The Nigerian
Council of Primates and religious organisations in the Ilaje Local
Government Area (LGA) of Ondo State have accused traditional rulers of
meddling in the affairs of a religious community in the state.
According to the groups, obas in Ugbo Kingdom, Ilaje LGA, planned to
install a baale in a religious community, Ugbo-nla Zion, a development
which now poses a threat to the existing peace between religious and
traditional institutions in the area. The development attracted
protests from various youth and Christian groups in the area. Ugbo-nla
Zion is a religious community with over 10,000 inhabitants. The church
that serves the community is Ugbo-nla Church of Zion, which has 2,000
branches worldwide. It was founded in 1947 by the late Elisa Lene
Ogunfeyimi who was the deputy to the late Moses Orimolade Tumolase, the
founder of Cherubim Seraphim churches worldwide. The Ugbo-nla
community, in a statement issued by its chairman Omogunkrisiti Isogun
Ajodun, alleged that the imposition of a baale contravened the doctrine
of the church and the community. The statement said that the spiritual
head of Ugbo-nla Church of Zion, Duro Ogunfeyimi, also doubled as the
head of the community as stipulated by its constitution.
The community, in
the statement, advised the state government, particularly the State
Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, to meet with the
Olugbo of Ugbo, Akinruntan Obateru and other rulers in the kingdom to
resolve the issue. The statement warned that any attempt by the
traditional rulers to install a baale or an oba at Ugbo-nla Zion
community would jeopardize the existing peace in the area.
