Heavy protest in Ondo over ‘no traditional ruler five years after monarch’s death in Ondo

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The youth of Ifon in Ose Local Government Area, Ondo State, have voiced their dissatisfaction over the delay in installing a new monarch for the village, five years after the death of the late Olufon of Ifon, Oba Israel Adewusi.

Under the auspices of the Ifon Development Youth Forum, the young people protesting the situation revealed that the development had been impeding the town’s advancement.

On November 26, 2020, while returning to Ifon from Akure, the state capital, where he had gone to attend a conference, the late Oba Adeusi was shot at the Elegbeka axis along the Benin-Owo-Akure highway, Ose Local Government. He encountered the gunmen who had set up an ambush on the highway.

The youth bemoaned that the delay has hampered social, administrative, and traditional activities in the town during a nonviolent protest over the weekend. They urged the Ondo State Government to take the necessary steps in the emergence of a new traditional ruler for the community.

Equipped with signs that read, among other things, “5 Years After, It’s Time for a New Monarch,” “Give Us a New King,” and “Give Us a Future,” the demonstrating youth marched through the town’s main thoroughfares, voicing their displeasure with what they claimed to be a leadership void that has left the community in the dark since 2020.

The youth emphasized that the community cannot continue to live without a traditional ruler, and they urged Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to approve the selection of a new Olufon in accordance with the Olufon Chieftaincy declaration. They added that the fact that a new monarch has not yet emerged five years after Oba Adeusi’s death raises concerns.

Olaniyi Olotu, the Ifon Community Development Association’s public relations officer, revealed during the demonstration that the procession commemorated the fifth anniversary of Oba Adeusi’s death.

Emphasizing that Ifon is a sizable and diverse community that cannot afford to remain stagnant, Olotu said, “Ifon has been in a rudderless state for the past five years,”

“It is dangerous to keep this kind of populous community without a king. We call on the state government to expedite action on the selection of the next Olufon”

Idowu Alegbe, the Youth Forum’s general secretary, insisted that the demonstration would carry on until the state government stepped in, saying that “since our king joined his ancestors, things have not been working well.”

“Ifon is empty socially and traditionally. We are not supporting any candidate, we just need a king. We will continue this protest peacefully until the governor listens to us.”

Princess Aderiike Odogiyan, one of the demonstrators, emphasized how urgent the issue was and urged Aiyedatiwa to take action, saying that “we are in darkness. We need a king within the next two to three months.”

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