Ogun Assembly insists on modernising installation of Obas

By Christiana Ekpa

The Ogun State House of Assembly is working to pass a bill seeking to modernise the installation of traditional rulers in the state.
The bill, if passed into law, will allow a new Oba to be installed in a redefined method, in line with modern realities.
Recall that a bill seeking to put an end to idolatry in the installation and burial of Obas stirred controversies in 2020.
The bill, which sought to allow the installation of an Oba without the usual Ipebi (seclusion) rites, will allow a deceased Oba to be buried according to his faith.
The Ogun State Traditional Rulers (Installation and Burial Rites) Bill 2020, was sponsored by Hon. Akeem Balogun of Ogun Waterside, who said it would help in stopping archaic practices and obtain modern realities in the installation and burial of Obas in Ogun.
The bill was read for the second time at the State Assembly in March 2020.
After the bill passed the second reading, Yoruba traditionalists were infuriated by the steps being taken by the Ogun Assembly to “disrespect” the culture and norms of the Yoruba race as far as the installation and burial of Obas are concerned.
The traditional worshippers, at the time, threatened to embark on a mass protest should the lawmakers pass the bill.
They decried what was termed “the fundamental display of bias and crude hatred for Yoruba history, heritage, prestige and value” by the lawmakers.
They alleged that the Ogun legislative house, in collaboration with the Executive, was conspiring to “weaken the Obaship stool and authority and reduce it to an ordinary face-stool.”
However, another bill entitled “H.B. No. 069/ OG/ 2021- Obas, Chiefs, Council of Obas and Traditional Council law of Ogun State, 2021- A bill for a law to provide for an approved method for the selection, appointment and recognition of Obas, Chiefs and Traditional Council in Ogun State and purposes incidental and supplementary to them”, has passed second reading.
The Ogun Assembly said a stakeholders’ forum would be held on the bill on July 14.
A statement by the Clerk of the Assembly, Deji Adeyemo, affirmed that the stakeholders’ forum would help in offering input on how to redefine the traditional institution to reflect the current realities.