Group urges Makinde to confirm Saratu Konibaje as Iyaloja-General      …. releases court document showing why no monarch has power to appoint Babaloja, Iyaloja

For emerging winners on two consecutive occasions as the preferred choice of the traders across the 33 local governments and winning seven of the 12 clusters of the market groups in Oyo State, a group, Oke-Ogun Market Stakeholders (OOMS), has appealed to  Governor Seyi Makinde, to direct the state Commissioner for Trade, Industry, Investment and Cooperatives, to issue certificate of recognition as Iyaloja-General to Alhaja Saratu Aduke Konibaje.

The Coordinator of the group, Alhaja Asmau Adegoke, in a statement to journalists, urged another contender for the position of Iyaloja-General, Princess Folashade Abeo, to allow peace to reign and stop precipitating crisis over who leads the traders in the state.

Alhaja Adegoke, a renowned Saki, Oke-Ogun-based trader also attached copies of the state High Court judgment in a similar case of Babaloja-General of the dtate where the court directed that no traditional ruler has the powers to appoint or install same.

The septuagenarian said the process was allowed to rest when Governor Makinde a democrat who believed in the rule of law asked the traders in the state to follow due process as ordered by the court.

This due process, according to her, later produced Alhaji Y.K. Abass, and the same process produced Alhaja Saratu Aduke Konibaje, as Babaloja-General and Iyaloja-General of Oyo State, respectively.

In the court papers with suit number I/868/2020 Certified True Copy of which was produced by High Court 11, the judge had stated, “…It is hereby declared that no traditional ruler in Oyo has the competence/right to select/appoint/install/confer/recognize anyone as with Babaloja-General of Oyo State, the recognized head of all traders/market men and women in Oyo State.”

“It is hereby declared that the right or competence to select, appoint, install or confer on or recognize anyone with the title of Babaloja-General of Oyo State is the exclusive right/preserve of traders in all markets in Oyo State acting through their (selected) recognized representatives comprised in the Oyo State Market Leaders’ council set up by the third defendant,” the court added in veil reference to the initial proclamation of Alhaji Abass as Babaloja-General of Oyo State by the late Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji.

Adegoke while asking the state government to respect the process that threw up Saratu Aduke Konibaje, also enjoined Governor Makinde to beware of ‘unsolicited advisers’ bent on misleading him to go against the rule of law on one hand and the position of the larger percentage of traders on another hand.

“This matter has been allowed to fester for too long and it is already creating tension in the markets because our people have spoken loud and clear that Saratu Aduke Konibaje is their preferred Iyaloja-General of the state.

“A certain Mogaji Wale Oladoja who obviously is out of tune with this reality in concert with few other disgruntled aides of the governor are hellbent on imposing an impostor and this would breed acrimony in the markets and result in lack of confidence in the state government and especially our adorable governor.

“As stakeholders and representatives of all traders in the state, we have decided through votes and other means that Saratu Aduke Konibaje is our Iyaloja-General. The late Alaafin or any Oba for that matter cannot decide for us who should be our Leader and that matter has already been settled in the court of law.

“Acting otherwise would amount to contempt of court because the due process has been followed and it favoured Saratu Aduke. It was the same process that produced the reigning Babaloja-General. Enough is enough, let there be peace by ensuring compliance with the due process that had been followed as ordered by the court in a similar case,” Adegoke added.