By Amidu Arije
To avert eminent communal crisis in Odo Ragunshin town over a lingering Obaship tussle, the community chiefs, youths and the likes have called for the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s intervention.
Odo Ragunshin is an ancient city in Epe area of Lagos with a close boundary with Ogun state Nigeria.
The last time the ancient city had a kingship over their domain was nine years ago after the demise of Oba Julius Olagoke Ogunsanya (JP) the community has been in combo.
Efforts by the Kingmakers to install a new King in line with the customs and tradition of the community has been truncated by vested powers which the chieftaincy holders kicked against saying no one should imposed king on them.
In the race to the kingship are three contestants Prince Adetomiwa Odutuga, Oreshile Oluwashina and Yusuf Sesan. Of the three contestants, all the chieftaincy title holders in the community preferred candidate is Prince Adetomiwa Odutuga.
According to investigations, during the era of Oba Ogunsanya, the community knows peace and development. Indigenes enjoy government support but all these have eroded them now for nine years without an Oba. The chiefs also disclosed even though there is a Lisa (regent) who oversees the affairs of the community, but he has not been able to integrate interests and galvanize support that would bring desired development as he is not recognize by government.
Odo Ragunshin is the host to the late governor of Lagos state, Chief Micheal Otedola whose wife still lives in the ancient town till date.
According to the chiefs who spoke with newsmen, it was Mama Otedola that is not making the town have an edge way in its pursuit of a new king.
The king makers accused the matriarch of imposing a candidate who is not popular or have the interest of the town at heart on them.
According to them the community has been in a perpetual darkness for years due to faulty transformer but the acclaimed imposed candidate do nothing to it except the Tomiwa who the majority of the community want as king intervened within a week and supplied them with two new transformers which have ended the years of light agony and pains.
According to them, if the community must prosper and live in harmony and peace, Otedola’s wife candidate must not be installed king over them.
The fuming community members said, it is against their tradition that a woman who was married into the community for that to imposed or even have a say in who becomes their king.
They called on Governor Sanwo-Olu to intervene quickly in the lingering intral community crisis before it boomerang and escalated into blood shed.
One of the title chieftaincy holders, the Iyalode of the community, Chief Rasheedat Olusola Oladega unequivocally rebuked the choice of imposition attempt by the Otedola family saying the only choice of the town remains Prince Tomiwa.
She said; “we are not given in for imposition of a king on us in this community, our only choice is Tomiwa and that is the only person all of us are supporting to be our next king.
We want it on record that we will resist imposition of a king on us by anyone. The popular choice is whom we are going for. He has the love of the community and people at heart. When we were having epileptic power issue due to faulty transformer, we approach him and in less than two weeks, he provided the community with two transformers. The other persons show no concern for the community, how are we going to allow such persons to rule over us.”
Another chief, the youth leader of the town Mr Safurani Arasi said it is the turn of the Arasi royal lingae to present a new king and they have done this by presenting Prince Tomiwa and this is the choice of the entire community.
“This Obaship tussle has caused a lot of havoc in the community, it has bring about hatred and internal wranglings, we are suspect of one another, peace and harmony have delude us since the past nine years of the demsie of Oba Ogunsanya. We have not enjoy any government presence in this community.
It is even worst that some vested powers have been working to impose king on us, if this happens, there might likely be communal clashes because no one support imposition. We are calling on our Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu to quickly intervene in this matter to prevent war. We believe the Governor will not support injustice, we want him to weigh in and do the people’s wish and not the vested view interest. The wish of the people is to have Prince Tomiwa as our king.”
Speaking on efforts the community has made to ensure a seamless power transition, the youths spokesperson, Moshood said they have written the state government and when there wasn’t any positive outcome, they staged a peaceful protest at the Lagos State House of Assembly to appeal the lawmakers to intervene in the imbroglio.
All these efforts according to him have not yielded any positive outcome as the community still remain without a king.
While appealing for quick intervention, Moshood said the choice of king the community want is Prince Tomiwa.
Others who spoke with newsmen spoke in unison in support of Prince Tomiwa as their choice while saying they stand against imposition by few vested powers in the community.
