Giesi ruling house makes claim to Ooni title

In spite of the an embargo placed by the Ife Traditional Council on princes to desist from publicly declaring interest for the royal stool of the Ooni of Ile-Ife, the Geisi Ruling House on Monday declared its intention to present names of candidates for the stool to the government.
Speaking at a media briefing in Oshogbo, the Osun State capital, Mr Adelowo Ogunleye, spokesperson of the Geisi Ruling House declared, that it was the turn of the House to present the next Ooni.
“We want to tell all and sundry that the normal rotation to the succession to the throne has attested to the fact that it is now the turn of the Giesi House to produce the next Ooni,’’ he said.
Ogunleye said that this fact was recorded in a government document titled: ‘The Ooni of Ife Chieftaincy Declaration’ reference number CB141/7/1/540 dated Aug. 22, 1977.
According to him, the document was addressed to the then Executive Secretary of Oranmiyan Local Government, Ile-Ife from the office of Military Governor of Oyo State and duly signed by the then Secretary to the Military Government and Head of Service.

Read also: Ooni: How political interests will shape succession battle

“According to the letter in Paragraph A, it states that the order of rotation among the ruling houses should be among: 1. Osinkola Ruling House, 2. Ogboru Ruling House 3. Giesi Ruling House and, 4.Lafogido Ruling House,’’ he said.
He added that another memorandum titled: “Appointment of a new Ooni” dated Sept. 16, 1980, released by the then Executive Council of Oyo state, with reference No. OYSGM (80) 107 also buttress their claims.
Ogunleye said that the last Ooni was produced by the Ogboru Ruling House after the demise of Oba Adesoji Aderemi of the Osinkola Ruling House, who ruled for 50 years.
He said that the next ruling house to produce the next Ooni of Ife should automatically and normally come from the Giesi Ruling House, according to the government approved rotational arrangements sited.
“Based on the government rotational arrangements, the entire members of the family of Giesi Ruling House are ready to produce name(s) of candidates that can easily ascend the throne of the Ooni’’, he said.

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