The Agbedegbede Royal Compound of the Giesi Ruling House in Ile- Ife has expressed its doubt over the paternity of the Chairman of Screening Committee appointed by the ruling house to select the qualified candidates, Prof. Ade Aderibigbe. In a statement issued yesterday, a copy of which was made available to New Telegraph, the spokesperson for the family and an aspirant to the Ooni royal stool, Prince Ade Ogunleye, said the family queried the tribal marks borne by Aderibigbe, saying no face among the members of the royal families in Ile- Ife bear tribal marks.
According to Ogunleye, the family’s doubt has been confirmed by the alleged fraud committed by the chairman of the selection committee to manipulate the list in favour of an alleged moneybag, who it claimed, had allegedly bought a car for the don.
The statement reads in part; “We are now in the know that Prof. Ade Aderibigbe, who made the screening a one-man show, has collected a car and the sum of N20million from a candidate and that is the reason he distorted the history of the royal compounds in the ruling house to favour his paymaster.
We initially yielded to him being the Chairman of the Screening Committee because of his age and education. We did not know that this has nothing to do with integrity and knowledge. We have disowned him and his utterance and actions. “The Baale Ile (Head) of Agbedegbede family has directed that his actions be disregarded.
“We shall represent the real lists to the kingmakers; a real list picked from a screening committee that comprises representatives of all the royal compounds, not just Agbedegbede compound. “This is how it was done in 1980 when Molodo, Olubuse/ Olodo, Adejokun, Alaka, Amodo, Odogbon and Ooni Ilare of Ogboru Ruling House were all represented in such Committee.”
