NEW TRADITIONAL COUNCIL LAW, BEYOND BURIAL RITES OF OBAS- OGHA

NEW TRADITIONAL COUNCIL LAW, BEYOND BURIAL RITES OF OBAS- OGHA

The Ogun State House of Assembly has clarified that the proposed bill on traditional council law of Ogun State 2021 was initiated to correct many existing anomalies in the traditional institution, and not to distort the burial rites as being speculated by some set of people.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olakunle Oluomo, who made the clarification, while declaring open a public hearing on the bill at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, submitted that it would address conduct of installation without following due process and absence of declaration for some traditional stools, which has been creating difficulty on how to determine those entitled to the throne.

Oluomo stated that the unethical practice had made it easy for unqualified persons and strangers to lay unmerited claims to the stool, thereby creating distortions in historical records in recent times.

The Speaker assured that the Assembly, with the support of stakeholders would ensure the passage of a bill that would put a stop to Monarchs attending political rallies, thereby returning the institution to its pride of place and honour among other issues.

Nobody is saying they should not do traditional rites for installation and burial of Obas, but we are not going to support the usage of human being for rituals, as the world has moved away from that barbaric practice, which is even against the right to life and human dignity, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria", the Speaker declared.

Assuring the stakeholders that their view would be harmonised to arrive at an all-encompassing bill, Speaker Oluomo underscored the essence of government’s authority on the installation of any category of traditional rulers, that same authority enabled the Assembly to enact relevant laws to regulate the revered institution, adding that contributions to the bill should be submitted on or before Friday, July 23, 2021.

In their contributions, other stakeholders including the representatives of Egba Traditional Council and Towulade of Akinale Kingdom, Oba Olufemi Ogunleye, National Secretary, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Comrade Yinka Folarin, Chief Imam of Gbagura, Prof. Kamaldeen Balogun, harped on the essence of peaceful co-existence among religious groups and commended the Assembly on the proposed bill with an assurance of conveying their positions through memoranda in due course.

Also, the representatives of the traditional worshipers' group, Fagbemi Ifakorede from Ota and the State Secretary of Ifa worshippers, Faniyi Awoyemi, noted that the traditional belief remained essential in the running of traditional institution, stating that Monarchs were to be buried in line with the traditions and customs of their people.