Lagos community protests to state Assembly, wants commissioner to hands off kingship tussle

Alade Tasma

Residents of Orimedu Community in Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos on Tuesday stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly to protest an alleged attempt by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Muslim Folami to impose an Oba on the community, saying “o to ge”

The protesters were armed with placards with different inscriptions such as; “Hon Folami, stop bribing our kings, no room for imposition,” “Hon Muslim Folami betrayed APC,” “Accord Party Leader cannot install a king in Lagos State,” “Folami, stop bastardizing our traditional institution.

Others were, “Folami, do not make our kingship do or die,” “Folami must go, O to ge,” “Folami commissionership is a curse rather blessing,” “LASG/LAHA & Concerned authorities call Folami to order” and ”Folami do not make our community a war zone.”

Speaking to the Assembly Correspondents, the leader of the protesters, Mr. Issa Olayinka, who spoke on their behalf, accused the Commissioner of attempting to impose one Ibrahim Akodu as the Oba of the community through the backdoor.

“We are from Orimedu in Ibeju Lekki. We are here concerning the attempt of the State Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Hon. Muslim Folami to impose a king on Orimedu community.

“The Onimedu of Orimedu died about four months ago and we have about seven months to perform traditional rites before a successor could be installed. This, according to tradition has procedures and protocols that has to be followed.

“There is a declaration that it is now the turn of Oke Oshodi Quarters out of the six quarters in the area to produce the next king.

“The issue now is that the people in Oke Oshodi quarters would have to come together and discuss with the ‘afobaje’ kingmakers,” he said.

Olayinka disclosed that though, the commissioner is from Orimedu but he is not from Oke Oshodi quarters.

He explained that the elders of Oke Oshodi quarters have asked each of the 11 families in the quarters to bring one candidate each including the family of Ibrahim Akodu, who is the present Chief Akinrogun of the community and Folami’s candidate.

“By tradition, Akodu supposed to relinquish his present position if he wants to contest for the kingship, but the commissioner is saying that he should retain the seat.

“We were told that Folami had the approval of the Governor to do this, which was why we wrote a letter to the Governor.

“There are about 14 candidates for the kingship, but Folami’s candidate had not been coming for the meetings that others have been attending.

“Though Ibrahim Akodu is from the quarters, he is yet to obtain form for the Kingship and has not been meeting with us all because of his closeness to the commissioner,” Oluyinka alleged.

The spokesperson further revealed that they had met with the commissioner and invited him for meetings several times, stressing that they had written letters to the State Governor, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, the lawmaker representing Ibeju Lekki Constituency 2, Hon. Raheem Kazeem and the lawmaker representing Ibeju Lekki Constituency 1, Hon. Fatai Mojeed on the issue.

The letters, according to him, were dated 7th January, 2019.

Addressing the protesters on behalf of the House, the lawmaker representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 2, Hon. Jude Idimogu thanked them for the peaceful manner at which they have conducted themselves, assuring them that the House will look into their complaints and get back to them.