CONTROVERSY TRAILS OWU STOOL
Crisis seems to be brewing over the process that would lead to the emergence of a new traditional ruler in Owu kingdom, Abeokuta, Ogun State. The former royal father, Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu, a veteran television producer ascended to the throne in 2005, as the 13th Olowu of Owu transited to glory on December 12, 2021 after a brief illness. Not long after his demise, kingmakers began the process to choose the next king for the kingdom. It was gathered that one Prince Saka Matemilola was chosen for the stool. However, his emergence was greeted with criticism after two royal families rejected his candidacy. They went as far as writing a petition to the state governor, warning against the installation of Matemilola as the next king. He was opposed because he is not an indigene of the state hence not fit to become the traditional ruler of Oluwo of Owu. Matemilola was one of the princes screened by the Owu kingmakers after candidates were nominated by the Otileta ruling houses, the next in line to produce a new king. It was gathered that the kingmakers spent seven-hours on the selection process. At the end of the screening, the kingmaker forwarded their report to the state governor, Dapo Abiodun who will announce the new traditional ruler for Owu town. The two petitions written are from Tajudeen Adelani and Amina Adesina who are both from royal families in the town. The petition was submitted to the state governor and the Ministries of Justice, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. They requested that the king makers should follow due process and accused the preferred candidate of not being a son of the soil. According to them, Matemilola is a native of Ibadan, in Ibadan North-East Local Government Area of Oyo State making ineligible to the throne. He had sworn an affidavit in 2000 at the High Court Registry in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State. He was said to be from Ile Soke in Oyo State where he alluded to be an Ibadan man. It was revealed that crowning him will be a desecration of the customs and tradition in Owu kingdom.
Folake Coker, the ex-wife of the Director-General, Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation, Folorunsho Cooker, also known as Folly Coker has unveiled her flagship store in the highbrow area of Ikoyi, Lagos State. The gifted fashion designer who pioneered the ready-to-wear clothing through her Tiffany Amber label gathered fashion lovers to her new outlet last week. The mother of three has put in over 20 years of hard-work in the fashion industry and she is the first African Fashion designer to showcase her collection at the New York Mercedes Fashion Week in two years in a row. Though Folake has conquered the fashion and business world, she has not had it smooth at the home front. Her marriage to Folly Coker crashed many years ago and the designer has remained in the singles club. Born with a silver spoon to the late wealthy business tycoon, Chief Bode Akindele, the Parakoyi of Ibadanland and the owner of Mondondola Group of Companies, an indigenous conglomerate in Nigeria and Fairgate Group, a top International real estate company, Coker’s marriage was blessed with three beautiful children before it ended.