Osun set to review Chiefs Law to strengthen traditional institution, says Oyetola

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

Osun State Governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, has reaffirmed the commitment of his administration to further strengthen the traditional institution in the state so as to enhance its capacity for effective and efficient service delivery to the citizens.

To this end, the government is ready to set up a tripartite committee that would review the existing Chiefs Law of the state.

The committee, according to the governor, would be made up of a representative each from members of the State Executive Council, legislature and Traditional Council, with a mandate to painstakingly review, analyse critically and meticulously, the palpable grey areas in the said law.

Receiving a letter written by members of the state Traditional Council of Obas, aimed at effecting the review of the state’s Chiefs Law at Government House, Osogbo, the governor expressed delight at the move made by the monarchs, saying the initiative would go a long way to permanently find a possible and lasting solution to some of the challenges attributed to kingship and chieftaincy in the state.

Oyetola, who described the gesture as a welcome development, assured that the tripartite committee would be constituted in the next few days.

He said the committee when constituted would come up with suggestions and proffer workable solutions to some of the identified challenges in the existing law, thus helping to ensure possible amendments that would suit the collective interest of the people of the state.

He said: “I commend our traditional rulers on this visit. I thank you for your unflinching support, most importantly your continued show of love before, during and after the last primary election of our party. Your prayers when we visited you at your various palaces before the primary can never be forgotten as this manifested in the success we recorded at the party’s primary election.

“As to the Chiefs Law of our dear state, we will be very happy if that is reviewed. I am very happy that you are looking into it already. This is a welcome development.

“We know most of these laws are obsolete and we welcome the idea of the tripartite committee that you have come up with. It is our hope that this would further strengthen the traditional institution which has been our vision as a government.

“There is no doubt in the fact that the existing law has its own challenges and this has been causing a lot of crisis as to enthronement of monarchs among other chieftaincy-related matters. 

“So, to further demonstrate our commitment to ensuring a vibrant and viable traditional institution, we will set up the committee to look into it. I commend you for your efforts at keeping your domains safe. 

“We understand the little crisis in some towns, but we hope with this move and with the support from Federal Government, it will be a thing of the past. We appreciate your continued support to ensure security and adequate protection of lives and property of your subjects in your respective domains.”

Presenting the letter on behalf of the Chairman of Osun Council of Obas, Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Ayotunde Olabomi, said the call to review the Chiefs Law was arrived at having painstakingly assessed and evaluated the grey areas of the existing law.

Oba Olabomi, who is the leader of the Committee on State Chiefs Law set up by the members of the Traditional Council of Obas, said the review of the law would help to innovatively reposition the traditional institution in the state.

The Aragbiji said the Chairman of the Council and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, was pleased with the decision of the committee to get the law reviewed.

He commended the governor for according due respect to traditional rulers in the state, noting that his good gesture and kind-heartedness had endeared him more to the people of the state in general and traditional rulers in particular.

Some of the traditional rulers in attendance were Owaloko of Iloko-Ijesa, Oba Hakeem Ogungbangbe; Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba Adedokun Abolarinwa; Alapomu of Apomu, Oba Kayode Adenekan Afolabi; Salu of Edunabon, Oba Adesoji Kehinde Oladepo and Olusongbe of Songbe, Oba Kamil Ajadi.