Ile-Ife community seeks Osun govt’s intervention over renewed Modakeke tension
Ile-Ife Community Seeks State Intervention Amid Monarch Dispute
The Ile-Ife community has called on the Osun State Government to intervene in escalating tensions between Ile-Ife and Modakeke over the alleged installation of a monarch for the disputed area of Okuu-Omoni.
The appeal was made by the Great Ife Movement (GIM), which is urging the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to suspend any ongoing processes related to the appointment of Aderoju Adewale Onisaka as the Oba of Okuu-Omoni.
Femi Oyeyinka, president of the GIM, issued the call during a press conference on Wednesday at the Oba Okunade Sijuwade Memorial Hall in Ile-Ife. The event, titled “Peace and Justice Must Go Pari Passu in Ifeland,” was organized in collaboration with local intellectuals and other stakeholders.
Oyeyinka contended that the process leading to Onisaka’s alleged appointment did not adhere to the customary procedures established by Ife native law. He expressed concerns regarding leaflets reportedly distributed in Modakeke in August, which claimed ancestral ownership of certain lands in the area.
He further alleged that Onisaka’s purported crowning occurred first at the Civic Centre in Modakeke and later at the Palace in Enuwa, without the involvement of the 16 Ife kingmakers, contrary to traditional selection processes for rulers in Ifeland.
“Onisaka did not subject himself to the Screening Committee on Obaship in Ifeland. Other recently approved traditional rulers have undergone this screening process prior to their appointments receiving the approval of the Ooni,” Oyeyinka remarked.
He described the approval of Onisaka as Oba of Okuu-Omoni as unacceptable to the Ile-Ife community and called for its immediate reversal. Additionally, he alleged that the Ogunsua of Modakeke, Oba Joseph Olubiyi Toriola, and the Modakeke Progressive Union assisted in securing this approval without proper authority.
“The traditional institution involved did not have the authority to recommend a monarch for this area, which falls within the Ife North Local Government Area,” Oyeyinka stated.
This development has raised alarm among ife stakeholders regarding the potential implications for the longstanding relationship between Ile-Ife and Modakeke. Oyeyinka urged the state government and relevant authorities to intervene to prevent further escalation, emphasizing the necessity of peace and justice in resolving these disputes.
He also noted that recommendations from prior efforts to address aspects of the Ife-Modakeke conflict have not been fully implemented since 2000, referring specifically to the Olabode George recommendations.
Additionally, Oyeyinka accused some Modakeke residents of restricting access to their lands and villages by Ooni-crowned traditional rulers and certain Ife indigenous landowners, particularly in Ife North Local Government Area.
The GIM president appealed to the Osun State Government and relevant agencies to prioritize peace and justice in addressing the renewed disagreements over land ownership and the Okuu-Omoni traditional stool.
