After 13 years interregnum, Fiditi town in Oyo State, on Monday got a new king to fill their vacant stool as Oba Oyelere Oyewole Sakirudeen was officially installed and presented staff of office as Onifiditi of Fiditi by the Oyo state government.
Speaking at the event which held at the Afijio Local Government Secretariat, Jobele in Oyo town, Governor ‘Seyi Makinde, described the process leading to the event as painstaking and relevant in legal, historical, archival because Fiditi customs and traditions were taken into consideration.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr Bashiru Olanrewaju, Makinde appreciated the importance of the role of a traditional rulers in the attainment of peace and prosperity, adding that “it is our determination to amicably resolve all disputes capable of inhibiting the state’s march from poverty to prosperity.”
He explained that the confirmation that the Yorubas values leadership in every community is aptly represented in the saying, “ilu kii wa, ki oma ni olori,” (meaning, a town cannot exist without a leader).
Makinde appealed to the king to see his installation as a call to service. He said “as the Oba of Fiditi town, you should appropriately consult with your brother Obas and other traditional rulers in Afijio to take an objective decision in approving appointments into the minor chieftaincies by those customarily and legally entitled to make such appointments.
“Your highness should try to understand the customary and statutory laws guiding your roles and be painstaking in embarking on activities that would complement the efforts of the present administration towards the development of Fiditi, Afijio Local Government and Oyo State in general.”
In his acceptance speech, Oba Sakirudeen appreciated Governor Makinde for heeding the cry of the people of Fiditi after over a decade, adding that a new era has come in Fiditi.
He said “I appreciate the governor, every Fiditi descendant both home and in the diaspora for standing by me and I urge them all to please come home and develop our town.
“What is next for Fiditi is development; this is our first approach and because of the love that Fiditi descendants both at home and in the diaspora have been showing me since we started the struggle, I know that they are going to support me in developing Fiditi”.
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