There have been exchange of biting words between the two prominent Yoruba traditional rulers over the now controversial ranking of the Obas by the Alake.
On recently, the Alake through 22 Egba chiefs, including 15 Ogboni chiefs, insisted that the Awujale remained the least in the echelon of status among major Yoruba traditional rulers.
The Alake said his earlier listing of the Awujale as occupying the last position after the quartet of the Oni of Ife, Alaafin of Oyo, Oba of Benin and Alake of Egbaland, “was supported by documentary evidence and therefore stands by his position”.
According to the Egba Paramount ruler, the ranking of the Yoruba Traditional Rulers was carried out in 1937 by the then Ooni of Ife.
This followed Oba Adetona’s last Thursday claims among other things that the Alake was a junior chief in Egba forest under Alaafin who fled to Ibadan and that Alake is also of the same status with some Ijebu Obas like the Ebumawe of Ago – Iwoye who are under his(Adetona) jurisdiction.
The Awujale made the remarks in Lagos during the launch of an Endowment Fund for a Chair at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago – Iwoye, in reply to an earlier ranking of the Yoruba obas by Alake which placed him at the tail end on the hierarchy.
But on Wednesday, Amosun, Oba Adetona and Oba Gbadebo met privately for about 75 minutes at the Oke – Mosan Governor’s Office, Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
Details of what transpired were kept away from reporters when they emerged at about 3:45pm.
Even when prodded by reporters to say what happened, all of them responded in general terms.
Amosun said the monarchs were in his office to deliberate on how to keep Ogun more peaceful.
He said: “(Pressmen) don’t you to go and write anything out of context. Yes, we are here, our fathers are here to see me. Of course, we deliberated on so many things.
“Don’t forget that this would be the first time I would have the opportunity to show my appreciation for the 40th anniversary celebration – so, it’s an opportunity for me to still show that.
“So, if you think you want to ask what is the outcome, outcome of what? We have come here to deliberate and as always, it’s always a pleasure for me to have our fathers around here.
“These (pressmen) are the people writing the thing. Don’t just sit somewhere and write. But this one, there is nothing like ranking of Obas.
“We know ourselves. Our fathers they have ways, even before the advent of all these colonials and what have you we have ways of how we live in harmony and I think we will continue to do that."
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