Oke-Ogun group appeals for fairness, equity in Oyo chiefs law amendment
The Oke-Ogun Development Consultative Forum (ODCF), has issued a call for fairness and equity regarding the amendment of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs Law.
The forum, which represents the Oke-Ogun region, commended the state government’s initiative to revive the council, which had been inactive for over a decade.
A statement jointly issued by Ahmed Adeniyi Raji SAN, President; Adebimpe Aderounmu, Secretary General; and Prince Remi Adegbola, Publicity Secretary, emphasised that the current amendment “deserves an all-inclusive approach in the spirit of equity, fairness and justice,” noting that previous petitions for the inclusion of traditional rulers from Oke-Ogun have been “ignored by successive government.”
The forum praised the government’s commitment to timely filling vacant royal positions, stating, “Our culture, tradition and western administrative approach has been mixed up for a long time.”
They argued that “no Oba or Chief of an autonomous community is superior to the other” based on historical practices.
ODCF urged the state government to ensure that each region, Ibadan, Oyo, Ogbomoso, Ibàràpá, and Oke-Ogun, has equal representation, proposing that “it will be fair that each zone has a co-chairman.”
They also highlighted that “historical antecedent and ancestral tradition have for long ceased to be membership requirements” and called for an increase in the number of representatives from Oke-Ogun, stating, “we like to plead that the number of permanent representatives from Oke-Ogun be increased.”
ODCF, however, expressed hope that their appeal will be considered seriously by both the state government and the Oyo State House of Assembly, affirming, “we promise our continual support for your administration as we remain committed to your administration’s agenda to bring unprecedented development to Oyo State.”
