By Richard Akintade, Osogbo
A forty nine- year old oil and gas magante, Prince Ademola Oluponle Raphel, has been elected as the 16th Aaree of Iree Land in Boripe North Local Council Development Authority of Osun State.
Prince Ademola, born on November 24, 1973 from Oyekun ruling house in Iree, was elected by Warrant Chiefs at the selection process supervised by the officials of the Boripe North Local Council Development Authority ( LCDA) Headquarters, Iree.
He was selected ahead of other 11 aspirants who have indicated interest from three ruling houses, Oyekun, Olubonku and Oyegbite ruling houses.
Prince Oladepo Moses Akande got 1 vote, Prince Muritala Ibraheem Oyelakin 1 vote while Prince Raphael Oluponle Ademola secured 3 votes to emerge as Aaree-elect.
One out of the six warrant Chiefs was absent from the process.
The Aaree-elect has Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accountancy from Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, and he is the Managing Director and Cheif Executive Officer of Arise and Shine Global Energy Nigeria Limited, an oil and gas company in Lagos State.
The late Aaree of Iree, Oba Jimon Olayonu joined his ancestors on July 8, 2018 but the vacant stool could not be filled in the last four years as a result of litigations from different ruling houses.
Justice Jide Falola of the Ikirun State High Court recently delivered a judgment that allowed the continuation of the process.
While reacting, the Aree in Council said they had not elected any king in Iree as far as they were concerned.
“What they should do is to bring the contestants who are princes to us (Kingmakers), the four ruling houses will present the names to the kingmakers for us to consult the oracle.
“All these were not done, what they claimed they did today is not the proper process by which Aare of Iree would emerge.
“On 24th of October 2022, the government brought a notice to us indicating that they want to appoint Iyalode as a warrant chief as a result of the death of one of the kingmakers, which we reject vehemently because a woman can not be part of the kingmakers.
“Afterwards, the commissioner for local government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Bayo Adeleke summoned a meeting at the palace where he threatened all of us and promised to return on October 28th to force us to do his bidding. We recorded threatening us, hence we have to go into hiding.
“We implore Governor Oyetola to call the commissioner to order as it is by all traditional means, there is no valid Aare in the town, what they did is not known to the law” Iree kingmakers said.
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