Ekiti govt restates ban on chiefs, individuals wearing beaded crowns

The Ekiti Government has restated the ban on any high chief or individual adorning the beaded crown in the state, saying only the recognised traditional rulers were empowered to use such paraphernalia.

The Deputy Governor, Monisade Afuye, gave the warning on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti, while presiding over a lingering chieftaincy crisis between the Head of Irorin Quarters, Ilawe-Ekiti, Sunday Atolaju and Alawe in Council.

Mrs Afuye said that it had become worrisome that some individuals and high chiefs seeking autonomy have resorted to the use of beaded crowns even when their request had not been granted by the government.

She said that anyone found parading himself as a king shall face stringent punitive actions.

According to her, the practice by which a chief parades himself as a king is a flagrant violation of Ekiti State Chieftaincy Law.

The deputy governor warned individuals and chiefs from wearing such crowns in the name of observing yearly or monthly cultural practices.

She said that the current administration held Ekiti tradition and institutions in high esteem and would not allow any act or actions that could breed cultural disunity, violence or rewrite the good Yoruba cultural heritage.

At the peace parley, the Alawe of Ilawe-Ekiti, Oba Ajibade Alabi, was represented by six chiefs, while the Alawe in Council was led by the Elemo of Oke Emo, Chief Gbenga Agbona.

Mr Agbona claimed that it was alien to the people of Ilawe-Ekiti, culture and traditions for priests to wear crowns and other paraphernalia of office like a traditional ruler, all in the name of festival.

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The Alawe in Council alleged that such a practice was often demonstrated by the Chief Ororin of Irorin Quarters, Ilawe-Ekiti, Sunday Atolaju, and it was capable of bringing division in the ancient town.

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The traditional ruler urged the government to stop him from parading himself as a king because Ilawe-Ekiti had one traditional ruler.

The Alawe in Council added that Mr Atolaju should be stopped because his actions could denigrate the stool of the paramount ruler in Ilawe-Ekiti.

Mr Atolaju and his supporters presented pictorial evidence and others to justify their claims that the head of Irorin Quarters was entitled to wear a crown and other paraphernalia of office during their festival.

He had, in previous meetings, claimed that their culture allowed him to wear a crown, saying that his predecessors had been practising such from time immemorial.

(NAN)