Oluwo of Iwo land, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale, was, on Friday, suspended for six months by the Osun State Council of Traditional Rulers.
It was gathered that the suspension was against the backdrop of Oba Akanbi’s attempt to drag the state’s traditional institution into a state of disrepute with his alleged public misconducts.
The suspension order took place during an emergency meeting held at the Osun State Government Secretariat, Abere, on Friday.
The meeting was presided over by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
The Orangun of Ila, Oba Wahab Adedotun told newsmen after the meeting that the decision to suspend the Oluwo was not because of his alleged assault on the Agbowu of Ogbaagbaa but due to his misconducts to other traditional rulers in Yorubaland, including the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the Alake of Egbaland and the Ooni of Ile-Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
The Oluwo had been alleged to have punched a fellow monarch, Oba Dhikurulahi Akinropo last Friday during a peace meeting at the instance of the Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone XI, Bashir Makama to resolve a dispute between the him (Oluwo) and members of Iwo Traditional Rulers Council.
The council at its emergency meeting held at the Finance Building at the State Secretariat on Friday banned the monarch from attending its meetings. It also constituted a committee headed by the Orangun of Ila, Oba Wahab Adedotun to further investigate the matter.
Meanwhile, the Oluwo has described as political his purported suspension.
He argued that the reasons cited by the council was “porous, lacking logic and do not portray the revered traditional council in good light as they refused to address the allegation that he punched a monarch, the reason for the meeting.”
Oba Akanbi said any suspension from the Osun State traditional council meeting was subject to the approval of the state government.
He described the suspension as an audio pronouncement, declaring that it was unprofessional of the respected Osun State traditional council to make such pronouncement without the approval of the state government.
Reacting through a statement issued by his press secretary, Alli Ibraheem, the Oluwo said that the arguments for his suspension was out of context. He added that the reason the emergency meeting was summoned by the council was not addressed. Oluwo said he was surprised to note that his purported suspension for his conduct against a certain traditional ruler was strange to the traditional institution book of history and will never stand.
He expressed disappointment that the traditional council could be turned to an avenue of playing politics.
He stated that “the highest level of injustice was for the council to say I was rude to the same Ooni who presided over a meeting where they said I was suspended.
“I was never suspended. The suspension reported by the media is just from the monthly Osun State Traditional Council meeting which is subject to the approval of the state government. It is sad to note that Osun State Traditional Council could be so political. They said I was rude to Alake, Ooni and Alaafin and the same Ooni presided over the same meeting that purportedly pronounced my suspension from the Osun State traditional council meeting. If this should stand, many monarchs will not be encouraged to regard the council as being impartial. It is just an audio pronouncement and an insult to the state government without consultation by the council.
“We were invited to address the allegation that I punched another Oba. The AIG and the government officials present came to the meeting as witnesses and gave an account that I didn’t beat any Oba. Maybe because the truth from the witnesses didn’t go with their expectation, they hatched an unfounded excuse to make an audio suspension.
“It is pure political and there are many things attached but we keep mute to see how far this will stand,” he added.