If care is not taken, the relative peace being enjoyed by residents of Ibadan may be truncated if the controversy surrounding Babaloja stool is not settled amicably and on time as BAYO AGBOOLA reports.
Indeed, all is not well among traders in Oyo state as investigation clearly reveals a divided house bothering on who is the authentic head of the entire traders body in and across the state.Until recently, traders union in the state had enjoyed relative peace and stability. Also, they had always spoke, moved and acted in one voice until the issue of who becomes the Babaloja of Oyo state reared its ugly head with the installation of Chief Y.K Abass as the Babaloja of Oyo state by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji. As at the moment, there are two persons laying claims to the title namely, Alhaji Sumaila Aderemi Jimoh and Chief Y.K Abass. While Alhaji Jimoh was installed by traders from across the 33 local government areas of the state at a colourful ceremony held at the Oyo state House of Chiefs on Monday, August 24, this year, Chief Y.K Abass was installed by the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Adetunji at his Popoyemoja Palace in Ibadan on Friday, August, 28, this year all within the same week.
When it all started
The issue of Babaloja apparently snowballed into a major controversy towards the end of August when Governor Seyi Makinde, during a visit to the Olubadan of Ibadan land with his executive members to felicitate with Oba Saliu Adetunji on his 92nd birthday anniversary, consented to the installation of Chief Abass as the Babaloja during which he said, “I want to say here that since Kabiyesi has taken such a decision, it is confirmed by the government as well. So, they should follow the needed due process. Kabiyesi cannot make a decision and we would overturn it.”
Body kicks against idea
Apparently disturbed by the turn of events especially the installation of Chief Abass as Babaloja, a body under the auspices of Coalition of Traders in Oyo State on Wednesday last week kicked against what they called alleged imposition of a Babaloja on them by the Olubadan and Gov Seyi Makinde, respectively.
The coalition in a letter jointly signed by Comrade Ajala, Comrade Abu Abioye and Comrade (Mrs) Oyewo advised Chief Abass to stop parading himself as the Babaloja as they are ready to defend the association’s constitution by resisting the alleged imposition on them, saying, ” It’s an embarrassment and very disgraceful that some individuals could nurse the idea of imposing a leader on over two million market men and women in the state at the period when everyone is praying God to completely drive COVID -19 away from Oyo state in order to enable normalcy returns and end the suffering of our dear people.
“We hereby warn whoever is parading himself as Babaloja to stop doing so immediately because we won’t compromise our stand on the choice of Alhaji Sumaila Aderemi Jimoh as Babaloja of Oyo State. We are ready to defend the mandate of over two million people without fear of intimidation or harrassment. As law abiding citizens, we hereby appeal to the state governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, the Commissioner of Police, heads of other security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and personalities in the society to as a matter of urgency and necessity intervene to prevent looming crisis and possible breakdown of law and order,” it said.
According to the coalition in the letter over two million market men and women from the 33 local government councils in the state agreed and nominated the chairman of Babaloja and Iyaloja of Bodija Market, Ibadan, who is also the chairman of Babaloja and Iyaloja of 11 local government councils in the state, Alhaji Sumaila Aderemi Jimoh as Babaloja Of Oyo state.
“At the House of Chiefs, Agodi Secretariat, Ibadan Alhaji Sumaila Aderemi Jimoh was elected as Babaloja of Oyo state with all zones having their Iyalojas and Babalojas in attendance, including Okeogun, Ibarapa, Ogbomoso. Others are the four zones from Oyo town.
“The process that produced Alhaji Sumaila Aderemi Jimoh as the Babaloja followed due process and was conducted in line with the constitution of our association. This was the reason there wasn’t any objection or rancour throughout the process. It is pertinent to also state here that our association, like every other associations or unions is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Government of Nigeria. Just like no one can single- handedly impose leader on any of these, NMA, NBA, NFF, NSE, NLC, TUC, it would be very impossible for anyone to impose a leader on our association. We have a constitution and it must be adhered to in ordee to avoid crisis. We know and believe the state governor, Engr Seyi Makinde is a lover of peace and a respecter of the rule of law. He would not want to go against the rule of law which he has also benefited from when the governorship election that produced him was challenged in the court of law. Neither would the governor be interested in any issue capable of truncating the peace currently enjoyed by the good people of Oyo state. We also know Kabiyesi, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso 1 to be a defender of his subjects and promoter of peace who always stand against injustice, especially of this nature which is similar to what late Senator Abiola Ajimobi was trying to carry out when he embarked on illegal restructuring of Ibadan Obaship titles. It is on record that Kabiyesi resisted this evil agenda very unrepentantly,” they said.
The coalition added, “To also buttress our assurance on Kabiyesi’s zero tolerance for injustice, His Majesty has once sent us a letter on similar issue; the letter was on Kabiyesi’s letterhead paper and signed by Adeola Oloko on July 16, 2020. It reads, ” Kabiyesi Olubadan asked me to inform you that as a matter of principle, he does not interfere in the internal affairs of traders.” Counting on this, we have the belief that some selfish individuals are those misleading His Majesty on this issue.
Palace defends its move
Defending the installation of Chief Abass as the Babaloja, the director of media and public affairs to the Olubadan, Alhaji Adeola Oloko said there was nothing wrong with the installation of Chief Abass as the Babaloja as other prominent traditional rulers across Oyo state were carried along in the processes leading to the installation.
Alhaji Oloko stressed that Babaloja title is a beaded one which can only be bestowed on an individual by a royal father and not by someone or group of people at the House of Chiefs or somewhere. In addition, he stressed that the title should be bestowed on an individual by the consenting authority in the town or city with the highest number of markets. Buttressing this further, Alhaji Oloko pointed out that of the 491 markets across the state, 286 of them are in Ibadan land under Oba Adetunji.
With the superiority claims and counter-claims from the two sides, the question now is who among the two would stand the test of time as events continue to unfold itself in the coming days? Only time shall tell.
