Ooni’s stool not for sale, Giesi family warns

An octogenarian Prince of Ile-Ife from the Giesi ruling house, Pa Peter Adetola Ogunleye has warned stakeholders in the town and other interested parties in the selection of the Ooni of Ife against bribery, saying Ooni’s stool is not for sale.

Entrance to the palace of the Ooni of Ife

Pa Ogunleye, who contested for the stool in 1980 after the demise of Oba Adesoji Aderemi but lost to Oba Okunade Sijuwade declared that the Giesi ruling house would ensure that a member of the ruling house emerges as the next Ooni of Ife.

Also, Ogunleye raised the alarm over alleged plan by some individuals who are not rightful children of the Giesi’s dynasty to contest for the stool from the ruling house.

Osun State Government on Friday formally asked the Giesi Ruling House to present candidate for the stool that was recently vacated by Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II, who joined his ancestors on July 28, 2015 at Saint Mary Hospital, United Kingdom after a brief illness

It was gathered at the weekend that the state government at a crucial meeting held on Friday night at Oke-Fia Government House, Osogbo, attended by king-makers from Ile-Ife, resolved to formally write the Giesi Ruling House to present candidate in accordance with the 1979 and 1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration which allow for rotational ascendancy of the throne of Ooni of Ife among the four ruling houses.

But Pa Ogunleye said the family has commenced serious scrutiny to determine the rightful princes entitled to contest for the vacant stool.

According to him, the rotational system introduced in 1957 by Late Oba Aderemi among the four ruling houses in the town and endorsed by the defunct western region government allows the Giesi ruling house to produce the next traditional ruler for the ancient town.

Also, Prince Ogunleye disclosed that the 1976 chieftaincy declaration and the report of the Justice Adenekan Ademola panel of inquiry recognizes the rotational system among the four ruling houses in the ancient town.

Vanguard