*ORIMOLUSI TUSSLE: HOW SUPREME COURT LITIGANT SNUBS AWUJALE’S APPEAL TO WITHDRAW THE CASE FILE!*
By
Olu Steve
28th Oct, 2020
Fresh indication has recently emerged as a clue to substantiate the deliberate intention amongst the warring aspirants to indifferently further extend the 26 years vacancy of Orimolusi Stool as the intercessory admonition emanating from the Awujale of Ijebuland to end the undue protracted interregnum allegedly fell into the deaf ears of the Supreme Court Appellant.
It must be recalled that the interest shown by some Princes from the ruling family to ascend the throne of Orimolusi of Ijebu Igbo kingdom, which became vacant in the month of May, 1994, has escalated from traditional to legal tussle, a contention that started from High Court in Ijebu Igbo to Appeal Court in Ibadan and presently at Supreme Court in Abuja.
The aftermath of the prolonged legal tussle amongst the said Princes, in an attempt to exercise their royal rights to the throne, has allegedly led to the pathetic years of infrastructural degeneration, dis-colouration of traditional heritage and ancestral relegation in the polity of Ijebu traditional history.
In an attempt to extinguish brimming tension x-rayed by this tussle, several aboriginal groups have emerged to appeal to all the warring parties to consider out-of-court resolution in their best interest, but which all the efforts proved abortive.
Recently, the social media was awashed with information that the Ijebu Igbo Council of Elder had sent a-three man delegation including a legal practitioner to Supreme Court, Abuja to unravel the truism attributed to the Orimolusi case file in the court. Hence, the report brought back, as reliably gathered from an anonymous, was that the Orimolusi case file has not been listed, but remains suspended indefinitely.
Consequent upon the report, our correspondent gathered from a reliable source that the BOT members of the Ijebu Igbo Council of Elders, in their committed patriotiic zeal towards Ijebu Igbo development, approached the Paramount ruler of Ijebuland - Awujale Oba S. K. Adetona - to use his influential position to intervene in this critical scenario so as to have the case file either listed with immediate attention or withdraw to implement the Appeal Court rulings, which suggests “starting the process afresh”.
An in-depth investigation into the tussle further exposed that Awujale positively acceded to the plight of the Ijebu Igbo Elders by outrightly calling on the legal counsel to the Appelant with instant instruction to do the needful.
Meanwhile, Prince Omowale Kassim who is described to be the Appellant at the Supreme Court is believed to be in the best position to withdraw the case out of court or perfect his case file for listing if that is what he reposes confidence in for justice.
It was further gathered that the Elders and some other Peace-deal committees have, in their compelling capacities, sometimes ago approached Prince Kassim, admonishing and appealing to withdraw the file from Supreme Court. It was reliably gathered that, Prince Wale Kassim, in spite of all appeals, remains so curious to ascertain the modality prepared by the community for out-of-court settlement, a determinant factor he believes could convince him to concede the withdrawal appeal.
In his word, *“I am the Orimolusi-elect! I was duly nominated by the ruling family. My name was presented to the kingmakers and was also duly elected. I have also fulfilled my traditional rite to the Consenting Authority and received the approval. Now, on what ground should the withdrawal be based? May be if I see the modality for the withdrawal…”* said Prince Kassim
However, till the moment of filing this report, an investigation into Supreme Court registry still proves that the case file remains as it were, in spite of Awujale’s intervention in the matter, an indication that the Orisa Ijebu’s appeal remains snubbed.
At this point, it appears there is no end in sight towards aborting the 26 years interregnum.
@Olu Steve
