Date: 2013-07-17

The Kwara State government has said that it did not act wrongly by installing the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi, noting that its action was based on the recommendations of the kingmakers.

This is just as the people of Offa, on Tuesday, staged a peaceful protest against the  recent Court of Appeal judgment which dethroned the Olofa.

Speaking with journalists  on Tuesday, a prominent chief in the town and  former council chairman (he was the council chairman of the area when Oba Gbadamosi was installed), Chief Segun Olawoyin, said the state government was not wrong as at the time it  picked Oba Gbadamosi.

"Government had no hand in the selection of anyone. It was the kingmakers themselves that nominated Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi and the Council of Chiefs from Ilorin deliberated on the issue and  forwarded their own recommendations to the Kwara State government before announcement was made.
So we didn't know whether somebody was rightly or unjustly picked. We  relied on the available gazzete and that was the instrument used," he said.
The protesters, the majority of whom were youths, marched through the roads in the town carrying placards with inscriptions condemning the dethronement of the traditional ruler. They noted that such a development is a setback to any community.

One of the stakeholders of the town, who addressed crowd of people at the Olofa palace, the national coordinator, Student Leaders Forum, Comrade Salahudeen Lukman, called for intervention of state and federal governments to stabilise peace in the town, which he said is paramount for sustainable development and economic stability..

The people also appealed to both ruling houses of Anilelerin and Olugbense, to settle the obaship matter outside court, and with involvement of all reputable indigenes of the town, for the interest of generations in existence and yet unborn.

The Offa people, who said the reign of Oba Gbadamosi has brought more recognition and development to the town, adding that Oba Gbadamosi would have unanimous people's mandate if the stool of Olofa is an elective position.