Iju Ogundimu may not be known to so many people in print, but the peaceful town sits in the heart of Ifako-Ijaiye local government area and bordering Iju-Ishaga, Ajuwon and other towns in the local government.
The traditional head of the town is the Oniju of Iju Ogundimu, a position that has been left vacant since the demise of HRM Oba Elijah Olanire, who passed away sometimes in February, 2018.
Since the transition to afterlife of Oba Olanire, several efforts have been made to fill the vacant stool. One of which was the vacancy notice made public by the chieftaincy department of Ifako-Ijaiye local government on 12th of September, 2018 and signed by the council manager, Ogunbambi A. A.
The notice directed the next ruling house, Ilupokiki Chieftaincy family of Iju Ogundimu to put forward the next candidate to occupy the vacant stool within the next 30 days from the date of the public notice, a directive which, according to the family, had been acted upon before the expiration of the 30 days window.
A look at the Lagos state Chieftaincy declaration regulating the selection to the stool of Oba of Iju Ogundimu chieftaincy title; buttressed the rotational arrangement among the three ruling families.
The first part of the declaration reads; “There are three (3) ruling houses and the identity of each ruling ruling house are as follows; i. Ogundimu ruling house, ii. Ilupokiki ruling house, iii. Aganran ruling house.
The second part read thus; the order of rotation in which the ruling houses entitled to provide candidate to fill successive vacancies in the Chieftaincy shall be; i. Ogundimu ruling house ii. Ilupokiki ruling house. iii. Aganran ruling house.
A check on the next ruling house, Ilupokiki Omolomo shows that they had through an internal democracy, resolved to the choice of Prince Tajudeen Olanrewaju Adio Sunmonu Agbebi and had written to Ifako-Ijaiye local government their readiness to fill the vacant stool, a situation which had resolved to an ‘incommunicado’ between the local government chieftaincy department and the Ilupokiki ruling house.
Another fact check showed that a Prince from the Ogundimu ruling house, where the last king, HRM Oba Elijah hailed from and who is believed to be an ally of the Ifako/Ijaiye local government Chairman, has started putting himself forward as the next in rank to succeed Oba Elijah. This wouldn’t have raised a dust if there were no chieftaincy declaration backing the rotation among the three ruling families.
The impasse has left indigenes and residents of Iju Ogundimu monarchless for almost three years and may continue for as long as the the status quo remain.
In a chat with a referred royal father in Ogun state, HRM Prof. Adeyemi Obalanlege, the Olota of Ota, on the importance and roles of traditional rulers in the society, he opined that traditional rulers often give advice to modern politicians in such questions as economic policy, security, culture and customs, and general well being of the citizens.
Olota added that royal fathers fills a lacuna in the society and one of such is; settling land disputes and resolving minor conflicts among their subjects.
All of these roles which are very healthy to the development of democracy in the country are currently being deprived of the indigenes and residents of Iju Ogundimu.
Speaking with one of the family members of Ilupokiki ruling house, who craved anonymity, he indicted the Chairman of Ifako Ijaiye local government for shielding Prince Jimoh Ogundimu who is his close ally and a member of Ogundimu ruling house where the last king, late Oba Elijah Olanire hailed from.
“There is a deliberate attempt to create an interregnum on the stool of Oniju of Iju Ogundimu by the Chairman of Ifako-Ijaiye local government, Oloruntoba Oke who was sometimes in 2019, suspended by the Lagos state House of Assembly ‘for administrative incompetence and financial recklessness. He is a close friend of Prince Jimoh Ogundimu, a member of Ogundimu ruling house who has been putting himself forward as the Oba elect of iju Ogundimu”. Our source disclosed.
The point of call is on the Commissioner for local government and Community Affairs in the state, Dr. Wale Ahmed to save the good people of Iju Ogundimu from further operating a monarchless system in Iju Ogundimu.
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