By Tunde Olamilekan
The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has written to the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, calling for the dethronement of the Apetu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, who was convicted for fraud in the United States.
It would be recalled that Judge Christopher Boyko of the Northern District of Ohio, United States, on August 26,
sentenced the monarch to five years in prison for his role in a multi-million-dollar scheme that siphoned U.S. COVID-19 relief funds.
He was also ordered to repay about $4.4 million to the victims.
Court records show that Oba Oloyede pleaded guilty after prosecutors revealed that he used six companies to fraudulently obtain loans through emergency relief programmes, including the Paycheck Protection Programme and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan scheme.
In the letter to Governor Adeleke, signed by its chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, HEDA warned that allowing the monarch to remain on the throne would undermine the credibility of Osun’s traditional institution.
The letter stated: “A traditional ruler, who by virtue of his position is expected to embody integrity, culture, and respect, cannot continue to occupy the revered stool of Ipetumodu while bearing the stigma of a criminal conviction abroad.
“Traditional rulers are custodians of culture and values, symbols of authority, and the closest link to their people. Such a sacred position must never be tainted by the moral burden of fraud, corruption, or criminal conviction.
“It is therefore on this premise that we respectfully demand the dethronement of Oba Joseph Oloyede, the Apetu of Ipetumodu, to preserve the honour of Osun’s traditional institutions and safeguard the integrity of the state.”
The anti-corruption group further cautioned that government silence could be seen as complicity, eroding public trust in both leadership and governance.
“The failure to act promptly could amount to condoning fraud and desecrating Osun State’s traditional institutions,” HEDA stated. “We call on Governor Adeleke to uphold the sanctity of leadership and protect the image of Nigeria both nationally and internationally.”
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