The allegation of proposed installation of another Mogaji for Akere family in Oritamerin, Ibadan by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Sen. Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II has been described as baseless and unfounded and capable of dragging the Olubadan stool in the mud.
In a well publicized story by traditional media and trending on the social media, Olubadan was alleged to have proposed to install one Mr. Wasiu Akere as another Mogaji, the same title currently being held by Chief Moshood Gbolagade Akere for the same family, a story described as speculative and a concoction of the sponsor of the story.
This was contained in a reaction by the Palace of Olubadan through the Personal Assistant (Media) to Oba Balogun, Oladele Ogunsola to the story and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Wednesday through which the members of the public were called upon to disregard the speculative and self-serving story.
According to the statement, “the Olubadan Palace takes strong exception to the attempt by the Akere family to drag the stool of Olubadan into its family feud. For crying out loud, among the steps preceding the installation of Mogaji, which of them had been taken by the Olubadan to indicate the he was proposing to install a new Mogaji for your family? None, as far as the Palace is concerned.
“The said proposed date of Monday, 19th December, 2022 when the phantom installation of the new Mogaji was to be held was not even for the installation of Mogajis by the Palace arrangement and schedules of activities but for the Baales and no installation of any kind eventually even took place on that day after all.
“This kind of hasty conclusion was in bad faith and an attempt to portray Olubadan in bad light. A matter of this nature deserves thorough investigation before drawing conclusion and rushing to the press. The present Olubadan is conscious of the responsibility the position entails and would not do anything to debase the exalted stool”, the statement added.
The palace subsequently enjoined Akere family to put its house in order by ensuring unity of purpose rather than looking for a scapegoat, asking that what would be the interest of Olubadan in dividing the family by having two Mogajis in the same family? “Olubadan is a product of the highly cherished age-long Ibadan traditional system and cannot at this stage engage in anything that would rupture the system.
“I commend the professionalism exhibited by some of my colleagues in the media, who took it upon themselves to cross-check their facts on the issue before publishing which gave a true account of what was happening just as I for the umpteenth time counsel others, especially the emergency and adhoc social media practitioners to mellow down in their obsession for sensationalism which on daily basis continues to cast aspersion on the journalism profession”, the spokesperson further stated.
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