The ruling houses of Oyo state and the entire ruling family of Alaafin have raised objections to the proposed chieftaincy amendment law presented by the state House of Assembly. They describe the amendment as dictatorial and an attempt to usurp customary powers in modern society.
In a memorandum tagged “Memorandum on Chiefs Amendment Law 2023 Section 28” addressed to the Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the ruling families registered their concerns over the state’s Council of Obas and Chiefs’ abrogation of power on related chieftaincies.
The ruling houses are opposed to the abrogation of the council’s powers, questioning, “how they will pass the dictatorial and usurpative law as a dictate of modern society.”
The memorandum jointly signed by Babayaji of Oyo; Onasokun of Oyo; Olusami of Oyo; AroleOba of Oyo, and Agunpopo of Oyo, on behalf of themselves as traditional royal title holders/chiefs and the entire Alaafin of Oyo ruling family, stated that the passage of the amendment law would turn traditional rulers into puns in the hands of politicians, thereby promoting nepotism, favouritism, and influence peddling.
They warned against the state law empowering the governor to specify chieftaincy holders and those entitled to wear beaded crowns. While highlighting the clause of the law, they stated that the governor’s role goes beyond nomination, as he is the approving officer and donor of the beaded crown to whoever he deems fit.
The ruling families maintain that the proposed amendment law is a dangerous trend that will annihilate the customary administrative system that sustained the land’s heritage and civilization at the grassroots level of governance.
They pleaded with the House and the Governor to avoid suspicions of compensatory chieftaincy titles to some well-known title holders who recently lost their well-publicised crowns to the ascension of a prominent traditional ruler. They also urged them not to create strange and alien chieftaincies that could polarise, rather than unite their peaceful communities.
The Oyo state government is yet to comment on the memorandum.
