The village heads said the project tagged: "Omo Oko" is to ensure that someone who has a traceable lineage in Ilawo clan becomes the next monarch of the community.
The village heads revealed this in a communique made available to newsmen after a meeting held last weekend at the Alagbagba town hall in Ilawo.
Baales present at the meeting were Baale Lerin Ilawo, Ariku, Ajimagbo, Oniworo, Aba Adu, Obosokoto, Alagbaa, Aba Ojo, Aba Soaga, Aba Akinola, Oju Egba, Aba Akande, Aba Akinlolu, Abule Daso Ido, Aba Sotiyo, Bamigboye, Elesin, Onigbodogi, Aba Isadiyimu , Dende, Ajagbeka, Aba Alamu, Aba Jaiyeola, Itori. Aba Itoku, Balogun, and Aba Igbore, among others.
The village heads reiterated their stance that nobody can impose an oba over them.
The village head noted that the next Olu of Orile Ilawo must be chosen from the soil, not an alien.
They lamented that Orile Ilawo is reportedly losing its potentials to Ibadan because of wrong leadership in Ilawo clan.
They stressed that appointing a true son of the soil, with known and verifiable history, will be beneficial to the success of the community at large.
The communique read in part, "We, the indigenous baales of Orile Ilawo believe this project to install an original son of the soil and particularly our mission to ensure Justice prevails will create so many remarkable changes and will benefit the target which ultimately are the indigenous people of Orile Ilawo.”
"Over the recent period, Orile Ilawo, which remains our sanctuary has structurally deteriorated to the point of potential loss to Ibadan people if nothing is done. This has mainly been caused by years of wrongful appointment of non indigenes becoming leader of a clan they know absolutely nothing about and that has to stop.
“Under the last Oba, no single history worthy achievement was recorded for more than 11 years served and rumour has it that he was even imposed as the king after some transactional moves. This, we would leave for history and our ancestors to judge because its an aberration on our clan. This infact, was probably why the man could not do a single thing because he is not from here in Orile Ilawo. He does not know anything about the people of Orile Ilawo. Nothing about our basic culture, history, present, daily lives, boundaries, villages, challenges etc.
“Now, appointing a true son of the soil, with known and verifiable history, and who has shown love and capability over the years for Orile Ilawo, to the stool of Orile Ilawo will be beneficial to the success of the community at large.”
Also speaking after the meeting, a prominent chief in Ilawo, Rafiu Sodiya said it will be a slap on the community to install someone without traceable lineage as the monarch.
He said, "What is actually happening is that we have an age long process, traditions, customs and norms before we appoint anybody as the Oba, but this processes are being eroded and all of a sudden, we heard that the government officials at the local government level appointed somebody who is a stranger to us all in Orile Ilawo. He has no family connection or relation, no village, nothing whatsoever here that connects him to Orile Ilawo. How can such person become Oba over us?”
Another village head, Baale of Abule Egbeyemi, Chief Lamidi Alaga, said the communities in Ilawo will continue to be resilient and ensure the new project is achieved.
He added, “We will continue to be resilient, and we take this opportunity to emphasize our dedication to each other and to a shared mission of ensuring Orile Ilawo does not make the same mistake again when they passively allowed the last Oba who did not come from Orile Ilawo to be installed without due diligence and consultation.”
Also speaking at the town hall meeting , Chief Lawrence Ogunsanya, one of the contestants to the stool had said “ I am concerned about our sanctuary - Orile Ilawo more than ever. Our forefathers grew up here. We all know each other from one village to the other. Many of our forefathers lost their lives in the protection of our clan and boundaries from non-indigenes like the “poacher” doing everything illegally to become king of a clan he has no verifiable history with right now. I therefore respectfully request you all, our elders intervention on this matter. Your support will help us conduct the necessary efforts and to run our programs hence reinstating normalcy in Orile Ilawo which remains our sanctuary.”
“The alleged impostor parading himself as the “Olu of Ilawo” in flagrant disobedience to lawful order for preservation of RES, distributed invitation letters to members of the public to attend a meeting with him in the capacity of “OLU OF ILAWO.” This is illegal and I learnt this has since been petitioned by the residents and the impostor already warned by the Commissioner of Police and the DSS. He should not come and create problems here or anywhere throughout Ilawo. “
Meanwhile, the village dwellers and Village heads who thronged the Alagbagba township hall from over 100 villages for the grand meeting further demanded that the appointment and installation of a new traditional ruler in the town should not be taken with levity as the demands and yearnings of the indigenous people to finally install a son of the soil with verifiable lineage and history must be accepted.
Addressing the crowd after the grand meeting at the town hall, Dr David Ogunsanya said, “It is challenging to put into words how proud I am of you all who have come out today and all of the wishful things we all desire for Orile Ilawo in the future and with that being said I want to draw this quote from Confucius: “Whatever you do, do with all your heart.”
"We all here are family one way or the other. You all have walked and worked with our true sons contesting through some of the most turbulent times in Orile Ilawo and for that, we are eternally grateful and will always do the same for you.
"Let us always remember that we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children and whatever we do now, especially on this particular issue will have far reaching consequences on the future of our clan- Ilawo.
"If our forefathers bequeathed Orile Ilawo to us, then we should leave them to our children as we have received them and not let strangers and aliens take over or become leader over what collectively belongs to us. Inadvertently, I am speaking of the life of every man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children.”
Chief Joseph Sowummi, Bada of Ilawo and also a contestant for the stool revealed the need to wait on the several on going court processes and decisions on all these matter surrounding the stool.
He called for outright declaration of the process that was conducted by the local government as null and void.
He further said that plans were on ground to unite everyone in the community.
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