Osun Speaker, his king and the disadvantaged Así people

When a kingdom goes through a difficult time, the monarch walks to the inner room and pleads to his forefathers. In response, they either counsel and intervene to alleviate the king’s difficulties or instruct him to carry out a large sacrifice for sin atonement. The sacrifice will be offered by the monarch for peace to reign. 

My state, Osun, is also plagued by problems. It is now a collection of flawed events made possible by power-hungry politicians. From the LG crisis to defection rumors/tactics, the Osun people have been on a frigid path of adventure. Unfortunately, the governor is unable to visit the inner residence in search of a remedy since one of his predecessors is upset. Both the governor and his predecessor are fighting a political battle in which main casualties/victims are the people they previously vowed to protect and care for, forcing grassroots citizens to resort to self-help.

The continuous conflict between the ruling and opposition parties has hampered local government administration in the state. The deadlock of LGs is a blatant declaration of social and political war against the oppressed people who rely on their activities and commitments. The deliberate collapse of the third level of government due to the combined efforts of active politicians in the state is concerning. For only six months, locals have turned to self-help. Both parties have made arguments in favor and against. I urge both parties to sympathize with the people and work toward a political solution for the welfare of the Osun people.

I was browsing the Internet when I noticed an audio recording appear in my notification bar. I received a message from an OAP friend requesting that I listen to the audio and provided two articles where the Speaker of the Osun Assembly, Hon. Wale Egbedun, was severely chastised for threatening the traditional ruler of his hometown, the Alasí of Así, Oba Oyewale Isaac. My friend requested that I participate on his morning show and provide my thoughts on the subject. I declined and informed him that I would be at my institution for certificate collection.

When I listened to the recording, I assumed it was either AI or a manipulated recording by political rivals of Hon. Wale Egbedun who wanted to score cheap political points. I never expected someone who holds the most important legislative office in the state could communicate in such a manner either in text, virtually, or audibly. Lawmakers are honorable people who should communicate or engage honorably.

Furthermore, if you live in the state, you would undoubtedly be concerned before consuming any digital item. When hypocrisy took off from heaven, it landed in Osun State. However, my concerns were alleviated when the Speaker’s office issued a statement explaining the entire scenario. After reading the statement, I recognized it served three purposes: not to disprove the existence of such audio, but to explain why a 40-year-old speaker can insult, threaten, and curse a 61-year-old man who also serves as the king of his city, as well as how Oba Isaac Oyewale intended to thwart the will of justice.

I believe the statement is immature, grandstanding, irresponsible, and the result of blatant disdain for established authority. No man is infallible. The audio can be classified as a product of provocation, but isn’t the issued statement a product of afterthought? This reflects the character of Hon. Wale Egbedun. If I were on the Speaker’s public relations team, I would have advised him to go to the Palace with the elders to settle the situation peacefully, and then flood social media with photos. He squandered the opportunity to apologize for any mischaracterizations he had received.

As we point accusing fingers at Hon. Wale Egbedun for allowing his official position to override his sense of cultural respect when addressing the monarch, I believe this incident has provided us with an opportunity to caution our community and religious leaders to stop subverting the will of justice in the state and country as a whole.

I have personally watched traditional chiefs seizing the wheels of justice from the police by interfering in criminal cases that are supposed to be investigated and prosecuted properly. These leaders would sway investigative outcomes by convincing both complainants and victims of crimes such as land grabbing, stealing, violence, fraud, rape, and sexual assault, among others.

They utilize their renowned positions in society to persuade, occasionally intimidate, and lure victims and corrupt police officials in order to subvert justice and reach a suitable settlement to criminal matters. Personally, I believe criminal cases should not be decided at police stations. They should be resolved in court, and the appropriate penalty should be awarded.

I offer my condolences to the people of Así. I had never heard of Así. When I googled Así, the first story I read about the village was a terrible encounter between Oba Isaac Oyewale and his son, Hon. Wale Egbedun. Así is a small village in Ìlá Òràngún, under Odo-Otin Local Government. It shares boundaries with the Asába and Òyán villages.

It is depressing that Oba Isaac Oyewale and Hon. Wale Egbedun, who are supposed to be collaborating to grow and uplift the small community, are at odds. When searching for Así on the internet, I barely found no mention of scholarships, water projects, grants for market women, career prospects, youth empowerment, or visible community infrastructure initiatives. One wonders what the king and his son, Hon. Wale Egbedun, had been up to during their days of friendly friendship.

There’s no better moment for the two to settle their differences amicably. I urge elders in Así, Òyán, and Asába to resolve conflict and establish a viable solution. They need to work together for Así’s future. Hon. Wale Egbedun should return to Así as an indigene, not as the Osun Speaker. He should go with his family elders to prostrate for Oba Isaac Oyewale, the Alasí of Así. Egbedun’s current power and privileges should be used to assist the town and its residents, rather than voicing problems in public.

Source: WithinNigeria | Continue to Full Story…