A group, Iree Youth Solidarity Front (IYSF) on Tuesday put a lie to publications that youths of the community staged a protest against the deposition of Prince Oluponle Ademola as Aree of Iree, by the new administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State.
It was also observed that Ademola has refused to vacate the palace, despite the executive order.
The group in a statement by its president, Mr Rasheed Adeyemo, and secretary, Miss Evelyn Adio, said the report was concorted to twist “the truth that Iree Youths are actually happy and celebrating the righting of the wrong done to the community.”
Dismissing the story of youth protest in Iree as “sheer bunkum”, the IYSF stated, “It is the figment of imagination of the author of the information, as we are all happy, celebrating the restoration of our traditional values, which the last administration through its commissioner for chieftaincy affairs, Mr. Adebayo Adeleke, widely known as Banik, deprived us of.
“We also reckon that the so-called protest was acted by a rented band of thugs recruited by outed Oluponle Ademola, to struggle to grant legitimacy to his illegal occupation of the palace of the Aree of Iree.
“We thank His Excellency, the people’s governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, for bringing peace back to Iree by deposing the illegal monarch imposed on us by the last administration and allowing the Iree kingmakers to perform their statutory role,” the group enthused.
The IYSF also urged Governor Adeleke, the state’s Commissioner of Police, and other heads of security agencies in the state to call to order, Banik, the former commissioner, and his relation, one Abdulwajud, to desist from formenting trouble in Iree by insisting on imposition of Ademola on the community.
Though Governor Adeleke sacked Ademola as Aree of Iree and other monarchs hurriedly appointed at the twilight of the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, it was observed that the illegal monarch remained in the ancient palace up till Tuesday night.
Earlier however, in the era of Oyetola, an Osun State High Court had also restrained Ademola from further parading himself as the Aree of Iree but the Osun State Government under oyetola, disobeying the court order, went ahead to give him official recognition.
Meanwhile, a leading contender to the vacant stool of Aree of Iree, Prince Ali Afolabi, has hailed the decision of Governor Adeleke, invalidating the selection of Prince Ademola as the new Aree.
Afolabi who is of Olubonku Ruling House is one of the 11 aspirants to the Iree Obaship position. He is also a United Kingdom lawyer and property developer.
Applauding the new governor as a respecter of the traditional institution, Afolabi said Monday’s sack of the illegally installed monarchs of Iree and Ikirun respectively, would go down in the history of Osun as the most timely step in correcting two brazen acts of injustice.
“We in Iree are grateful to our new governor for taking a bold step in correcting the brazen act of injustice imposed on a whole community by the past administration in the state.
“Iree has been noted for its tranquility, peace, enterprise, and orderliness, which all flow from its hallowed traditional institution.
“These time-tested values were recently ruptured by the interloper role played by some key officials in the last administration, who set aside laid-down rules in the succession procedure towards the appointment of a new Aree of Iree.
“These elements prevented the community’s kingmakers from having input in the selection of a new Oba for Iree and instead, used the instrumentality of their offices to appoint warrant officers to play the role of kingmakers.
“They even went further to appoint a new female Chief (an Iyalode) to replace a late kingmaker, which has never happened in the history of Iree; as our tradition does not allow a female kingmaker,” Afolabi recalled.
He said Adeleke’s deposition of the illegally installed monarch, Prince Oluponle Ademola, would go a long way in diffusing tension created by “the brazen act of injustice”.