The Ondo state government has declared that no king in the state has the right to paramountcy claim, revealing that paramountcy is not part of the Chief’s Law of Ondo State.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Charles Titiloye, said this in Akure, Monday, while releasing the White Paper on the Justice C.E.T. Ajama (rtd) Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Chieftaincy Matters.
Titiloye disclosed that the immediate past administration under Dr. Olusegun Mimiko instituted the commission on January 30, 2015 to attend to recognition, adjustment, upgrading and elevation of chieftaincy stools in the state.
He added that the Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu-led administration set up a six-man committee at the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting held on January 12, 2022 to review the recommendations made by the Justice Ajama Commission.
He noted that the new committee set up by the present administration reviewed it and prepared the Government White Paper on the report, settling 51 disputed chieftaincy stools across the 18 local government areas of the state.
The Attorney General, who disclosed that the new report was received on August 24, 2022, said the SEC directed that its decisions on the recommendation should be published in Government White Paper.
Amongst the new stools are: Olurokun of Irokun, Osolo of Isolo, Osowa of Ugboroko, while government accepted the recommendations on Akure and Arogbo-Ijaw High Chiefs that are classed as Grade C Obas, and to receive staff of office soon.
He mentioned that 42 Grade C Obas were moved to Grade B but the Owa-Ale of Iyo-Mefa, Ikare; Ajana of Afa Oke-Agbe, Olumoru of Imoru, Ojomo of Ijebu-Owo, Elemure of Emure-Ile and Moporure of Agerige were elevated to Grade A, while Oloba of Oba and Niyon of Kiribo remained on Grade C.
Also, out of 20 Grade B Obas, 16 including Orunja of Odigbo, Olupele of Ipele and Olujare of Ijare were elevated to Grade A; but Olupe of Ipe, Oloba of Oba-Akoko, Ojima of Okeluse and three others remained on Grade B.
Speaking on paramountcy, he, however, pointed out that “Government is in receipt of the recommendation of the commission on paramountcy of some traditional rules in the state.”