By Oludamisi Ojo
Odo- Odo Community, a section of Iworoko Ekiti in Irepodun /Ifelodun local government area of Ekiti State have protested over relegation of Arinjale title to a mere chieftaincy status instead of a full-fledged monarch and denial of the town of autonomy by the state government.
The indigenes, who are descendants of Ewi of Ado Ekiti, maintained that failure to grant them autonomy by successive governments, despite being the first settlers, had caused a setback in terms of development, recognition, and savoring of democracy dividends.
The spokesman of the placard-carrying protesters, Prince Julius Babalola, spoke in Iworoko Ekiti at the weekend, during a peaceful protest to demand autonomy for Arinjale of Odo-Odo and the entire community.
Babalola said the Intelligence Report of 1933, Ondo State chieftaincy review commission of 1978, and a book written by Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, placed Arinjale as a full-fledged monarch.
He however wondered why the title was being relegated by the goverment.
Babalola pointed out that Arinjale had settled in Iworoko-Ekiti since 1891, with well established royal dynasty before being joined in 1932 by Alaworoko, who now superintend over the town as the only recognized King.
He lamented how the town was politically manipulated out of recognition and denied autonomy by Justices Silas Oyewole and Jide Aladejana-led chieftaincy review commissions of 2014 and 2020 respectively.
His words” Our progenitor, Gberubioya, a prince from Ado Ekiti came to this place in 1891 with his crown and people. We didn’t meet anybody here. Alaworoko came from Ila Orangun in Osun State to join us 41 years after.
“We already had a full-fledged royal dynasty before he joined us. But we are not enjoying recognition and development, because we are not given autonomy. How can we be treated this way in a land we founded and suffered for?
” The Chieftaincy Intelligence Report of 1933 said on page 22 that there are two political heads in Iworoko: The Alaworoko and Arinjale and that they are of the same class and strength.
” How can we now be put under Alaworoko when it was clear that we have our own Oba but not recognized? This is injustice and Governor Kayode Fayemi must correct this. We merit it going by history and tradition”.
Babalola explained that during the proceedings of the Ondo State Chieftaincy review commission of 1978, the then Alaworoko did openly confess before panelists that there are two broad sections in Iworoko, but pleaded that he wanted the town to remain united instead of being divided.
He regretted that despite this avalanche of evidence of their established monarchy , the Justices Silas Oyewole and Jide Aladejana- led review commissions of 2014, and 2020 said the Memoranda submitted to grant them autonomy lacked merit.
Insecurity: Abuja monarch wants enforcement of anti street trading law
Babalola urged Fayemi to stop the management of Iworoko Community secondary school from further encroaching on their lands given to the institution in 1975 for the establishment of the school.
He revealed that about 29.9 hectares of land had been forcefully hijacked from them.
