Oba Owoade described the conferment as an overreach, stressing that only the Alaafin holds the traditional authority to bestow titles covering the entirety of Yorubaland
‘Revoke Okanlomo of Yorubaland Title On Dotun Sanusi Now’ – Alaafin Owoade Tells Ooni Ogunwusi, Says Conferment is “Unlawful”
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, on Monday strongly criticised the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, for conferring the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on Ibadan businessman Dotun Sanusi.
The Ooni had bestowed the title on Sanusi at the weekend during the unveiling of 2geda, an indigenous social media and business networking platform, held at Ilaji Hotel, Ibadan. While presenting the honour, Oba Ogunwusi praised Sanusi’s “unparalleled commitment to the cultural and economic growth of the Yoruba race.”
But in a statement issued through his media aide, Bode Durojaiye, Oba Owoade described the conferment as an overreach, stressing that only the Alaafin holds the traditional authority to bestow titles covering the entirety of Yorubaland. He gave the Ooni 48 hours to revoke the title or “face the consequences.”
“The attention of the Alaafin of Oyo and the Titan of Yorubaland, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has been drawn to the purported conferment of the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on a business tycoon, Dotun Sanusi, by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi,” the statement read.
“The Ooni of Ife is behaving as if there is no authority to check and call him to order. Because of that ‘above-the-law’ syndrome of his, he is in the habit of walking on everybody’s back, including the apex court in the country, the Supreme Court, which had ruled on the exclusive preserve of the Alaafin to confer any chieftaincy title that covers the entire Yorubaland.”
Oba Owoade, however, stressed his commitment to peace, recalling his earlier appeals for unity among Yoruba monarchs.
“It is the joy of our forefathers for us to be in unity, and they did their part in ensuring peace and unity in Yorubaland. We must also strive to achieve this. God Himself is involved in our matter; therefore, we must always, at all times, be concerned about the peace and unity of Yorubaland. We say we want development, but no meaningful and sustainable development will come without peace and unity.
“But it seems the Ooni of Ife is misconceiving the Alaafin, Paramount with the Heart of Gold, and his peace initiative as a sign of weakness, hence taking decisions that are not only ultra vires but derogatory to the Titan of Yorubaland.”
The Ooni’s Palace is yet to make an official statement on this development as of press time. Read More
