….Says violators of the State Chiefs Law wiII be punished.
Ekiti State Government has restated that the ban on High Chiefs and individuals adorning beaded crowns in the state is still in force stressing that only recognized traditional rulers are empowered to use such paraphernalia.
The Government said it became worrisome how some individuals and high chiefs seeking autonomy often resort to the use of beaded crown even when their requests have not been granted, restating that anyone found parading himself as as a king shall face stringent punitive action.
The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, issued the warning on Tuesday, while presiding over a lingering Chieftaincy dispute between the Head of Irorin Quarters, Ilawe Ekiti, High Chief Sunday Olu Atolaju and the Alawe in Council.
Intervening in the festering crisis, Mrs Afuye, in a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, explained that the practice, by which a Chief parades himself as a king, was a flagrant violation of the Ekiti State Chiefs Law.
The Ekiti number two citizen, warned individuals and chiefs from wearing crowns all in the name of observing yearly or monthly cultural practices.
The Deputy Governor said that the present administration holds Ekiti tradition and traditional institution in high esteem and would not allow any act or action that could breed cultural disunity, violence or rewrite the Yoruba cultural heritage.
Mrs Afuye said: “Communities seeking autonomy should wait until Government pronounce them autonomous and no individual or group of people have the power to install a Chief or king without the approval of Government.
“The activities of Ifa Priests and Aworos in Ekiti should always be subject to the approval of prescribed authority in their domains and operate within the laws and principles of their tradition”.
Mrs Afuye, who expressed worry on the increasing cases of usurpation of power by many power drunk priests, said Governor Oyebanji’s administration detest actions that could denigrate the stool of traditional Rulers in Ekiti.
She reminded the people of the existing laws that forbid individuals from wearing beads, crowns and other paraphernalia of traditional stools except such a person had been installed lawfully and pronounced by the constituted authorities to occupy such position or act in that capacity.
At the peace parley, the Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, Oba Ajibade Alabi, represented by six Chiefs from Alawe in Council, led by the Elemo of Oke Emo, High Chief Gbenga Agbona ,emphasized that it was alien to the good people of Ilawe Ekiti, culture and traditions for priest to wear crown and other paraphernalia of office like a King, all in the name of festivals
The Alawe in Council said such practices often demonstrated by the High Chief Ororin of Irorin Quarters, Ilawe Ekiti, High Chief Sunday Atolaju was capable of bringing division in the ancient town.
The monarch urged government to stop him from parading himself as a king, saying that Ilawe Ekiti had one king and thus he should stop further action that could denigrate the stool of the paramount ruler in Ilawe Ekiti.
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The defendant and Head Chief of Irorin Quarters, Chief Sunday Olu Atolaju and his supporters presented pictorial evidence and other facts to justify their claims that the Head of Irorin Quarters was entitled to wear crown and other paraphernalia of office during their festival.
Chief Atolaju had in previous meeting claimed that their culture allows him to wear crown, saying that his predecessors has been practicing such from time immemorial.