The Lagbua Family in Iragbiji, Osun State has declared that the struggle that birthed the recent chieftaincy declaration by the state government enlisting the family as one of the ruling houses in Iragbiji has no political undertone.

The family, in a press conference in Iragbiji on Saturday by his Spokesperson, Barrister Adeleke Adeyemo, commended Governor Ademola Adeleke for finding a lasting solution to the age-long chieftaincy crisis in the community through the state government chieftaincy declaration,

The statement described the decision taken by the governor as the best one to resolve the community chieftaincy problems, saying, ?our struggle has nothing to do with politics and has no any political undertone.?

It stated that ?the Lagbua Family of Iragbiji consist of Five (5) Compounds which are Ajibolu (Ooye), Olupejobi, Oluode, Odogun and Elemo Osho. It?s important to take you through the background and a very brief History of Iragbiji Land as it regards to this matter.

?Our forefather named Ibiwonu first settled (as First Settler) in Iragbiji about 600 years ago, under a big tree which had a shade, hence the name of the town called Iragbiji. Among his children were Labuma and Lagbua (Olagunwa). His Junior Brother named Ajibode came to join him some years later. When Ajibode located his elder brother (Ibiwonu), where he settled (Now Iragbiji), he (Ajibode) said, my elder brother (Egbon mi), is this where you settled?? (Ibi Oso ka ni yii) Hence, we, the descendants of Ibiwonun/Lagbua are called ?Oso? (the First Settler) till today. Ibiwonu also responded, my junior brother (Aburo mi), you traced and located me in this place? (Owa mi de ibi ti mo wa)? Hence the descendants of Ajibode are addressed as ?Owa? till today.?

?Lagbua had a longer reign than his father, Ibiwonu. Hence, our lineage is popular as Lagbua Family till today. The heads of Iragbiji- Ibiwonu, Labuma and Lagbua were Baales as well as others from Ajibode Family till 1934 when the Judicial Council of Ibadan confirmed Oloyede Dada of Ajibode extraction as an Oba to wear a Crown with the Title ?Aragbiji of Iragbiji. Hence these two (2) Families Lagbua (Oso) and Ajibode (Owa) are entitled to the throne of Aragbiji.?

?The Osos (Lagbua) are the Senior with the Owas (Ajibode, now divided to 4) being the Junior. Having gone through the background, now the matters arising; The first draft of the Aragbiji Chieftaincy Declaration of 1951 had Lagbua as Second on the list. That same was also confirmed in 1956 by Ifelodun District Council through a letter dated Saturday 2nd June, 1956 with a concluding paragraph that ?Lagbua family will therefore remain on the declaration as a ruling house. Successive Governments have conducted enquiries into the Aragbiji of Iragbiji Chieftaincy declaration which favoured Lagbua family but at the point of amending the declaration, it usually been truncated by evil manipulations of the enemies of truth and justice.?

He however explained that the One-man Judicial Panel of enquiry into the Aragbiji of Iragbiji Chieftaincy declaration, set up by Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola-led government of Osun State recommended that Lagbua Family should be included as a ruling house.

The statement continued, ?The panel did a thorough job, probe the documents and cross-examined the witnesses sent by the ruling houses.

?The panel concluded the enquiry and submitted its report on the 28th July, 2010. The concluding paragraph of the report stated that, ?It is, therefore, my recommendation that Lagbua Family of Iragbiji be included as a ruling house in the Aragbiji of Iragbiji Chieftaincy declaration.? But the report was about to be approved by the State Executive Council and gazetted by the State Government when the 2010 Change in Government Occurred in Osun State.

?To our amazement, the Government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola just wrote a letter to the family, that the State Executive Council of the State of Osun at its meeting held on Wednesday 3rd April, 2013 rejected the Lagbua Family as a ruling house without any basis. Our family through our lawyer Ade Fajemiroye & Co wrote a letter to Governor Aregbesola on the 20th July, 2013 but the Government did not do anything to our complaint till the tenure expired.

?When the present government emerged, our Family through our lawyer petitioned the Osun State Government on the Rejection of Lagbua Family as a ruling house into the Aragbiji of Iragbiji Chieftaincy declaration in a letter dated 15th September, 2023. The Government in her wisdom did not act in a hurry, took its time to do due diligence and followed due process to look into the matter.

?The Government served justice on this matter and communicated the verdict after the State Executive Council meeting held on Wednesday, January 29th, 2025.

?Hence, Having stated/summarized the journey so far, we like to state the following positions to the world:That the Lagbua Family of Iragbiji are peace-loving people and we have endured for so long on this matter in the interest of peace.?

?We know that after every dark tunnel, there is a light. That the Lagbua Family of Iragbiji has been the pillar of support in the history and progress of Iragbiji for over 600 years. That the Lagbua family is a very large and extended family with 5 different large compounds, which have among their descendants, prominent sons and daughters with different political and religious affiliations.

?Therefore, our struggle has nothing to do with politics and has no any political undertone. The Lagbua Family of Iragbiji has pursued this struggle for our right to the throne of our forefathers for a very long time, in a very peaceful manner, through Law, administrative and judicial processes. (Sunday Tribune)

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