• Urge Alake, Osile to call monarch to order
• They’re mischievous people, says Oba MacGregor
High Chiefs in Ilawo community within Odeda Local Council of Ogun State have pleaded with the paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo and that of Osile of Oke-Ona Egbaland, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, to call the Olu of Orile-Ilawo, Oba Alexander Olusegun MacGregor, to order over alleged closure of Ile-Ogboni in the town before the situation degenerates to crisis in the community.
Oluwo of Ilawo, Oluwole Dosunmu, as well as Balogun, Abraham Adebayo Soyoye and Akogun, Olufemi Ogunsanya, who made the appeal in separate interviews with newsmen in Abeokuta, accused Oba MacGregor of supporting suspended members of Ogboni, who came with some suspected thugs to attack the Ile-Ogboni when members of the Ogboni were having their regular meeting last Saturday.
Dosunmu described the action as abomination.
He said that never in the history of the ancient community within the domain of Osile of Oke-Ona Egbaland that a traditional ruler would allegedly support such closure of Ile-Ogboni whose members are vested with traditional role of running the affairs of the town.
He said that members of the Ogboni always play prominent traditional role in the emergence of any traditional ruler, stressing that such power to shut down Ile-Ogboni solely lies with him as Oluwo of Ilawo if there is crisis among members and not a traditional ruler usurping such role and power.
Soyoye, who spoke in the same vein, narrated his ordeal how the suspended members of Ogboni, alongside suspected thugs, called him severally unprintable names just to frustrate members of the Ogboni at the meeting to make them react accordingly which might degenerate to scuffle but they (suspended members) failed in their attempts to cause crisis among members.
Ogunsanya, who said the matter had been reported to both the Alake and Osile for their urgent intervention, insisted that no traditional ruler had such traditional power as provided by the law to carry out such power, except the Oluwo that exercises his power when there is crisis or division among members of the Ogboni.
He cautioned the monarch to restrain himself to Orile-Ilawo and not the entire community of Ilawo.
In his reaction, Oba MacGregor said that the chiefs were being mischievous by calling on Alake and Osile to prevail on him while they are actually the culprits.
He said the Oluwo, Balogun and other impostors were trying to make force insinuation about a duly-installed Oba by the governor of the state.
Oba MacGregor noted that Ogunsanya was not the Akogun of Ilawo but an imposter who had been warned on two occasions by Osile of Oke-Ona Egbaland, Oba Tejuosho, to desist from parading himself as the Akogun of Ilawo, as town has its own recognised and authentic Akogun, who is Wasiu Balogun.
According to him, the ongoing unrest that happened in Ile-Ogboni is known to everyone in the community, including the police in Adatan Area Command, adding that Ogunsanya had been warned that if they (Ogboni) wish to keep the place open for their operation, they have to prevent breach of peace in whatever form, as well as eschew violence.
