The Oniru Royal Family comprising the children, traditional chiefs, Baales, women and youth groups, yesterday unanimously declared that there was no rivalry over the throne.
In a press conference held at Oniru Palace in Victoria Island, Lagos, the family also stressed that their sole candidate for the throne remains Aremo Adesegun Oniru.
Addressing the community, the Odofin of Iru land, Chief Saliu Abisogun, who echoed the minds of others said it has become imperative to voice out the position of the upright sons and daughters of Iruland on the succession process to the much-respected stool of Oniru of Iru land currently being discussed in the media.
Going down memory lane, he said the stool of Oniru as a First Class monarch came into statutory recognition in 1994 after a history of more than 200 years as a chieftaincy family.
He said: “Thus, the first Oniru of Ireland, our recently translated Oba Abiodun Idowu Oniru, ascended the throne and spent a period of 25 years on the throne. Thus, as at the date, there has only been one Oba of Ireland in the history of the Kingdom. Posterity was wonderfully nice to our deceased Oba as His Majesty’s reign brought unprecedented development, government recognition, and presence, coupled with lots of personal prosperity to both indigenes and foreigners in Iru land.
“In addition, our ancient city has witnessed peace and harmony which has made it the envy of its neighbors and the darling of investors.
“Now that it is time to nominate a replacement to the vacant stool of lru, it is important to have in mind the need for continued progress and unhindered development in entrusting the leadership of our city to any prince.
“ It is in connection with this that we, the Chiefs and Baales of Iruland have resolved to back the nomination of Aremo Adesegun Oniru as the next Oniru of Iru land. We cannot afford, at this stage of our development, to allow some elements, who have no contribution to the development of Iru land, to take over the leadership of the city and reduce it to the vassal of some foreign interests. We cannot afford the stifling of our development in the hands of individuals who have no knowledge of how we got here.”
On their choice of Aremo, he said it was under him that they recorded tremendous achievements in Iru land under the deceased monarch, adding that “It was Aremo Adesegun Oniru that assisted in ensuring unprecedented infrastructural development in Iru land.
“He brought the whole family of Oniru together as a united force in the absence of which it would have been near impossible to make the landmark progress we have witnessed in recent times. The Oniru family, within the last 75 years, has transformed our collective existence to the pride of all indigenes. The best favour we can do ourselves is to ensure continuity of this spate of progress and development.
”That the late Oba was the father of Aremo Adesegun Oniru, is not a sound argument to prevent the ascension of this noble son of the land. Aremo Oniru can legitimately succeed his father if the development of our land is of any meaning to all.
“It is instructive to note that this is not an unusual practice as the neighboring Kingdom of late Land wisely did the same in no far a distance. In addition, the Abisogun ruling house laying claim currently exclusively occupies the llase royal seat which is equally part of the Oniru Empire.
”The charade that some individuals carried out a few days ago in the name of the nomination of Oniru of Iru land of someone who has no connection with our historical progress is nothing but an unnecessary provocation which is better ignored to pave way for our continued peace and harmony.
“We, the principal members of the Oniru family, have met together with all relevant Baales in lru land and have resolved to back reduce it to the vassal of some foreign interests. We cannot afford to stifle our development in the hands of individuals who have no knowledge of how we got here. “
