LAGOS — THE Lagos State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs has been warned over the recognition of one Mr Yaya Adisa Olorunfemi as the traditional ruler of Egan community in Igando-Ikotun local council area of the state, despite an order of an Ikeja High court, Lagos, which restrained the said Olorunfemi from parading himself in that capacity.
The court had by its order restrained the Lagos State government and the Igando-Ikotun local council area from according the said Olorunfemi any recognition, following the quashing of the recommendation of the Standing Tribunal of Inquiry into Chieftaincy Matter in the state, which (Tribunal) had recommended Olorunfemi as the traditional ruler. The quashing of the recommendation of the tribunal and the restraining of Olorunfemi from parading himself as the traditional ruler were sequel to a suit brought by the Olukanmi family of Egan Town, who had challenged the nomination of some families in the town as royal families, without including their family.
After the court order, the defendants, the Executive Governor of the state; the Attorney General of the state; the Permanent Secretary Local government administration, the Executive Chairman and Olorunfemi applied to the court to stay the execution of the said order. The court while ruling on the application for stay refused same, though the court noted that the defendants have a right to appeal against the order.
But on February 18, 2004, the 3rd defendant wrote the said Olorunfemi, seeking to restore him to the same post the court had earlier restrained him from holding. Following the letter, and the alleged disobedience of the order of the court by the said Olorunfemi, a contempt proceeding was initiated against him.
Meanwhile, counsel to the plaintiffs, Lakan Ijelu, have petitioned the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs over the said letter written to Olorunfemi, in which the state had despite the order of the court, gone ahead to direct that Olorunfemi be paid all allowances and given all privileges due to him as a traditional ruler.
According to the petition “the interpretation accorded the ruling of the court on stay of execution is not only grossly erroneous as a result of improper understanding, it is also a contemptuous mutilation of the clear and unambiguous order of court.
Inadvertently or otherwise, you have lent administrative credence to a condemnable act of disobedience of the order of the court by the action contained in your letter to Olorunfemi. It does not fall within your constitutional duties to interpret the court’s order to soothe your whims and caprices but it is your unqualified duty and obligation to give full respect and weight to a court order in the manner so specified by the order”.
“Therefore by seeking to reinstate certain entitlement to Olorunfemi who parade himself illegally as the Olu of Eganland amount to a deliberate attempt to disobey court order which has always restrained him from parading himself as such. For the avoidance of doubt, the said order prohibits you and indeed the Lagos State government from according any form of recognition or status to him. Please note that Executive recklessness such as the one in question has been deprecated variously by the Supreme Court of Nigeria”, he added.
