Giesi, Ogboru families scuffle for Ooni stool

THE public declaration of interest by the Giesi Ruling House  to produce the next Ooni of Ife has triggered a chieftaincy tussle between the family and the Ogboru Ruling House  over the move  to succeed Oba Okunade Sijuwade.The Giesi family had on Monday said it was their turn to produce the next Ooni based on the government declaration of 1977 and 1980 which stated that the ascension to the throne shall be  rotational  among the Osinkola, Ogboru, Giesi and Lafigodo ruling families in that order. Based on the declaration by the Giesi Ruling House, the Director General, Osun State Broadcasting Corporation, Prince Adesoji Fadehan, who is one of the princes from the family signified his interest in a statement made available to our correspondent on Tuesday.Just as Fadehan declared his interest, a United Kingdom based  consultant  in oil and gas sector, Prince Adeagbo Adefarakan, has also declared his interest to succeed Oba Sijuwade.According to a statement made available to our correspondent, the contestant  is of the  Adefarakan dynasty from Ogboru ,  Ruling House.The late Oba Sijuwade came from the Ogboru family but Adefarakan  said the ruling family should still produce Sijuwade’s successor because it had produced the least number of Ooni among the four ruling Houses.Adefarakan, who had since notified the kingmakers of his intention to vie for the exalted stool, said he was convinced that the Ogboru ruling house would produce the next Ooni based on equity, stressing that “of the four ruling houses in Ile Ife, the Ogboru family has produced the least number of Ooni.”According to him, Ogboru should be allowed to produce Sijuwade’s successor to ensure fairness and equity.“Since the crystallisation of the ruling houses into four, the Ogboru family had produced only four Oonis, while  the other three ruling houses: Lafogido; Giesi and Oshinkola had produced eight, seven and five Oonis respectively.“The huge interest being shown in the vacant stool by many Ife princes is a welcome development, but I have the noble intention of  turning Ile Ife into a world class model modern city and focus on infrastructure development of the town if I am nominated and crowned the next Ooni.”The founder of the Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Prince Rahman Adedoyin, has urged contestants from the Giesi Ruling House to unite in order not to allow the opportunity they had now to slip away from their hands.Adedoyin said this while speaking with journalists on Tuesday.He said,  “All  contestants within the Giesi Ruling House should unite and not see the contest as a do or die affair” lamenting that the exalted stool  had eluded our ruling house since 1894.

Source The PUNCH