Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Family tree is antidote to Ifon-Osun crisis

SIR: The crisis over Ifon monarchy is becoming critical. And it is paramount that the parties involved come to a consensus. Obviously, there is no way any man can be deprived of his cultural right. It is a human right. In this matter, who is eligible to become the Olufon (the monarch of Ifon-Osun) in Osun State?

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As observed, the matter is in court. What has the court done about the matter? His Royal Majesty, Oba Al Moroof Adekunle Magbagbeola has been accused by other princes that he is not a blood relative of the royal family of Olumoyero, which he represents, and that he is from a Fulani ancestry. He has defended himself however, in several newspapers including National Life of Saturday March 14, 2009; Alaroye of February 12, 2009 and Alaroye of March 3, 2009. He insists that he is not a Fulani man and his enthronement was not influenced.

It is believed that the most important questions, which should be asked about this matter is: Who are the parents of the princes and that of the reigning monarch? If other princes are not comfortable about the monarch's enthronement on the ground of his ancestry, who is the grand father of the monarch and who gave birth to the monarch's great grand father. He needs to mention convincingly as well that his progenitor (that is, his great grand father or his relative has been king or is eligible to be king).

Therefore, the only solution to lay the Obaship crisis of Ifon-Osun to rest is for the king to roll out sincerely a family tree that shows how his generation emerged in the Olumoyero royal family.

Segun Ojo,

Lagos