•The Story Of SARATU KONIBAJE & FOLASHADE ABEO
For sometime now, it has been a stiff battle between two top society women Princess Azeezat Folashade Abeo and Alhaja Saratu Aduke Konibaje, over who is the authentic Iyaloja-General of Oyo State. So tense is this their faceoff that it has divided the market leaders along the two sides. As a matter of fact, anytime these women’s paths cross since the battle resumed, there must be competition or a situation whereby one is trying to outshine the other. One of such hostile situations played out again recently at Olubadan’s daughter’s wedding reception, where they were both guests. Abeo, having realized the presence of Konibaje, mounted the stage and sprayed endlessly, as the musician of the day sang her praises to high heaven. Abeo with her intimidating stature (she is tall, huge and beautiful) monopolised the stage for a long time, thereby forcing Konibaje to be dancing at a corner close to the stage. How did all these start? Princess Folashade Abeo was installed as the Iyaloja-General of Oyo State by the late Alaafin of Oyo Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111 on Monday, 26th April, 2021. Her installation, according to the late monarch, came as result of a letter which the Oyo State Market Leaders Joint Working Committee wrote to him on 14th March, 2021 where eight (8) out twelve (12) various cluster groups comprising of Artisans, Technicians and Traders in Oyo State endorsed Princess Azeezat Folashade Abeo Nurudeen. It was also noted in the said letter that the eight (8) clusters of Oyo State Market Leaders Joint Working Committee, where the Presidents and Secretaries endorsed the candidature of Princess Azeezat include Canteen Workers Association of Oyo State, while Alhaja (Chief) Hamdalat Iyaduni Lawal and Mr Oluwaseun Olaniyan endorsed Abeo’s candidature on behalf of the association as the President and Secretary, respectively.
Tradesmen and Artisans Association of Oyo State approved her candidature with signatures of Alhaji (Chief) Yisau Kolayode Hamzat and Alhaji Sabitu Akanji Salawu as the President and Secretary. Chief(Mrs) Patience Labake Lawal and Alfa Waheed Salaudeen signed on behalf of Joint Traders Association of Oyo State as the President and Secretary.
Nigerian Youth Traders Action International endorsed Princess’ candidature with signatures of Alhaji Najimdeen Amole Azeez and Alhaji Kabiru Oladipupo as the President and Secretary. Oyo State Association of Traders in Nigeria, also in support of her candidature with approval from Mrs Stella Modupeoluwa Olabisi and Comrade Taofeek Oyewale Alausa as the President and Secretary.
Ibadan Joint Traders Association with signatures of its President and Secretary in persons of Mr Abiodun Adeola and Alfa Kamil Ari yo, while National Traders and Market Leaders Council confirmed her installation with signatures of Alhaja Sikirat Hammed Lawal and Alhaja Funke Ayinde as the President and Secretary.
While Companion Traders Association of Oyo State is not left behind as her candidature was endorsed by Chief Samson Adeola Afolabi and Alhaja Isiaka Lawal as the President and Secretary respectively.
Intimating the Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde on the installation, Alaafin said that he performed the coronation on Abeo based on the unanimous decisions of the market leaders.
Interestingly, same day that Alaafin installed Abeo as Iyaloja-General of Oyo State, the coalition of Traders, Artisans, Market Men and Women in the state also appointed Alhaja Saratu Konibaje as the new Iyaloja-General. Making it two people installed to occupy a single position. While some traders in the state aligned with the emergence of Abeo as the Iyaloja-General, the group that appointed Alhaja Saratu Aduke Konibaje as Iyaloja-General has insisted that they are the only credible body to appoint the Iyaloja-General.
In a petition written to the Oyo State Commissioner of Police over the market leadership tussle last month, Conference of Iyalojas in the state requested the CP to stop Princess Folasade Abeo Nurudeen and the Market Traders Association of Nigeria from setting the state ablaze. Saying that MATAN, the association that is backing Abeo is an unknown association in Oyo State.
The petition, jointly signed by the duo of Alhaja Sariatu Olorunero, Iyaloja of Ibadanland and Alhaja Rafata Wahab, Iyaloja of Ogbomosoland on behalf of the Iyalojas from 33 local government areas in the state, reads: “inspite of several warnings from various leaders and associations in the state, we noticed the unwillingness in the attitude of Princess Nurudeen to give up the illegal aspiration of forcing herself on over 2.5 million traders in Oyo State through the help of some rebellions among some associations lumped together with traders by the last administration.
“MATAN is an unknown association in Oyo State, we know those who invited MATAN, and we also know their mission. Those who invited them to cause problems in the state are not traders but presenting themselves to politicians and corporate organizations as market leaders to exploit the unsuspecting people.
Unfortunately, during the investigation, we discovered that Folasade Nurudeen has never been a member of any trade association in Oyo State. Our finding with the Oyo State Ministry of Trade and Industry also revealed that Market Traders Association (MATAN) was never registered with the ministry.
We also discovered that Folasade has never had any shop in any of the marketplaces in Oyo State, in addition, she hasn’t been engaging in the act of buying and selling within the state. Further investigation with the corporate affairs commission added that MATAN is not an active registered organisation in Nigeria.
“It is on record that no association has constitutional right to install Iyaloja-General in any state because the function of Iyaloja-General is beyond the locus stands of any association. The right to elect and install Iyaloja-General rested on traders from all the local government councils in each state, who will be represented by the Iyalojas and Babalojas from all the local government councils.
“The proposed Iyaloja-General of Southwest planned to be confered on Folasade Nurudeen by MATAN is a joke taken too far, no association has such right. As of the time of releasing this document each of the six states in the Southwest has Babaloja-General and Iyaloja-General.
“There is no Iyaloja-General for the Southwest region, it’s unconstitutional and impossible for any group or association to hide under conspirators in any state to initiate the unacceptable idea that will further polarise traders in the region.
“It’s easy for these people to lobby MATAN for Folasade Nurudeen’s immoral ambition, which they know can not be achieved but can cause disunity among traders in the state because they are not genuine traders, most of these people are carpenters, bricklayers, food canteen operators.
“Our leaders have elected, ratified and sworn in the Babaloja-General and Iyaloja-General of Oyo State before the rebellions and saboteurs collaborated with enemies from outside to destabilize the state. The Babaloja-General of Oyo State is Alhaji Sunmaila Aderemi Jimoh, while the Iyaloja-General of Oyo State is Alhaja Saratu Aduke Konibaje and there is no controversy to date on their leadership.
“No one can emerge as the head of traders in Oyo State without previously holding various positions in the association he or she belongs. For instance, the current Iyaloja-General of Oyo State, Alhaja Saratu Aduke Konibaje has held various positions in the past, from unit to local government, zonal and state, in actual fact, she is to date the President of Agriculture Produce Sellers Association in Oyo State. She was among the first set of traders that started Bodija International Market some decades ago.
“We request you sir to use your good office to stop the intention of Princess Folasade Nurudeen and MATAN to set Oyo ablaze by aspiring to become Iyaloja-General of Oyo State and Southwest region.
“In addition, we are requesting an investigation to be carried out on Princess Folasade Nurudeen’s claims, it should be established whether or not Princess Folasade Nurudeen has ever belonged to any known Traders Association if she has ever been engaging in any business transaction within the state, provide the address of store or shop where she has been operating from in the last 10 years.”
“We also request that Folasade Nurudeen should with immediate effect desist from parading herself as a member of traders in Oyo State because it is an ignoble thought to intrude into registered associations in an unconstitutional manner and conniving with women of no integrity to make herself Iyaloja-General of Oyo State and Southwest region.
“That Folasade Nurudeen should stop presenting herself to corporate organizations, banks, farmers, government agencies (home and abroad), individuals and politicians as a representative of traders in Oyo State and should not enter into any transaction or negotiation with the above-listed names under the pretence of acting on behalf of traders in Oyo State.
“That Folasade Nurudeen should stop adding, Iyaloja-General of Oyo State or Iyaloja-General of Southwest to her names on all publications, letters, broadcasts or complements. “That Market Traders Association of Nigeria (MATAN) should drop with immediate effect the idea of installing anybody as Iyaloja-General of Oyo State or Iyaloja-General of Southwest in Ibadan, Oyo State.
“That MATAN should discontinue the proposed installation of Princess Folasade Nurudeen as Iyaloja-General of Oyo State and Iyaloja-General of Southwest region slated for Thursday 22 September 2022 in Ibadan.
“We would appreciate your quick intervention in stopping the proposed installation of Princess Nurudeen on Thursday 22 September 2022, this will calm the tension down and prevent possible breakdown of law and order in the state.”
Though MATAN, as result of the above petition, has since shelved the idea of installing Princess Folashade Abeo as the Iyaloja-General of South West but the main crisis within the market leadership as to who is the authentic Iyaloja-General of Oyo State has remained unresolved.
While the government is allegedly backing a candidate for the position of Iyaloja-General, the other is said to have been backed by the late Alaafin. But according to those who are familiar with the runnings of market leadership, only the coalition of market men and women are in the best position to choose their leaders.
-Dare Adeniran
08057639079
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