As indigenes of Osun State wrap up the rites of passage for late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the race for the next Oba to the throne has gathered more steam.
Late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade
The Giesi Ruling House, More, Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Monday, August 24, formally announced its intention to present names of candidates for the next Ooni of Ife to the government following the completion of the rites of passage for late Oba Okunade Sijuwade.
The spokesperson of the ruling house Prince Adelowo Ogunleye, in Osogbo on Monday said it was the turn of their house to present the next Ooni.
According to the ruling house, “It is on record as indicated by the government declaration captioned ‘The Ooni of Ife Chieftaincy Declaration’ reference no CB141/7/1/540 dated 22nd August, 1977 addressed to the then Executive Secretary of Oranmiyan Local Government Ile-Ife from the office of Military Governor of Oyo state of Nigeria and duly signed by the then Secretary to the Military Government and Head of Service.
“Paragraph a in the letter states that: ‘’The order of rotation among the ruling house should be as follows: Osinkola, Ogboru, Giesi, Lafogido.
“To buttress our claim, we like to refer to another memorandum released by the Executive Council of Oyo State of Nigeria number OYSGM,(80) 107 dated 16th September, 1980 captioned: ‘Appointment of a new Ooni of Ife, Memorandum by the governor.’ Paragraph one of the Memorandum states that
”The Ooni of Ife is a category one ruling house chieftaincy in Oranmiyan Local Government Area (which now comprises of Ife Central, Ife East, Ife North and Ife South local government areas of Osun State) to which part II of the Chief’s Law, Cap 19 has been applied.
“It has an approved and registered declaration provided for four ruling houses, the identity of which is as follows: The Osinkola House, Ogboru House, Giesi House and Lafogido House in that order of rotation.
“We want all and sundry to please note that the Osinkola house produced our father, Oba Adesoji Aderemi, who ruled for 50 years in Ile-Ife and was immediately succeeded by Oba Okunade Sijuwade from Ogboru house, who has just transited to greater glory.
“It then follows that the next ruling house to produce the next Ooni of Ife should automatically and normally come from Giesi Ruling House as per the two government approved rotational arrangements sited above.
“We hereby unequivocally state that the entire members of the family of Giesi Ruling House, Moore Ile Ife are set to produce name(s) of competent and credible candidates that can easily ascend to the exalted throne of Ooni of Ife’’, they added.