Osun govt cautions Oluwo over alleged inflammatory religious, inter-town remarks
By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –
The Osun State Government has cautioned the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, over alleged inflammatory statements capable of triggering religious and inter-town conflicts in the state.
The government, through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, expressed concern that the monarch’s alleged crisis-inciting activities and conduct capable of disrupting peaceful interfaith coexistence had reached a level the administration could no longer ignore.
In a letter signed by Wale Alliyu on behalf of the permanent secretary, the government reminded the monarch that every Nigerian has a constitutional right to freedom of religious association, stressing that traditional rulers must respect their subjects’ rights to practise religions of their choice.
The letter partly read: “As a traditional ruler, you are bound by the Constitution to respect the rights of your constituents to hold religious beliefs as guaranteed by the Constitution. You cannot and you must not conduct yourself in any way that can foment religious crisis through serial attacks on people of other faiths”.
It added that traditional rulers must not use their positions to incite religious conflict or erode the cultural values and traditions of their communities, warning that reforms capable of triggering violence would not be tolerated.
Consequently, the state government directed Oba Akanbi to desist from further attacks on people of other religious beliefs and fellow traditional rulers.
The government also urged the monarch to preserve the culture and traditions symbolised by his throne and comply with the provisions of the Chieftaincy Laws and resolutions of the State Council of Obas.
It further directed the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to monitor the monarch’s compliance with the directives, while the State Council of Obas was instructed to monitor and respond to developments in Iwoland.
