MTC Inaugurates Hand Book Drafting, Chieftaincy Title Screening Committees

Mopa Traditional Council (MTC) has inaugurated committees for the drafting of Mopa Hand Book (MHB) and Chieftaincy Title Screening Committees.

The inauguration was held in Mopa before the Elulu of Mopa and Chairman, Mopamuro Traditional Council, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Muyiwa Ibeun.

The Chieftaincy Title Screening Committee is chaired by the Balogun of Mopa, His Royal Highness (HRH), H.E., Rt. Hon. Oba Clarence Olafemi.

Other Royal Highness who are members of the committee are HRH. Oba Bayo James, Oba Faromo Reuben, Oba Olushola Agbaje-Williams, Chief Rotimi Omokore Komolafe, and Chief S.O Akande.

Elulu expresses confidence in the committee, stating it contains respectable persons, well experienced, and have gotten to the peak of their respectable carriers.

He however urged the people of Mopa, who may be interested in becoming Chief, to follow establish procedures by ensuring they get the endorsement of their respective head of families/clans, community Chief/King before approaching the MTC.

Oba Ibeun emphasized that the endorsement of the family/clan is important before anyone can be given a chance to be part of the traditional council.

Persons inaugurated for the Mopa Handbook Committee are Oba Bayo James – Legal Adviser, who is also representing the Mopa Traditional Council (MTC) alongside Oba Olushola Agbaje-Williams, Chief Omokore Idowu Samuel, and Chief Olorunjuwon Samuel Otitodun.

Evang. Alaiyemo Durojaiye Stephen will serve as the Committee Secretary.

For the Elders Council are Chiefs Joseph Adewale Bello and S. Olu Akande.

Representatives of the Mopa Welfare Society (MWS), Mopa Youth Council (MYC), and Mopa Women Council (MWC) are Chief Olukotun Albert Oluseyi, Mr. Femi Ojo; Elder Omosaiye Babajide, Comr. Sunday Adeola; Mrs. Veronica Ibeun and Mrs. Tolani Omokore, respectively.

While the Head of Clans (HoC), Mr. Jeremiah Abiodun Henry and Mr. Lawal Aina represents the Clans/Families.

Earlier, the Opati of Mopa, Chief Ayodele Akanle, who was an observer in the program, gave the opening prayer.

Oba Ibeun charged the MHB Committee to ensure brief, unambiguous but detailed content.

He emphasized the need and importance for detailed documentation that explains the evolvement of Mopa Town, saying it is the bedrock of development in attaining the good wishes of the ancestors of the land.

“We must organise, manage, and administer the town properly. That is why we started from identification and documentation of each family according to their clans, communities, sub-communities, and then the entire town, which also enable us to know the number of the entire clans we have. Documentation is important for leadership, “he added.

The Elulu also urged the committee to do proper publicity to request from and invite Mopa public for submission of additional content and information in order to have a holistic and all-encompassing content.

He asked them to standardise the table of contents and then request for submission by chapters.

Family formed clans, clans formed community, and community formed the town. We know each family that made up each clan and community.

“This helps the people of the town to properly understand where they are from. If we can arrange for traditional titles, we should have a proper record of the emergence and the making of Mopa.”

The Elulu identified the proper Chieftaincies titles of Mopa to be Balogun, Otunba, and others, saying other titles that have been introduced to MTC will be revealed in due course.

Whenever anyone holds the handbook, Oba Ibeun said they should have a picture of what Mopa looks like and where it is located and have insight into our cultures and tradition.

He said it is unarguable that Mopa was established in 1916 with 9 clans, which have developed into communities that formed Mopa Town of today.

He asked the committee to identify families, clans, communities, up to their connection to the town, with their respective axis being identified for better understanding.

“Historical evidence is mostly not traceable after the 4th generation, and as the 4th Elulu of Mopa, I have taken it upon myself to discharge the wishes of my fore fathers who have sat on this throne.”

He also urged the committee to document the authority of the MTC and other sub-communities and community authorities, respectively.

Also, the organogram of community organisations like MWS, MYC, MWC, MSU, etc … must be properly stated to avoid ambiguity with any other community associations.

Festivals and anniversaries within the community should also be contained, like Mopa Day, New Yam Festival, Fishermen Festival, etc.

“There is nothing new that we are doing. We are only documenting facts and providing templates for other communities to copy. After Mopa Hand Book, we will have Amuro Hand Book, Oke-Agi Hand Book, and Ilai Hand Book,” he concluded.