Residents and indigenes of Ago-Are, including community leaders, the Council of Baales, youth groups, and king-makers, staged a peaceful protest on Tuesday to express their displeasure with the government’s decision to appoint another beaded crown-wearing monarch for the community.

The groups who stormed the Oyo State government Secretariat unanimously called for the reversal of the elevation of Baale Agere , a Quarter Chief in Ago-Are to a beaded crown Oba.

According to the protesters, the government’s decision to elevate the Baale is a recipe for communal crisis.

The groups also presented separate copies of the petition to the government.

In its petition addressed to the governor through the office of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, the Edu Ruling House of the Aare of Ago-Are Chieftaincy said what was done in Ago-Are was no elevation but an invasion, describing it as a historic fraud and customary coup against the throne of Aare of Ago-Are.

The petition signed by Prince Oyekola Ayilara and Prince Salam Oyewole, Chairman and Secretary respectively, stated that it is against the history and customs of the people to have two beaded crown-wearing monarchs in Ago-Are.

“We write this petition with bleeding hearts, with the anger of history being rated. And with the full weight of our royal birthright.

“What has been done in Ago-Are is not elevation. It is an invasion. It is historical fraud. It is a customary coup d’etat against the throne of Aare of Ago-Are. There is only one Ago-Are. How then can there be two beaded crowns in one town, without two towns?”

Also, the Kingmakers of Ago-Are in their separate petition signed by all the eight kingmakers relying on the Aare of Ago-Are Chieftaincy Declaration madr under Section 4 (2) of the Chief Law, which is the customary law regulating the selection of the monarch for the community onmy made provision for one beaded crown Oba in Ago-Are in the person of the Aare of Ago-Are.

Justifying why the new elevation must be reversed, the Kingmakers said, “Ago-Are cannot have two beaded crown Obas in one town. It has never happened in the history of Ago-Are. It will destroy the throne of Aare.

“There was no consultation with the Kingmakers, who are the first chiefs created by the Aare and who are recognised by the Declaration. There was no meeting in Aare palace. There was no consent of the Edu Ruling House. This is against natural justice and customary law.”

Also in their own petition, the Ago-Are Council of Baales declared their unflinching support for the Ago-Are stool as the only paramount Ruler and founder of Ago-Are while also appealing to the governor to reverse the elevation of Baale Ageere to a beaded crown Oba.

The petition reads in part, “Your Excellency, the recent elevation of our colleague, Baale Ageere, a fellow Quarter Chief like us, to the status of a beaded crown Oba has thrown Ago-Are into serious confusion, tension and moral crisis.

“If Baale Ageere who is Baale of one Quarter inside Ago-Are can become an Oba, what then are we? What will become of Ago-Are when there are now two Obas in the same town, in the same market, in the same land without boundaries?”

The Ago-Are Youth Forum as well as the Ifelodun Ago-Are Parapo Community Development Association also in their separate petitions to the government alleges that there was no community consent, nor stakeholders meeting with the Paramount Ruler of the community among other stakeholders before the decision was made.

They however appealed to the government to recend on the decision as there was no history, culture, custom or tradition to justify the elevation.

While receiving the protesters at the State Secretariat, the Execuive Assistant to the Governor on Security, CP Sunday Odukoya (rtd) thanked the protesters for being peaceful in the demand and conduct.

He appealed to them to uphold the peace in the community, promising to deliver the copies of their protest to the governor.

He assured that the governor would give the matter the deserved attention as soon as he gets copies of the petitions. (The Nation)