Ondo Government to Amend Chieftaincy Declaration to Resolve Obaship Crises

The Ondo State Government has announced plans to amend the state’s chieftaincy declaration as part of efforts to address crises arising from obaship tussles.

This was disclosed on Thursday by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Amidu Takuro, who revealed that the government had received no fewer than 50 proposals and 70 petitions from communities seeking a review of the existing chieftaincy declaration.

Takuro stated that public hearings would commence on Monday to allow stakeholders to voice their concerns and agitations regarding the amendments.

He emphasized that only communities with monarchs would be eligible to amend their chieftaincy declarations.

These amendments, he said, would enable communities to determine the number of kingmakers, ruling houses, and provisions for regencies in the event of a monarch’s death.

The commissioner noted that the move was necessitated by the increasing number of litigations related to chieftaincy issues across the state.

“In the past, we discovered that most of the declarations were being made in secrecy, and we don’t want that to continue,” Takuro said.

“We want it in a way that every citizen of the community will have knowledge of what happens as regards their chieftaincy declaration.

To achieve this, we have set up a committee approved by the governor to ensure that all chieftaincy declarations are made transparently and equitably.”

He assured the people of Ondo State that the committee would fairly address all petitions and proposals, adding that some petitions had already been received against drafts submitted by certain traditional rulers.

The amendment process is expected to bring clarity and stability to the state’s chieftaincy system, fostering peace and unity in affected communities.