Jimba Oja Community Rejects New King, Accuses Kwara Commissioner Of Misleading Governor In Appointment Decision

Ilorin, Kwara State– The Jimba Oja Descendant Congress has  distanced itself from Oba Adebayo, who was recently appointed by the Kwara State Government as the new king of the Jimba Oja community.

The Jimba Oja community leaders allege that the appointment was made under a misunderstanding, which they attribute to misinformation provided by Honourable Abdullah Abubakar Bata, the Commissioner for the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs, and Community Development in Kwara State

In a press conference held in Ilorin on Friday, Alhaji Olanrewaju Bakare, Administrator General of the Jimba Descendant Congress, stated that the community’s concerns and disappointment over the selection process.

Mr Bakare claimed that the newly appointed king does not reflect the wishes of the Jimba Oja people or the community’s traditional kingmakers.

“Our community was not adequately represented in the selection process, and this appointment is not in line with our customs,” Bakare stated, appealing directly to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazq to review the decision.

He urged the governor to consult with the community’s elders and ensure the rightful candidate is chosen according to local traditions.

He alleged that the currently announced Oba, which is a person of Adebayo Ismaila, To the community, he is an imposter.

” Jimba Oja community Congratulated Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazq for his appointment as the chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum.

“We here this morning purposely to appeal to our governor and put a facts before him because we know truth needs no validation. When you speak the truth, you stand for the truth, you act the truth, and we know our governor for doing  that because truth needs no validation.

“We’re appealing to our governor to please rectify the appointment of king for Jimba Oja community. Because the facts about the currently announced Oba, which is a person of Adebayo Ismaila. To the community, he is an imposter. I repeat, to the community, he is an imposter, and he has no right to be our king, not to talk of being appointed by a sitting government that is very credible for standing for the truth.

Mr Bakare said after the demise of their king, Pa Jimoh Akoni Oyewale,  the Afobaja in council commenced a process of succession to appoint a new king and in that process, the Afobaja in council stood with the tradition of the two ruling houses that exist since their days of Balaship.

According to him, “We used to have Bale in our community, until recently, that we were upgraded to the status of order,  and after that upgrading, Jimoh Akani, our pass Oba, appointed more chiefs in council for the running of the community.

“Among these chiefs and elders, forward specifically distinguished to be appointed as Afobaja in council,  and the four are Alhaji Wahab Hassan, Me Momonu Alade, the Ajikobi of Jimba, Mr Ganiyu Imam, the Akintokun of Jimba, and Alhaji AbdulRahman Adigun as the Elemosho of Jimba.

He explained that four people were constituted into the Afobaja in council.

Bakare said  when they commenced the process of succession, they asked for nomination from the two ruling houses.

He said, “The number one ruling house is Bale ruling house and  the number two is Akaparo ruling house.

He noted that the two houses nominated their candidates.

“Particularly Bale house nominated three persons, while Akaparo compound nominated just one person, of course, the process was thrown open. When we discovered that this particular imposter called Adebayo Ismaila went ahead to make noise and create ooze and cry that he has been chipped aside.

“We said, okay, fine let’s throw the process open. Let us allow independent candidate to participate in the process, so Adebayo Ismaila was given the opportunity to be an independent candidate in the selection process, and it was written with a letter by the Afobaja, the secretariat of the Afobaja, to come and participate in the process.

Bakare explained that why was that? Naturally, the past king, the last king came from Bale ruling house of which Ismaila  is supposed to be part of but Bale ruling house refused blankly to put Adebayo Ismail on their selection list, on nomination list because they nominated three and his name was not part of the three persons.

“But in the wisdom and in the discretion of the Afobaja Council, they decided, let us throw it open so that every qualified candidate can come forward and put up a defense for what they have to offer the community.

“And that was why Ismaila Adebayo was invited by the Afrobaje, but he refused to oblige. For that singular reason, he now went ahead to create his own ruling house, which he called Bamoyin ruling house.

“Upon doing that, he still went ahead to create council of kingmakers on his own. Can you imagine that? His impunity at the apex. He created a ruling house for himself. He also created council of kingmakers for himself. That is resulting to self help.

He said as a community, they are very peaceful.

“We were watching the event, and we kept on running the process. Until the Afabaje in council passed their resolution of their nominated candidate to Ifelodun local government council. And also to the council of Obas of Ifelodun local government.

“After that communication, we decide to watch event because we know that communication must get to the right quarters from Ifelodun local government to Obas council from Obas council back to local government, from local government to the ministry of chieftancy affairs, from chieftancy affairs to the governor’s desk.

He said unfortunately, the process was thwarted by the current commissioner, Honourable Abdullah Abubakar Bata.

He alleged that Beta did not allow the resolution passed by a Ifelodun local government and a Ifelodun Obas council to get to the governor.

Bakare further explained that rather, he chose to go with the self help arrangement of Mr Adebayo Ismaila.

“And on that, the  commissioner and his co travelers. I repeat, Mr commissioner and his co travelers went ahead and misinformed and deceive his Excellency Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazq, with their own kind of reports.

He said due to the fact that Ismaila Adebayo has resulted to self up.

“And they are the co travelers of Ismaila Adebayo. Why we don’t want to dwell on that? We must make this point that we now wrote a letter to Mr commissioner informing him of the facts as it exists, just the way I roll it out. He acknowledged it and told us that he will retrace his steps.

“And we took him for his trust. But today, suddenly, after about three or four weeks of that meeting, we had a sudden announcement of Ismaila Adebayo as the appointed king of Jimba Oja.

Mr Bakare said because they are peace loving, they refused to go for any violent protest or whatever.

“We told ourselves, there’s always a channel to which we can put our grievances, and this occasion is one of the accredited channels that we have chosen to put our grievances straight to the government’s table.

“And we believe the press will help us to put issues the way they are and get it to the right quarters. And let the public know that as at today, the man appointed for us as king of Jimba is an impostor.

He added that the king is not a nominated or approved candidate of the community.

He said Ninety percent of the community are standing with the Afobaje.

Mr Bakare said for that Ninety percent it is an assault, not only on their on integrity, but also on humanity that exist within them.

“Haven’t said this. I would like to put this across to Mr Governor, that truth needs no validation. And the truth about governor AbdulRazq is that he does not take the light in causing pain to peace loving people like the community.

“Finally, we have opened this path to true peace in our community. So we are asking for Mr  Governor’s help for ratification of the mistake done, please help us, Mr  Governor.

“We have no other person after God except you, Mr Governor, sir, stay blessed and take care because we know you always stand for the truth. And truly, we are grateful heart with purity for humanity.

“We the JIMBA Oja community, we are circumspect, and we know this development on our Obaship is  not the wish of god, but rather it is the wish of the mischief makers. But for Allah is most supreme, and Allah shall be our source of strength in fighting this battle through,” he added.