Chief Rufus Olayinka, a traditional title holder and the Odofin of Ikere Ekiti in the Ikere Local Government Area, is not permitted to wear a royal crown because the territory he is in charge of is not fully autonomous.
The government said that Olayinka’s wearing royal regalia was a gross violation of the Ekiti State Chief Law given that the region’s residents have been fighting for autonomy, which Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration has not yet granted.
Meanwhile, the government has removed the suspension imposed on the troubled chief by the Ogoga of Ikere, Oba Adejimi Adu, and other members of his council for alleged insubordination and disrespect to the supreme monarch.
In a letter to the state government, Oba Adu complained that Odofin was disrespecting his authority and acting in a way that diminished his status as the town’s established ruler.
The monarch in the suit accused the troubled chief of violating the Ekiti State Chief Law by posing as Oloja Afao without being given autonomy.
The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs.) Monisade Afuye, presided over the proceedings on Friday. She argued that it was improper for Odofin to wear a crown or change his title to Oloja Afao while the government has not granted him full authority.
However, Mrs. Afuye declared the suspension of Odofin from the Ogoga-in Council as null and void in a statement by her media assistant, Victor Ogunje, claiming the procedure was incomplete because the state government was not provided with the letter to that effect.
“Our stance is that Odofin cannot be the king while Ikere Ekiti, where his domain is located, lacks full authority. Once more, he cannot change his title from Odofin to Oloja Afao; doing so is blatantly rude and improper. It’s similar to firing first.
He should no longer wear a crown or have any other title than Odofin going forward. However, we do not have a letter stating that he was suspended, thus we do not have any proof to support that claim. Therefore, this suspension cannot be maintained, the statement said.
In addition, despite his health issues, the Deputy Governor ordered Odofin to attend any meeting called by Oba Adu, even if it was just once a month.
At the peace meeting, the Sapetu of Ikere Ekiti, Chief Olufemi Babatola, spoke on behalf of the Ogoga and said that if the Odofin and Afao community had agreed to the first government and security services’ trouble-shooting interventions, the issue may have been handled sooner than it is today.
The suspended Odofin’s ability to establish himself as a monarch without his consent or that of the state government, according to Ogoga, is astounding.
The representatives of the Afao community, Hon. Tokunbo Omotayo and Pastor Rufus Akeredolu, addressed on behalf of the estranged chief, saying that despite the community’s demands for autonomy, they would not disobey Ogoga, the supreme head of the kingdom.
They claimed that when they began pushing for autonomy in Ikere Ekiti, the issue arose. They added that their goal was to speed up development in that area of Ikere Ekiti, not to split the community or sow discontent.
“In our calls for autonomy, we made it plain that, if granted, it would fall under the supreme authority of Ogoga of Ikere. If we didn’t acknowledge Ogoga’s superiority, we would not have spoken this.
We concur with all the administration has said and will act in accordance with it.
