The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi has been called out by four of his ex-security guards over claims of non-payment of their 29 months’ salaries backlog since 2017.
This was disclosed in an open letter to the Ooni via their solicitor Human Rights Lawyer, Mr Femi Aborisade.
The ex-security guards who were identified as 75-year-old Kolawole Faniyi, 82-year-old Rasheed Ayankeye, 76-year-old Christopher Adeola and 70-year-old Segun Adewale were said to have been engaged as security guards at the Ibadan branch of Jamasco Industries Limited, a company in which Ooni was said to be a director.
According the senior citizens, efforts to get paid their 29 months’ salaries had proved abortive as the Ooni displayed no show of concern.
Narrating how much effort has been put in to get the attention of the Ooni, the solicitor in the protest letter titled: “Open Letter to Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi over Disobedience to the Judgment of Court in NICN/IB/35/2018, he said, “in 2006, our clients were engaged by your company as the Ibadan Branch Security Guards of Jamasco Industries Limited, a company in which Your Royal Highness is a Director.
“Despite their dedication and hard work, the N20,000-per-month salary of Mr Kolawole Faniyi, and the-N15,000-per-month-salaries of Messrs Rasheed Ayankeye, Christopher Adeola and Segun Adewale were not paid by your company for a period of 29 months (June 2015 – November 2017).
“This is despite their ceaseless demand for the payment of their outstanding salaries, via two letters written to both Jamasco Industries Limited and your good office by our Law Firm.”
Furthermore, he explained that his clients resorted to a court action at the National Industrial Court in Ibadan, leading to a consent judgment, in which the court ordered that the ex-security guards be paid N600, 000 each by the firm.
However, since 2020, the organization is yet to over the court judgement, Aborisade disclosed.
Spokesperson of the Ooni palace, Moses Olafare pointed that the monarch used to own a quarry but handed over the company to a new management long before he ascended the throne in the year 2016.
Accordingto Olafare, the new owner only retained Oba Ogunwusi’s name as a director to get patronage, adding that Oono was not an accounting officer of the company as it claimed.