Some residents of Imasayi in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, on Wednesday, protested against alleged imposition of Oba Lukman Olalekan Kuoye as the Olu of Imasayi.
The state government had in August installed and presented staff of office to Kuoye as the new Oba.
But some residents in their large number protested against the monarch’s emergence, describing his selection process as “politically motivated.”
The protesters who sang solidarity songs to express their displeasure, carried placards with various inscriptions. Some of which read “No Oba In Imasayi oooo. We don’t support imposition in the process,” “Good People of Imasayi Go against Kuoye Lukuman As Oba Imasayi,” “We don’t want political king in Imasayi,” among others.
Speaking with newsmen, the Balogun of Imasayi, Chief Timothy Rotimi Akinleye, lamented that Kuoye was “imposed on the community despite being an alien in the community.”
Akinleye said Kuoye’s emergence contravened the age long process, traditions, customs and norms for the appointment and installation of the Olu of Imasayi.
He called on the state government to reverse the process to ensure the “right process is followed.”
.He said, “The message is that we have no Olu of Imasayi as at present, we want the government as a listening government to listen to the yearnings of the people and reverse the case, the elders must now sit down, call on the Ifa Oracle, the ruling house Oyesoku must present a candidate, then they would screen the candidate and spread it to the appropriate quarters for further examination before that man, maybe two will be recommended, then we will look into it and choose the best among them.”
Reacting, the new Oba dismissed the allegations, saying his emergence followed due process.
He added that the aggrieved residents should go to court if they have genuine case rather resorting to protest.
Kuoye said, “If truly we are interested in developing Imasayi and taking it out of the shackles of oppression, all we need to do is to say ‘yes, Oba has emerged, let us come together and build Imasayi of our dream.
“One of the reasons why I am very passive about what’s happening is that I have concluded within myself that I am not going to rule over a divided town.
“That’s one of the reasons I have been absorbing them. And it is like that are taking me for granted now. I didn’t put myself here. My family nominated me. The kingmakers selected me and the government has done the needful.
“If they have any issue, instead of disturbing the peace of the town, they should go to court. Court is there if they have genuine matter, why are they protesting? For what?
“I’m telling you authoritatively, in this town, I have more than 95 percent support. If they know I am an alien in Imasayi, why then are they supporting me?”
