Makinde Defends Elevation of Ibadan High Chiefs to Obas, Says Culture has Never Been Static

Ololade Adeyanju/

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has defended the elevation of 11 Ibadan High Chiefs to Obas by the Olubadan, Oba Olalekan Balogun.

Writing in the 67th edition of his bi-monthly newsletter, entitled, ‘About the Evolution of Culture’, the governor describes the development as an inevitable fallout of the evolution of culture.

The decision to elevate the Chiefs, who are members of the Olubadan-in-Council, to beaded crown-wearing kings has elicited mixed reactions, with one the beneficiaries, the Otun Olubadan and a former governor of the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, challenging the decision in court after rejecting his own crown.

Further justifying the decision, Makinde writes, “Culture has never been static, and it is the custodians of culture that decide how it should evolve, just as what happened in Oyo State. Following the elevation of 11 High Chiefs to Obas by the Olubadan and Olubadan-in Council, 10 of them are now kings wearing beaded crowns.

“We have seen mixed reactions to this decision. But as I have always stated, the traditional rulers are best positioned to reform the traditional system. If we have faith in the people occupying these roles, we can trust that any decisions they collectively reach are in the best interests of the traditional systems.”

The governor also reaffirms the commitment of his government to putting the limited resources available to it to the best possible use for the benefit of the people.

“Let me also use this opportunity to thank those who continue to write in response to our newsletters. We also thank those who speak out when things are not going right. As promised, under Omituntun 2.0, we will continue to work to make things better. Of course, there is only so much that any government can realistically do, given that we have limited resources. But we promise to maximise the use of these resources for the benefit of the people of Oyo State.”

He adds, “Truly, it takes a combination of praise and constructive criticism to foster growth, whether we are talking about personal growth or the growth of a nation. And we must continue to provide both in good measure.”

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