…Giesi Ruling House to produce next Ooni
Omotolani Oresanwo
Despite several reports that the rotational method amongst the ruling houses in Ile Ife adopted in the process of selecting Ooni of Ife may be jettisoned, while all the ruling houses may have to present their candidates to fill the vacant stool was finally laid to rest yesterday as the Giesi Ruling House was asked to produce the next Ooni of Ife.
In a letter dated 14 Sept, 2015 by the Osun State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to the Executive Secretary of Ife East Local Government, Oke Ogbo, Ile Ife; memo ref CB.141/7/1/Vol.VI/74 which read, “In view of the fact that you have concluded the rite of passage of the late of Ooni of Ife, you are enjoined to kindly liase with the Kingmakers to kick start the process of filling the vacant stool of the Ooni of Ife by inviting the next ruling House, in accordance with the subsisting 1980 registered Chieftaincy declaration (copy attached) to present their nominees to the Kingmakers for selection.
“Therefore, you are to invite Giesi Ruling House(which is the next Ruling House to produce the Ooni of Ife after Ogboru Ruling House in the order of the rotation….”, it said.
Read Also:
In a chat with journalists yesterday, Obalufe of Ife, Oba Folorunsho Omisakin, the prime minister and a high ranking kingmaker in Ile Ife, reading the position of the sixteen Ife kingmakers in Ile Oodua, the Ooni’s palace and flagged by Lowa of Ife, Oba Joseph Ijaodola and other kingmakers, explained that 1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration will be relied upon in choosing the next monarch.
He said, “Only Giesi Ruling House will be allowed to contest the throne, explaining that the concerned ruling house will be expected to present candidates upon receipt of letter from Ife East local Government Area”.
“When the candidates are presented to us, the kingmakers, we will sit upon the names and within 14 days, we must come out with our findings. After that, in another 14 days, the new monarch must emerge”.
“we the 16 traditional rulers making up kingmakers by Ife tradition, rules and customs, hereby unanimously declare and confirm that the 1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration is the one in existence now and we affirm as follows:
*Section 19 subsections a (3) that it is the turn of Giesi Ruling House to present a candidate/ candidates for the vacant stool of Ooni of Ife Chieftaincy, other 3 ruling houses, that is, Osinkola, Ogboru, and Lafogido should wait for their turn.
*No ruling house should be restricted to a particular quarter or areas of the town because members of the ruling house live in different parts of the town.
*Finally, we hereby enjoin the members of the ruling houses, the town’s people, all religious bodies, men and women in Ife environs, to please maintain absolute peace. By doing this, the kingmakers would be able to select the best candidate for the vacant stool of Ooni of Ife.”
The Executive Secretaries of Ife East and Ife Central Local Government Areas, Messers Tajudeen Lawal and Taiwo Olaiya in reaction to the rotational issue stated that it would not be the first time the 1980 Chieftaincy Declaration would be used to select Ooni.
Lawal specifically mentioned that 1980 Chieftaincy Declaration was relied upon to pick immediate past Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade.
