Hon Oluomo, Speaker, Ogun House of Assembly
Ogun State Government may have taken its cue from the agitation for restructuring now rife in the country as it has already commenced the process of reforming its administration starting from its traditional institutions.
To this end, the state is putting up a bill that would sanitise its traditional institutions and assign specific roles to its royal fathers, especially in the area of security in the State.
This was revealed at an Ogun State House of Assembly’s interactive session with relevant stakeholders including the State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Paramount Rulers and State Council of Baales recently.
The bill will also review installation, promotion, burial rites, selection process, as well as gazetting the Baales and Coronet chiefs in the State.
However, the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Afolabi Afuape has insisted that the state would not approve promotion in the traditional council until the planned restructuring is effected.
Afuape said there is a need to have the statistics of Obas and Baales, profiles ,as well as their grades to know those that are truly due for promotion and to which level they are promoting to.
Afuape noted that there would also be an E-library establishment, which would make it easy for people in need of information about chieftaincy affairs to have access to information needed at a token, without coming to the ministry.
He said the ministry is proposing to have an Alternative Dispute Resolution unit, a legal department that would be responsible for legal aspects on issues relating to the ministry instead of referring to the Ministry of Justice, but this, he said would not deter the ministry from seeking legal advice from the Justice ministry.
The Commissioner said the proposed reforms were overdue, noting that it would aid efficiency and performance of the ministry as well as reduce the number of petitions often received from obaship and Baale’s activities.
In his contribution, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Olakunle Oluomo said the review process would involve a public hearing of stakeholders in the institutions across the State, stating that memorandum would be welcomed from the Council of Obas, Baales and the supervising ministry.
Responding, the Chairman Council of Obas, Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, HRM Oba Sikiru Adetona, represented by Dagburewe of Idowa, Oba Yinusa Adekoya, said the review of chief laws and proposal of the new bill was a welcome idea, noting that the last chief’s law of the State was cumbersome and needs to be made simple for a layman to understand.
Chairman Council of Baales, Chief Tunji Falola, said he was elated that Baales in the State would be part of the reform, adding that they are ready to contribute their quota to the success of the process.
