Now that the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has made good the promise he made to the people of Esa Oke, February 5, when he visited the ancient town in the wake of the crisis that greeted his government’s announcement of one Oluwatimileyin Ajayi, an Ilesa indigene, as the Olojudo of Ido Ayegunle, all focus are on the Panel headed by The Rt Hon. Ropo Oyewole, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Legislative Matters.
While we at Esa Oke Today Magazine express some reservations about the composition of the six-member Panel, an admixture of politicians and technocrats, yet we hold fast to the belief that truth shall prevail at the end of its two weeks sittings.
The tasks before the Hon. Ropo Oyewole led-panel of inquiry is crystal clear, Establishment and upholding of the truth amongst the plethora of garrulous claims here and there.
It is pertinent to note that the contentious Ido Ayegunle (Oko Ido) settlement, is a farming outpost of the Isalu Family, in Odo Ese Quarters’, Esa Oke. The Isalu people have been farming in the settlement for centuries, before some people of Ijesa, Oyo origins joined them. They have always lived in peace and unity. But this peaceful co-existence became threatened when the Ijesa people among the farming community sought and obtain the permission of the late Owa of Ilesa, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran sometime in the 1990s, to appoint one of their own as the Oba over the community. The Esa Oke people, insistently resisted this move. They considered this move as an affront. This attempt thus led to the first crisis in 1996 and since then, peace has become a most elusive object in the hitherto peaceful settlement.
Esa Oke Today magazine believes that with the setting up of the Panel of Inquiry, the Osun State Government is taking the right step in the right direction. We commend the Governor for promptly delivering on his promise. We believe that both sides will be availed the full opportunity of stating their case(s), presentation of their evidence(s), historical facts, political facts et al without let or hinderance.
Esa Oke Today Magazine clearly believe that the Electoral Commission, that delineated the settlement as part of unit 13 polling booth in Esa Oke surely have better details, and so do communities Esa Oke share boundaries with in that axis, the Oke Imesi and Efon Alaaye.
Aside from the electoral delineation, there are some other germane questions before the Panel for determination. The first one is that can a group of people who were hitherto paying royalties (Isakole) suddenly become the owners of the land?
Secondly, can an Oba come from outside his domain, even his Tradition Council, to impose an Oba on another domain, in another Traditional Council, particularly, when we take into cognizance the Osun State Gazette of 1999 which empowered the Ijesa North Traditional Council to conduct its affairs without undue influence from the Oba of Ilesa.
Thirdly, how plausible is it for a community with less than five living houses to be granted the status of a Part Two Oba?
Esa Oke Today Magazine hold dearly to the fact that it is only the affirmation of the truth that can bring lasting solution to our community.
We therefore, call on media houses to please note that Oko ldo has been an integral part of Esa Oke and not a separate community and this is as old as the ancient community of Esa Oke has been in existence.
EDITORIAL TEAM:
Alagba Afolayan Adebiyi
Editorial Director.
Professor Abiodun Oni
Chairman, Editorial Board
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