The Soun of Ogbomosho, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, has expressed his happiness and satisfaction with the Court of Appeal’s judgment reaffirming him as the Soun of Ogbomosho......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
THE WHISTLER reports that the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, has upheld the selection and installation of Oba Ghandi Olaoye as the Soun of Ogbomoso, overturning an earlier ruling that nullified his appointment.
Oba Olaoye was officially announced as the Soun of Ogbomoso by the Oyo State government on September 2, 2023, and was installed by the kingmakers on September 8, 2023.
Justice K. A. Adedokun of the Oyo State High Court, Ogbomoso, had, on October 25, 2023, nullified Oba Olaoye’s selection, describing the process as “irregular, null, and void” for failing to comply with the provisions of the 1958 Soun Chieftaincy Declaration.
Following the judgment of the lower court, the Oyo State government and Oba Olaoye filed the appeal, challenging the court ruling which invalidated the selection and installation of the latter as the Soun of Ogbomosoland.
On Tuesday, the appellate court set aside the lower court’s judgment, effectively reaffirming Oba Olaoye’s legitimacy as the Soun of Ogbomoso.
Reacting, Oba Olaoye while speaking with journalists shortly after a grand reception for him by Ogbomosho indigenes resident in Kaduna on Wednesday, hailed the court rulings affirming him as the Soun of Ogbomosho.
Oba Olaoye expressed his gratitude to the Court of Appeal for upholding his selection and installation, stating that “justice has been done.”
“Of course, I am happy about it. And my reaction is that justice has been done. The judge who did the first High Court rulings did not do a good job.
“He really erred in the way he delivered justice because what he gave to the other party was not one of their prayers,” Oba Olaoye said.
Oba Olaoye criticized the initial High Court ruling, saying, “So, what he ruled upon was not even argued in any way in the high court. The High Court is not Father Christmas. You are supposed to judge basically what was brought to you.
“He gave the judgment on what was not brought to him and neither did he call any of the parties to argue the case.
“So, that was why we knew it was going to be upturned. And that was exactly what happened.”
The Soun also shared his positive experience meeting with Ogbomosho indigenes resident in Kaduna, expressing his desire for regular meetings to encourage his people to support his 25-year vision for the city’s transformation.
He said, “I feel very good to have met with them because that’s why I came. I hope that this kind of meeting will not happen just once.
“But we will have these kinds of meetings on a regular basis because until we complete our vision, we still have to be going around, encouraging our sons and daughters to buy into the vision.
“So, I feel encouraged by the turnout. And I am sure we will achieve what our 25-year planned vision is.”
He also expressed satisfaction with the peaceful coexistence of Ogbomosho indigenes in Kaduna state, saying that “they have been here for many years, and I am satisfied with the peaceful coexistence among them.”
The Soun’s 25-year vision includes establishing Primary Healthcare Centers in all wards, transforming the city’s two teaching hospitals, and promoting computer literacy among the youth, amongst others.
Oba Olaoye said, “We want Primary Healthcare Centers in all the wards in Ogbomosho because of the poverty level, we want to make sure that our people have access to quality healthcare.
“We also want to transform our two teaching hospitals in such a way that it will discourage what I describe as medical tourism abroad.”
Oba Olaoye also emphasized the importance of computer literacy in the modern world.
“We want all our sons and daughters to be computer literate. Because computers are the future of the world. We want to make sure that our people are not left behind in this digital age,” he added.
The Soun also revealed that the Bank of Industry has graciously given Ogbomosho N88 million for developing the area by empowering the youth through training.
“We want our sons and daughters to sit at the decision-making level in Oyo State and not just be onlookers. We want to make sure that our people are empowered to take their rightful place in the society,” Oba Olaoye added.
Co-hosting the event was Pastor Tunde Bolanta, the Apostolic Overseer of Restoration Bible Church and Ministry Worldwide.
Pastor Bolanta praised the Soun’s efforts to develop Ogbomosoland, noting that Oba Olaoye has been visiting Northern states, including Plateau, Gombe, and Zaria, to interface with indigenes and encourage them to invest in their hometown.
Oba Olaoye’s 25-year development plan aims to transform Ogbomosoland into a model city, with a focus on socio-economic development, cultural enrichment, and attracting local and foreign investment.