficiaries of this macabre dance have a lot to explain. Why should the processes leading to the installation of a First Class Oba be shrouded in such a secrecy? This is a weird and radical departure from regularity.
Apart from wrong and unqualified candidacy, one other major issue is that the whole process was in total disregard for the procedure laid down for the nomination, selection and appointment of an Oba, under the extant Chiefs Law of Ogun State.
While the matter was being unduly prolonged by the impostor’s lawyers, well-meaning and peace loving people of Ode-Lemo had to set up a Reconciliation Committee to resolve the matter. Both parties in the case submitted to the reconciliation exercise and also pledged to abide by the decisions and findings of the Reconciliation Committee. While the reconciliation committee was just about rounding up its activities, the illegal imposition rudely put spanners in the works.
This Press Release is our mature and civilised way of responding to the potentially volatile imposition of a non-indigene as Lemo of Ode-Lemo. We have tried to calm down the true sons and daughters of Ode-Lemo so that there would be no breakdown of law and order in the town.
We hasten to inform every lover of peace that in the event of occurrence of any untoward incident in Ode-Lemo as a result of this sacrilege committed against the customs and traditions of our dear town, the Government of Ogun State should be held absolutely accountable.
However, let it remain a pipe dream for any individual or group of individuals gloating over the mirage of a conquest that no vassal exists anywhere for anyone to overrun. What is certain is the victory of good over evil. We are further emboldened in our resolve by the long-established fact that: ‘You cannot put something on nothing, and expect it to stand’.
This is an imposition that is not only unacceptable but will not work, no matter how long it lasts. Examples abound in the State, where wrong candidates were imposed on towns as Obas but removed thereafter by the court while Government and its officials were chastised for their avoidable illegal action. Under normal circumstances, no Government should allow itself to be deceived by the actions and machinations of mischievous persons.
Ode-Lemo rejects totally, the impostor who has no root howsoever called, with us in the town, to be imposed on us as Oba.
We appeal to Ogun State Government to let good reason prevail and be magnanimous enough to accept that it has been grossly misled and or mischievously manipulated to take not only a wrong decision but also adopt illegal process in the appointment of an impostor as Lemo of Ode-Lemo.
OUR PRAYERS
1. The Ogun State Government should respect the rule of law and prove that it believes in same.
2. The Ogun State Government should immediately revoke the appointment of the impostor, Rufai Odumesi as Lemo of Ode-Lemo.
3. The Ogun State Government must follow due process in the appointment of the Lemo of Ode Lemo after the court decision.
4. The Ogun State Government should desist from creating any situation that could create chaos and lead to breakdown of law and order in Ode-Lemo in particular, and other parts of Ogun State in general.
E-signed
Comrade Sikiru Bidemi Solarin
President, Ode-Lemo Progressive Youths Forum
Mr. Abimbola Julius Adekoya
Coordinator, Ode-Lemo Sons and Daughters
Prince Afolabi O. Solesi
Chairman, Ode-Lemo Development Association
Otunba Joseph A. O. Ogunfuwa
Olotu Omooba of Ode-Lemo