From , Osogbo

The state government recently approved Lagbua family as a ruling house in Iragbiji, a decision that was opposed by Oba Olabomi, who described the government action as an attempt to smuggle in an unknown family into the chieftaincy law of Iragbiji to plunge the town into crisis.

However, a statement by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dosu Babatunde, on Saturday, accused the monarch of twisting facts with his allegation of bias and illegality against the government.

Babatunde maintained that the government had all the legal rights and powers to act on State matters including revision of previous decisions if situation called for it.

He explained that the decision of the State Executive Council only reversed a previous state action which apparently denied a ruling house the due rights to be included in the chieftaincy declaration, rebuking the Aragbiji for willfully and disrespectfully violating protocols by leveling baseless allegations and insults on the state Governor.

Babatunde noted that the administration of Olagunsoye Oyinlola set up a one man judicial panel of inquiry on the matter in 2010 but the recommendation was rejected by the administration of Rauf Aregbesola in 2013.

“It should be noted that as at the time when the State Executive Council met in 2013, an Iragbiji son was the Chief of Staff to former Governor Aregbesola. Reports then indicated that the Council was largely influenced to ignore the merit of the panel’s report by simply throwing it out.

“However, the Lagbua Family continued its agitation and appealed to the present administration for redress. His Excellency, the Executive Governor later approved the constitution of a Committee to come up with a White Paper on the Report of the One Man Judicial Panel composed of senior technocrats in Government.

“The new Committee recommended that the Government should set aside the decision of the then State Executive Council which rejected the recommendation of the One Man Judicial Panel of Inquiry and implement its recommendations.

“The Panel found that Lagbua Family was included in the draft Aragbiji Chieftaincy Declarations of 1951 and 1956 but was excluded when the Declaration was to be registered in 1958.

“Furthermore, in arriving at its recommendation for the inclusion of the Lagbua Family in the Aragbiji of Iragbiji Chieftaincy Declaration, the Panel found that as recent as 1942, one Oyekanmi, a member of the Lagbua Family was an Elemo, Head of all the Princes in Iragbiji, a position recognized in the present Chieftaincy Declaration.

“Based on these already established facts, the State Executive Council at its meeting of Wednesday 29th January, 2025 vacated the earlier decision of the State Executive Council of April 3, 2013 and approved the recommendation of the One Man Judicial Panel of Inquiry that the Lagbua Family be included in the Aragbiji of Iragbiji Chieftaincy Declaration.