Oba Lekan Balogun, the Olubadan of Ibadaland, had to stop the installation of several Baales and Mogajis after suspected hoodlums broke into his palace.
Following a dispute over the selection of the title recipients, the hoodlums were purportedly funded by certain possible Mogajis and Baales.
In a statement, Oladele Ogunsola, Olubadan's personal media assistant, expressed displeasure with the supporters of the potential chiefs' disorderly behaviour and disapproved of the use of criminals to handle the situation.
Olubadan claimed that as a result of the interruption, only three of the ten chiefs who were scheduled to be installed that day really did so.
“It was a sad scene, seeing miscreants storming the palace, accompanied by my members of council seated to perform the traditional rites throwing decorum to the wind in abeyance of the exalted and majestic positions of my members of the Council.
“Kabiyesi, who reiterated his commitment to equity, fairness and justice in the exercise of his traditional role maintained that whoever, after a thorough investigation of the incident, anyone found culpable among his staff on whatever might have led to the ugly disruption would be properly sanctioned.”
He empathised with the other chiefs, who had no contentious issue but whose installation could not be performed due to the disruption caused by the miscreants, assuring them that what happened was a mere delay and not denial, adding, “their installation would be performed unfailingly at the next exercise”.
Oba Balogun charged every family presenting candidates for the positions of Baales and Mogajis to do their homework properly to avoid a repeat of Monday’s incident just as he warned against unruly behaviour.
He advised that they should ensure that their family members who may accompany them to the palace conduct themselves in an orderly manner as anyone found in the habit of bringing miscreants to the palace will be sanctioned.
He also insisted that every chieftaincy matter should be routed through his Personal Assistant on Chieftaincy Matters, Chief Isiaka Akinpelu.
He said: “I have made it clear to the members of the public when the palace was reorganised on the need to ensure that chieftaincy matters are made less cumbersome for me and my members of the council by going through Chief Akinpelu, whose appointment was made solely to have smooth and stress-free procedures on promotion and installation of Chiefs.”
The monarch maintained that anybody who deals with any other person on chieftaincy matters outside of Chief Akinpelu does so at his or her own risk, noting that the palace would not entertain any complaint in that regard after his repeated pronouncement.