An Oyo All Progressives Congress chieftain in Oyo State, Hon. Ishola Akeem Adetoyese has explained that the Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde’s attempt to re-write Oyo State Chiefs law is a deliberate intention to eradicate due process in Kings and Chiefs installations.
Adeyoyese, in his explanation said, the sudden move by the state government to amend the state chieftaincy law is evidenced that Makinde’s second term will be personalized and will be a tenure of absolute power abuse and autocracy.
It will be recalled that the Executive Council of Oyo State in its meeting two weeks ago proposed the amendment of the Chiefs Law particularly Section 28 of the Law which provides that, the Governor may from time to time after consultation with the Council of Obas and Chiefs of the State by order specify the chieftaincies, the holder for the time being of which are entitled to wear the beaded crown.
Section 28 of the state Law also manipulates that, the wearing of a beaded crown by chieftaincy holders in the State is at the discretion of the Governor by the provision of the present law and the Governor can only exercise his discretion after he must have consulted the Council of Obas and Chiefs but
the amendment sought by the Governor is to give him the right to exercise his discretion and turned himself to an autocratic government and oracle as provided by the Law unfettered.
The proposal for the amendment of the Chiefs Law particularly Section 28 has thereafter been sent to the Oyo State House of Assembly and passed through 3rd reading on the floor of the House with a public hearing held on the bill at the Oyo State House of Chiefs, secretariat, Ibadan.
Adetoyese, who’s also a member of the governing board of the Nigerian geological survey Abuja, in his reaction, urged Governor Makinde to rescind his order on the reform before the good people of the state detect his agenda for the reform.
” It is unfortunate that Governor Makinde now decided to be displaying his character as an authoritarian leader after securing his second term in office.
” The sudden proposal for Chieftaincy Law reform and fast track for reading and passing to bill at Oyo state House of Assembly without proper consultation and consideration of some factors associating with culture and tradition has shown that the state government has scores to settle with some traditional stakeholders in the state.
” A question to ask Governor Makinde is, of what benefit will it be to his profile if he eventually turned himself into an automatic kingmaker as well as an oracle in the state?
” Our state governor, need not use his office to fight many battles, because he is surely not the first governor to become governor twice in the state, so he should be more careful to learn from his predecessor’s mistakes. We all knew, how Governor Makinde against the odds won his second term election but seems too early to determine his second term administration ending from the start.
The APC stalwart in Oyo state however urged Governor Makinde not to overstretch his luck too much and that he should avoid unnecessary crises that would follow the so-called chiefs law reform.
” Governor Makinde should be reminded of the judgment of the federal court sitting in Ibadan on the so-called chiefs law reform that any chiefs law that’s not in conformity with customs and traditions would be rendered null, void and of no effect so in the customs and traditions of chiefs law of Oyo state, the governor is not the sole appointing authority of the kings and chiefs; the APC chieftain cautioned the governor.
“I call on all the traditional rulers in the state to rise against this law as it’s poised to eradicate the customs and traditions in the state; the APC stalwart urged
