The Olota of Otta, Oba Professor Adeyemi Abdukabir Obalanlege has reacted to claims by the Alake of Egba land, Oba Michael Adedotun Gbadebo that certain territories within the Otta, Aworiland is under his (Alake) legal authority to administer traditional oversight.
Olota, in his reaction to the claims, reminded Oba Gbadebo that in Ogun State, the settlement of Awori people preceded the establishment of Abeokuta as the Egba Kingdom in 1830.
Oba Obalange said in a statement that “Otta, the foremost Awori town within the present Ogun state and which is the industrial nerve centre, for instance, has been existing since the 15th century.”
The Alake of Egba had, in a report by The Guardian, accused Oba Obalange of creating tension while maintaining that “the outcome of this case has been settled for all time and beyond all reasonable doubt, the legal authority of the Alake of Egbaland to administer traditional oversight in all the disputed areas.”
“It goes without saying that putting an Olota under an Alake is both a traditional misnomer and historic fallacy.”
Alake also insisted that the allegation by the Aworis that he had installed imposed or induced kings, baales or chiefs was totally false.
He insisted that the Awori’s misinformed the public when they said the towns he installed Kings and Chiefs do not fall within his domain, regretting that Oba Obalanlege and his chiefs had resorted to self-help.
But, the Olota of Otta, Oba Obalanlege stated clearly in a statement signed by him, that “the first Olota, Oba Ikoriku Toribo was coronated in 1621, while the first Alake in Abeokuta, Sagbua Okukenu was crowned on 8th August 1854.
“It goes without saying that putting an Olota under an Alake is both a traditional misnomer and historic fallacy. “The Ife palace, where the crowns came from knows better! Never in history has Otta been captured by the Egbas, rather we rescued them from Oyo invasion.”
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There has been a dispute between the duo over who reigns over the Aworis and which of them has the legal authority to install Kings and Chiefs in certain towns.
The towns in dispute include Sango-Otta, Atan-Otta, Ijoko-Otta, Abule-Ore-Otta, Adekoyeni-Otta and also the Gbalefa-Otta peninsula.
“The first Olota, Oba Ikoriku Toribo was coronated in 1621, while the first Alake in Abeokuta, Sagbua Okukenu was crowned on 8th August 1854″
