Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, yesterday held a closed-door meeting with the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, and the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadeb.
He called the meeting to make peace between the duo, who have been at loggerheads since Alake’s listing of five top traditional Yoruba rulers.
Alake placed Ooni of Ife as number one, followed by Alaafin of Oyo, Oba of Benin, himself as number four and Awujale last, basing his grading on the classification provided by the colonial masters based on their remuneration. But Awujale at an event in Lagos described Alake as a junior traditional ruler in Yorubaland.
The meeting of the trio held at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan at 3:45 pm, Vanguard reports.
Those who accompanied the monarchs were not allowed in.
The meeting was reportedly stormy as the Awujale tendered newspaper publications which carried the latest Alake’s reaction to his comments in Lagos.
After the talks, none of the leaders spoke extensively on the outcome.
The governor denied he intervened in any matter.
“Intervened in what,” he told newsmen.
“Our fathers are here to see me. We deliberated on so many things. They came here to see the possibility of how to make sure we have peace in the state, among so many other things that we discussed.
“Don’t just sit somewhere and write. But for this matter, there is nothing like ranking of Obas. We know ourselves.”
Speaking, Awujale said “There is no problem gentlemen, please. Thank you. There is no crisis between us, thank you.”
In his response, Alake said he was at the Government House to brief Amosun on the ongoing strike action by the state workers.
Continuing he said, “Even before the advent of the colonial masters, we have ways of living in harmony and I think we will continue to do that.
“I’m saying this again with all sense of responsibility, that in the context of we Yorubas, we know our pre-eminence status.
“Those of us from Ogun State want to keep up with that tradition. We are not going to fan any ember of disunity.
“What we are known for in Ogun State is that we are one and we are still one. Indeed, in the comity of the Yorubas, we know what we do, we know what we stand for and we will continue to do that.”
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