Upgrade our traditional head, Omotosho residents beg Akeredolu

The people of Omotosho in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State has appealed to Governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu to upgrade the stool of the traditional head of their town.

Secretary to the Idere land-owning family of Omotosho, Pastor Mike Akinwe, made the appeal, on behalf of the town on Saturday at an event where the people of Omotosho rolled out the drums to endorse and celebrate the High Court judgement which declared Oloja Akinwe Olusegun Balogun as the Onidere of Omotosho and the authentic traditional head of Omotosho town.

Pastor Akinwe stated that upgrading the Onidere of Omotosho to a third class monarch would be a big boost to the fast growing town that has emerged in recent times as the industrial hub of Ondo State. He called on all stakeholders, businesses and companies operating in the area to join hands with the Onidere in his bid to fast track the developmental strides of the sprawling town.

The carnival-like event was accompanied by singing, drumming, cultural entertainment and the consumption of sumptuous meals. Traditional prayers were offered for the good health and long life of the Onidere as well as for the rapid development of Omotosho town. The occasion also witnessed the public presentation, reading and endorsement of the High Court Judgement that proclaimed the Onidere as the bonafide and authentic traditional head of Omotosho. The Petu of Ilutitun, High Chief Aikulola Victor Ayodele and the oldest member of the Kugbanre family, High Chief Oladunjoye Lapopo Kugbanre jointly raised the hands of Oloja Balogun Akinwe, the Onidere of Omotosho to the delight and loud applause of the hundreds of Omotosho town folks that witnessed the event.

It would be recalled that the Okitipupa Division of the High Court of Justice, presided over by Hon. Justice Temitope M. Adedipe, in suit numbered HOK/22/2022, had declared ‘‘the Onidere of Omotoso as the only recognized title of the traditional head of Omotoso’’ and that Chief Akinwe Olusegun Balogun is ‘‘the authentic Onidere of Omotoso and the traditional head of Omotoso town.’’ Hon. Justice Adedipe also declared that no other title can be created for the traditional head of Omotosho apart from the existing title of Onidere of Omotosho. The landmark judgement appears to have finally laid to rest the age-long tussle over the traditional headship of the town.

In the words of the Onidere, Oloja Balogun Akinwe, ‘‘in view of the rapidly growing economic and strategic importance of Omotosho, the need to maintain peace and engender sustainable development of Omotosho must be taken seriously. A viable traditional institution has a big role to play in the realization of these lofty objectives. It is for this reason that the entire people of Omotosho earnestly pleads for the elevation of the Onidere to the status of a 3rd class traditional ruler.’’

Omotosho is a fast growing community situated almost in the middle of the ever-busy Sagamu-Benin Expressway. Over the years, it has gradually metamorphosed into a beehive of commercial activities and a leading industrial centre in Ondo State. Its strategic importance to Nigeria’s economy is best exemplified in the fact that it is a major player in the much-acclaimed Ondo State Industrial Park because the industrial park dovetails into Omotosho’s land area to the extent that two of the six Chinese industrial giants in the park are domiciled in Omotosho. In terms of power generation, there are two major power stations located at Omotosho, the two open-circle gas turbine power plants has a combined capacity of 850 Megawatts. Thus, the two power plants contribute significantly to the national grid.