The traditional ruler-elect of Orile-Ilawo town of Ogun State, Chief Segun Macgregor has affirmed that his late father, Chief Bisi Macgregor facilitated the process to have royal crown in the community.
Penpushing reports that, Macgregor made this known at a press conference in reaction to protest by some protesters who were against his choice as monarch of the community, explaining that his late father, Lisa of Egbaland, had approached the then government led by Otunba Gbenga Daniel to enable Ilawo acquire a crown by the virtue of being one of the original settlers in Egbaland.
The Professor of Biopharmaceutics said the request was approved by the government in 2010,stressing that by virtue of that approval his ascension to the vacant stool of Orile-Ilawo was creation of state government and not by approval of any ruling houses,arguing that there was no royal family or lineage in Ilawo that can lay claim to the stool.
Penpushing further reports that, MacGregor addressing journalists at his ancestral home in Kobiti-Ilawo, Abeokuta said , the government approval gave rise for the first Olu of Orile-Ona, Oba Adedapo Aina who died in November, 2021,stressing that, the demise of Aina created a vacuum which qualifies him to contest for the kingship position alongside four other candidates.
“Five of us came out to contest after which I became an Oba-elect after a free and fair election conducted by the government. Ilawo Obaship is not a traditional crown. No ruling house in Orile-Ilawo. The stool of Orile-Ilawo is a government creation around 1999 at a time my father was Oluwo Ilawo and Lisa Egba. We never had a king, the first Head of Ilawo is Balogun Gbadamosi my grand father in 1916- 1966. Ilawo never had a crown, we had chiefs, it was my late father who started the process to enable Ilawo acquire a crown by the virtue of being one of the original settlers in Egba.
“Right now, Ilawo is part of Oke-Ona, so the stool in question is not an indigenous stool by our ancestors, but created in 1999. By the year 2010, OGD government, any township that has over 100 villages should be entitled to Obaship. It was government creation to balance what seems to be disparity between Egba and Ijebu”, he stated.
“The first Olu of Orile Ilawo, was Oba Adedapo Aina, although, my father fought for the stool, he never shows interest in the stool. This stool was created by the government, there were no ruling houses in Ilawo. It was the government that conducted the election and I emerged as the winner.”
Penpushing also reports that Macgregor, however, gave assurance that, as soon as he ascended the throne, he would decorate Chiefs that would form the kingmakers.
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