By Laolu Elijah

MEMBERS of the Oyerinade Ruling House of Oniware of Iware in Afijio Local Government Area of Oyo State, yesterday, welcomed Governor Seyi Makinde’s suspension of Alhaji Abdulrasheed Adetunji as the monarch of the town.

According to them, the governor has done the right thing by directing the monarch to stop parading himself as the Oniware of Iware.

Governor Makinde had suspended the monarch because the dispute and legal challenges surrounding his appointment to the Oniware stool is yet to be decided by the court.

According to a letter written to Adetunji through the Executive Chairman of Afijio Local Government Area by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters said that the process of appointing him had not been completed.

He was, therefore, warned to stop parading himself as the Oniware of Iware pending the determination of the court.

Alhaji Adetunji, who was 2020, appointed by some people in the palace of Alaafin of Oyo without the approval of the government, had written to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters applying for staff of office and coronation.

Reacting to the order, the Oyerinade Ruling House of Iware in a statement by Prince Moses Ifekunle, Prince Onaolapo Ajibade, and Prince Olunide Opafunmulayo, expressed their profound gratitude to Governor Makinde for the timely suspension.

The Oniware Chieftaincy Family said: “Since there is no Oniware of Iware on throne at present, no one is authorized to sell any Iware land”, warning all those that Alhaji Abdulrasheed Owoade Adeniyi Adetunji sold Iware ancestral land to, “not to accept any land in Iware from him as replacement because the Oyerinade Ruling House of Iware has not authorized any sales of their land. Those people should rather demand the refund of their money”, the statement read.