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Monday 19 October 2015

Controversy Rages Over Announcement Of New Ooni - Tribune


As the nation awaits the announcement of the new Ooni of Ife, following the death of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, on July 29 this year, more controversies emerged during the weekend over the impact which the demise of the Ooni’s second-in-command and head of the kingmakers, Obalufe of Iremo, Oba Samuel Folorunso Omisakin last Thursday, will have on the selection of the new monarch.

Rumour doing the rounds had claimed that one of the contestants for the exalted stool of the Ooni, whose candidature had in the last few weeks, been enmeshed in controversy following allegations that he was being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged forgery, would be announced during the week as the new Ooni-elect.
It was also alleged that some individuals were piling pressure on the family of the late Obalufe to ensure he is buried at the earliest possible time, so that  a new Obalufe could emerge and conclude the rites to usher the new Ooni.
However, speaking with Sunday Tribune by phone from the United States of America, Obalufe’s eldest son, Prince Omidiran Omisakin, dismissed the insinuation that the family was under pressure to bury the late Obalufe.
“We own our father and nobody can force us to bury him when we are not ready to.
“I have brothers and sisters in Australia, the USA and Brazil. Can our father be buried without their input? Did anyone stampede the children of Oba Sijuwade into burying him?
“We shall make our position on our father’s burial and allegations surrounding his death to the media via a statement on Tuesday.
 On whether the new Ooni could be unveiled without a new Obalufe, Omisakin said he was not sure, but doubted whether it could be done.
“All I know is that it is the Obalufe who announces a new Ooni. How can you do an election in Nigeria without INEC?”
Omisakin reiterated that his father had not endorsed any candidate before his demise, saying that he could not do so while background checks of all the Ooni-hopefuls were still being done.
He also dismissed insinuations that the late Obalufe may have been poisoned because of his hard stance on the due process in the selection of the new Ooni.
“My father was not poisoned. The day he died, he had just finished speaking with my mother for about 15 minutes when he collapsed. He, my mum and the maid were the only people at home and there was no indication whatsoever that he was poisoned.
“Obalufe made his position clear that he could not support or endorse any candidate being investigated for fraud or any untoward activity, particularly as the background checks on all the contestants were still being carried out.
“Obalufe did not append his signature to any document. As Obalufe, he would only endorse the candidate chosen by the 15 other chiefs,” he said.

Via - Tribune

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