• It’s arbitrary use of power, authority – Oba Balogun
Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The crisis rocking the traditional institution in Ibadanland has taken a new twist as the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso I, has ordered that there should be no masquerade dance for Ibadan obas and some chiefs, during the 2018 Egungun festival which begins today.
Daily Sun gathered that masqueraders in Ibadan, on yearly basis, in the last 42 years, have consistently been staging special shows for Ibadan chiefs in their family compounds, with the permission of Olubadan, since the reign of late Oba Gbadamosi Adebimpe, in 1976.
Those who will be affected by the order are the second-in-command to the Olubadan, Oba Lekan Balogun, who is the Otun Olubadan and the Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, as well as other selected members of the Olubadan-in-Council.
Oba Adetunji, in a statement by his Personal Assistant/Director of Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Adeola Oloko, yesterday, said: “Although no reason was given for the last minute suspension of masquerade dance for Ibadan ‘high chiefs’, it might not be unconnected with security reason, arising from the controversial chieftaincy review that confers kingship without domain on ‘high chiefs.”
Olubadan stated that he held a two-hour security meeting with stakeholders at his Popoyemoja, Ibadan palace, at the weekend, adding that the decision to suspend the masquerade dance this year in the overall public interest.
He said: “As the chief custodian of our culture and tradition, I also owe it a duty to work in tandem with the law enforcement agents not to turn the celebration of our custom and tradition into a theatre of war.”
The Olubadan, who commended the security operatives for smooth-free Oke’Badan Festival last March, urged them to raise the bar of egungun festival this year.
He also appealed to other stakeholders to cooperate with law enforcement agents by operating within the ambit of the law.
In a swift reaction to the ban, Oba Balogun described the ban by the Olubadan as an arbitrary use of power and authority.
“We won’t take it. Olubadan wants to distort and destroy tradition and wants to use us to fight tradition, but, we won’t succumb to his antics,” he said.
The security meeting convened by Olubadan at the weekend was said to have been attended by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, A. O. Abimbola, who represented Oyo Police Commissioner; ACP Dan Miller from Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Iyaganku; Mrs. B. T. Agboola, who represented the Director of Department of State Services (DSS) and five divisional police officers of Mokola, Yemetu, Mapo, Idi Aro and Agugu.
As gathered, leaders of masqueraders’ association in Ibadanland, including the Alagbaa, Baale Labala and others, reportedly attended the meeting.