BREAKING: Oyo Assembly Passes Controversial Chieftaincy Amendment Bill

 

The Oyo State House of Assembly, Wednesday passed a bill to amend the Chiefs Law, Cap 28, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.

The passage followed the presentation of the report of the House Committee on Local Government and State Honours.

With the passage, the State legislature has now substituted sub-section (1) of section 28 with a new clause.

The initial provision of Sub-section (1) which read: ” The Governor may cause such inquiries to be held at such times and in such places and by such person or persons as it or he may consider necessary or desirable ” has now been substituted with: “The Governor may cause such inquiries to be held at such times and in such places and by such person or persons as he may consider necessary or desirable.

To this end, former Clause (3) has now become Clause (4) hence the new Sub-section (3) now reads: “Any person who pursuant to subsection (1) of this section is elevated to wear beaded crown from Baales to Minor Chiefs who being a customary tenant shall continue to pay obeisance to his prescribed or consenting authority. ”

Recall that, the Oyo State House of Assembly had on Friday 12th May, 2023 held a public hearing on the proposed amendment where opinions of all stakeholders were aggregated.

The Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin while announcing the passage of the amendment commended the committee for a thorough job.

Hon Adebo Ogundoyin described the amendment as a good development which will give the Governor the discretionary power in respect of the Chieftaincy holders that are entitled to wear beaded crowns.

Speaking after the passage of the amendment bill, the Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government and State Honors, Hon Akintunde Emmanuel Olajide said the amendment was long overdue.

Recall that Governor Seyi Makinde had said in the letter requesting for the amendment that, ” As part of the ongoing efforts of the present administration to specify the Chieftaincy holders entitled to wear beaded crowns in Oyo State, the Executive council has considered the need to amend the Chiefs Law of Oyo State. This is as a result of agitation of many High Chiefs on the issue of beaded crowns and the volume of litigations and resentment within communities in the State.