The Ekiti State Government has warned traditional chiefs across the 140 statutory communities in the state against resisting or declining summons issued to them by the state while intervening in any chieftaincy or communal issue.
The government threatened that any Chief who disrespects the state by declining to appear before a panel to clarify any issue without tenable reasons shall henceforth face disciplinary action.
The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, handed down the warning on Wednesday while presiding over a petition written by the Alararomi of Araromi Ekiti, in Ijero Local Government Area, Oba Adebomi Babalola against two of his chiefs.
As contained in the petition, Oba Babalola had accused the Eesa of Araromi Ekiti, Chief Olufemi Toyebi,, and Ojumu, Chief Idowu Atewogbola of installing one Mr. Bayo Alu as Odofin of the community without deferring to him as the prescribed authority, describing this as a flagrant insubordination and disrespect.
While presiding over the matter, the Deputy Governor, via a statement signed by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, stoutly frowned at the absence of the chiefs at the parley despite being contacted by the Ministry to inform them about the sitting.
Mrs Afuye, represented by the Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Home Affairs, Hon. Ojo Atibioke, said disrespect to constituted authorities was becoming a recurrent decimal among the chiefs and that such won’t be brooked under any guise.
“The government will take punitive actions against some of our Chiefs for disrespecting the state authorities, by resisting or turning down summons to appear before it to resolve a crisis in their communities.
“We can’t but take serious actions against such conduct, because we won’t fold our arms and allow our state to be disrespected. What the chiefs did by not appearing today is punishable. They claimed that they were sick. How can the three of them fall sick at the same time?
“All these acts of disrespect must stop. What we are doing here is to ensure that we have peace in all our towns, in line with the agenda of Governor Biodun Oyebanji and we won’t allow anyone to frustrate us”.
Speaking to his petition, the Alararomi, Oba Babalola, alleged that the three individuals had allegedly been causing division and stoking the fire of acrimony in the community, by running a parallel government to debase his stool.
The monarch appealed that the erring chiefs must be punished for disrespecting the state and his stool to serve as a deterrent to others, who are fond of treating the government and traditional institution with contempt and disdain.
The monarch also requested the government to order the installed Chief should stop parading himself as a traditional title holder in the community, saying he is not recognized in line with the Ekiti State Chiefs Law.
Speaking about the matter, a first-class monarch and Ajero of Ijero, Oba Joseph Adebayo Adewole, said the offense committed by the two traditional chiefs was grave and punishable under the law.
Oba Adewole averred that what they did was tantamount to insubordination and stoking of fire of division in the town.
“Only the king can install a chief, and the Ekiti State Chiefs Law said that whoever installs a Chief without the consent and approval of the prescribed monarch has committed a punishable offense.
“It was spelled out in the state chief law and edict that whoever that is installed had also committed an offense as well. So, the three of them are prosecutable”, the first-class monarch stated.
