Ogbomoso Chief Imam row: Islamic affairs committee urges swift resolution

By Samuel Ogunsona

The Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs Committee for Ogbomoso has
said that the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye has the right to pick the Chief Imam of the ancient city.

The council reviewed the position of the Soun of Ogbomoso on the choice of Chief Imam asking Alhaji Talihat Yinusa Olusina to resolve the paternity dispute with the Imam Ayilara Family.

The committee’s chairman, Abdulganiyu Atanda Owodunni, described recent comments by the Olugbon of Orile-Igbon, Oba Francis Alao, as “mere attention-seeking” and lacking in understanding of the issue.

The committee reaffirmed the authority of the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, to interfere in matters involving the Chief Imam, emphasizing that the throne of Soun transcends individual religious affiliations. They also defended the Soun’s appointment of Sheikh Habeeb Ayilara as the Imam for his palace, citing the need for a non-controversial figure to lead prayers.

The committee’s statement highlighted the root cause of the crisis: the Chief Imam’s failure to prove his paternity with the Ayilara family. They urged him to resolve the matter amicably, warning that his refusal to do so would continue to divide the Muslim community in Ogbomoso.

However, the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs Committee for Ogbomoso defended the Soun in a statement issued on Thursday. The statement read; “We found inappropriate the recent comment by the Olugbon Oba Francis Alao on the festering crisis of Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland.

“He made certain inauspicious claims, which constrained us to respond so as to dispel the misconstruction and misrepresentation he projected.

“We repeat that the Chief Imam crisis in Ogbomoso is not about our revered Kabiyesi His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III, but about truth and lie; right and wrong; honesty and dishonesty; righteousness and unrighteousness.

“There are six Chief Imamship families in Ogbomoso of which Ayilara family is one and is their turn. These families rotate the position and it is what has been in existence since 1818 when the first Chief Imam was appointed by the Soun. The Soun of Ogbomosoland built what is today Ogbomoso Central Mosque on the Soun royal family land within the then Palace. Soun has been the sole authority appointing the Imam of the Mosque, who is now regarded as the Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland, since 1818. No Court has vacated that authority and the Muslim Community in Ogbomosoland never contested that authority. It is the present Chief Imam, Alhaji Teliat Yinusa Olusina, that has ever engaged in such impunity.

“The problem started when the Ayilara family found out he is not related to them by blood. Naturally, they raised an alarm. They petitioned the Soun who is the highest authority on the Central Mosque, and he instituted an investigation led by a Muslim. The committee recommended that Teliat should resolve the matter with his family. A simple matter of proving his paternity with the family and providing indisputable evidences he has allowed to degenerate into this crises. This same Teliat once said he had 14 siblings but none of them had come out to defend him.

“We the League of Imams and Alfas, the Special Committee of Islamic Affairs in Ogbomoso and other Muslim Leaders and Organizations stand by this decision too. But he started blackmailing us and the Soun, instead of proving his paternity with the Ayilara family.

“So, Olugbon’s comment is in bad taste. Olugbon declared unflinching support for the Chief Imam that has been insulting a Crowned Head like him. That shows his capacity as a leader. In all his commentaries he never referred to the real cause of the imbroglio, that is, the issue of Teliat’s paternity with the Imam Ayilara family, which has consistently maintained that he is not one of them and does not represent their family house, as the chief Imam.

“Olugbon in another breath, said stakeholders are resolving the matter. In the meantime, we challenge him to name the stakeholders he had gathered and their activities so far, as we, the Islamic Affairs committee and League of Imams and Alfas, we are the stakeholders of Islam for Ogbomosoland and we have told Teliat that unless he resolves his paternity crisis with the Ayilaras, he cannot continue as the Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland, a recommendation that we have made to the Soun of Ogbomosoland. Based on the above, Olugbon at best seems to be an attention seeker and commenting on what he has no knowledge about. In the meantime, we challenge him to name the so-called stakeholders or other mediators he has gathered and their activities so far. Have they visited the Palace of Soun or the Ayilara Family? Failure to do this, we will conclude he has an axe to grind with the Soun and he saw this crisis as a chance for his vindictive agenda. Meanwhile, we advise him not to meddle in a matter he is ill-informed about and we advise others like MURIC and other interlopers too.

“Olugbon ardently begged MURIC to “sheathe its sword.” We are not aware MURIC has raised a sword against the Soun. MURIC should be informed that not Soun but the Chief Imam himself and the Ayilara family that are the problem. MURIC needs to dispassionately and meticulously inquire into the matter like some respected Islamic bodies did in the past instead of merely reacting to slanted media reports. Islam abhors unrighteousness.

“Soun though a Christian and a former Pastor he has not done anything to undermine or harm Islam in Ogbomoso. He does not instigate any ‘divide and rule’ tactics and neither have we seen any hint suggesting a weakening of Islam. The Soun only stands by the truth, telling Imam Olusina to clarify the issue of his blood relationship with the Imam Ayilara family. Indeed, Soun is not a religious bigot. If you call him a progress and development bigot we won’t contest that but to declare he is seeking to douse the light of Islam in Ogbomoso is far from the truth. It is an orchestration to fan ember of hatred against him. We dissociate ourselves from that. The public should not be deceived. Ogbomoso is peaceful, not sitting on a “keg of gun powder.” Many make comments and write on the matter without understanding the root cause or perhaps chose to ignore the facts for their evil agenda.

“We are not unaware of the pending court cases. However, it’s not Soun but Imam Olusina and his cohorts that instituted four cases against the throne of Soun that made him the chief Imam of Ogbomosoland. And he is the one along with his cohorts engaging in contempt of the court by their endless social media engagements berating the Soun. He is the one actually dividing the Muslim Community in Ogbomoso by his attempt to take what does not belong to him.

“On the installation of Sheikh Habeeb Ahmad Adekunle Ayilara as Imam of the Palace, it’s justifiable and we stand by the Soun. Moreover, His Majesty carried us along and we considered it a necessity. As Kabiyesi observed, Imam Teliat made himself ineligible to lead prayers in the Palace the moment he took the Soun to Court. That’s flagrant violation of the rules of engagement of the Palace. And resorting to hurling abuses on the Oba and those who support the Oba’s approach further disqualifies him from the role. Since the Kabiyesi needs an Islamic Cleric for various Islamic functions it’s only right another person, who is not controversial, respects traditional institution and elders, is appointed. Quran also preaches respect for Constituted Authorities. If the Oba is after whittling down the influence of Islam he would have done the selection unilaterally or sees it as an opportunity of cancelling the Friday prayers in the Palace altogether. We therefore align with this approach by His Majesty.

“We stand by our monarch and restate our unalloyed support for him. We will continue to pray for his success on the throne. Long may he reign!

“Finally, we plead with those interested in the matter to ask him, Imam Olusina, to settle with his family first.”