Traditional council holds secret meeting with Aregbesola

monjola sotubo

July 31, 2015 12:41 PM

The meeting held on Thursday, July 30, 2015, at the Osun Government House, according to Punch.

Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade

The Royal Traditional Council of Ife has held a secret meeting with Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola.

The traditional council is believed to have met with Aregbesola to discuss the demise of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade.

The chiefs, led by the Lowa of Ife, Oba Joseph Ijaodola, however denied reports of the Ooni’s death to journalists before the meeting.

Ijaodola said:

“We were all shocked when we heard the rumour of baba’s death. If at all such an incident had occurred, the Royal Traditional Council of Ife would be the first to know and equally break the news to the entire public.”

“Sixteen of us are his chiefs and when he was travelling out, he didn’t look like he was going to die and should such a thing have happened to him, we would have been informed even before anyone would hear about it. We pray that Ooni Sijuade will live long in good health.”

A palace source however said that the chiefs were trying to ensure that tradition was not broken in the announcement of the Ooni’s death.

“The Traditional Council did a good job. They tried as much as they can to ensure that things are done the way they should be done. Although they may not be able to do all those things the same way they were done about 100 years ago, there must be a semblance of it. He was not just an ordinary person, so the announcement of his death must follow the due process,” the source told Punch.

The Ooni is said to have died in a United Kingdom hospital on July 28 after a brief illness.

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