Controversy looms over change of community name in Kwara

Oro Descendants’ Union (ODU), Igbimo Omo Ibile Oro, an umbrella body of all organizations of indigenes of Oro land in the Irepodun local government area of Kwara state, has called on sons and daughters of the area to regard themselves as people of same ancestry.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin, the national president of the association, Alhaji Uthman Balogun,  said that indigenes of all the nine generic towns comprising Oro kingdom, including the two additional ones, should see themselves as one family.

The Oro kingdon comprises Ijomu Oro, Okerimi Oro, Iludun Oro, Okeola Oro, Otun Oro, Iddo Oro, Affin Oro, Agbeola Oro, Irebode Oro, Sie Oro, and Olorunsogo Oro.

Reacting to a recent Supreme Court judgement on the Oro people’s common patrimony, Alhaji Balogun said that the judgment did not touch on a claim in some quarters that eight other towns in Oro kingdom are district towns of a so-called Oro.

The community leaders, therefore, urged the people to eschew acts that could lead to disturbance of public peace over the matter, saying that no society can achieve any meaningful development in a state of disunity and chaos.

“Oro land or Oro kingdom had existed from time immemorial and that kingdom has always been under the paramouncy of the Oloro of Oro, Oro kingdom. It is one kingdom recognized by by our custom and tradition. The present occupant of the stool of Oloro of Oro kingdom, Oba Abdulrafiu Olaniyi Ajiboye Oyelaran I is one of the numerous occupants of the stool of the Oloro of Oro kingdom in modern time.

The nine towns comprising the Oro kingdom, the Otun-Oro, based on the recent Supreme Court judgement in its favour, clamoured to be recognized as an autonomous Oro town with a plan to have its own traditional ruler.

This, members of the ODU kicked against, saying that places like Ekiti, Isin and Ijebu comprised different towns with none of the towns solely claiming to be Ekiti, Ijebu or Isin.

Balogun also said that only four villages out of the 11 towns comprising Oro kingdom are entitled to produce traditional ruler of the kingdom, namely Affin Oro, Okeola Oro, Okerimi Oro and Agbeola Oro, adding that there is no existence of rotation process among the towns.

The people said that the conflict resolution committee of the union, comprising of eminent personalities in the area, had intervened in the matter with a determined view to find a lasting solution to the issue.

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