Tension is brewing in the capital city of Ondo state, Akure, as the issue of control of domains by the Deji of Akure and the Iralepo of Isinkan takes another dimension on Sunday.
The Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi had on Saturday issued a press statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Michael Adeyeye, notifying residents of Akure on the observance of Aheregbe festival on Monday.
Aheregbe festival is observed in Akure every year and markets as well as shops are expected to be shut during the day.
But the Iralepo of Isinkan, Oba Oluwagbemiga Ajimokunola Olofin-Adimula in a swift statement on Sunday, first, congratulate the Deji on the festival and then clarified that Isinkan where he’s the King won’t observe the rites of markets and shops closure.
“For the purpose of emphasis, I will like to say that Isinkan shares boundary with Akure at Imogun, just before Saint Thomas’ Anglican Church, Isinkan, and Ondo at Owena river. In all these areas markets and shops are not closed for Aheregbe festival.
It is a taboo and has consequence on Isinkan Community as well as the priest of the festival. So, for peace to reign, Akure people should not bring the festival to my community and neither can they enforce market and shop closure here. This statement is necessary in order to remove any iota of doubt,” he said.
The development didn’t go well with the Deji of Akure, who issued another statement on Sunday evening to insist that shops and markets in Isinkan must be closed.
“Without mincing words, the closure became necessary as part of the age long tradition in observance of the annual Aheregbe Festival and this will be observed in Isikan and all parts of Akure.
“The Palace wishes to inform residents that no trading or opening of shops under any guise will be allowed during the festival in Akure as earlier announced.
“For the sake of emphasis, ONLY Pharmacy shops and Patent Medicine Stores will be allowed to open during the festival,” the Deji said.
Meanwhile, residents of Akure have called for caution, urging the government to step in and address the imbroglio between the two monarchs. They observed that the differences should be allowed to degenerate into full blown chaos.
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