RismadarVoice Reporters, April 15, 2026
The Ondo State Executive Council has approved the restoration of the Onifira Oke of Oke-Ifira Chieftaincy in Akoko South-East Local Government Area, bringing to an end a 67-year vacancy following the death of the last occupant in 1959.
The decision was announced after the council’s first meeting of the year, presided over by Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Amidu Takuro, said the restoration followed years of agitation and what he described as a “thorough quest for justice” by the Oke-Ifira community.
The Onifira Oke stool, which holds first-class status comparable to other prominent traditional institutions in the Akoko axis, had remained vacant amid the disappearance of key chieftaincy documents from local archives. Only statutory instruments preserved in Ibadan, the former headquarters of the defunct Western Region, were available to support the claim.
Takuro said the government’s action corrects a longstanding anomaly and reaffirms the place of traditional institutions in governance.
The council also approved a series of chieftaincy appointments and upgrades across the state. Prince Olugbenga Adewole Aluko was named the new Olojoda of Oda in Akure South Local Government Area, while the Owa-Adimula of Oke-Oro in Akoko North-West Local Government Area was upgraded to Grade C status.
Other approvals include the appointment of Prince Jackson Akinson Okorisa as the Olu of Jinrinwo in Ilaje Local Government Area, Prince Simeon Oyeleye Obaniyi as the Olukakumo in Akoko North-East, and Prince Ayodele Akinnadeju as the Aladeokun of Alade Idanre. The council also approved warrant chiefs for the installation of new traditional rulers in Ifira and Irele, and recognised the Ugbagbe of Oroto as Sepeluwa of Oroto with Grade C status.
In a related development, the council approved a major expansion of healthcare infrastructure across the state, with new hospital projects expected to deliver a cumulative capacity of 500 beds.
The Commissioner for Health, Banji Ajaka, said the projects include the construction of 100-bed hospitals in Ikare-Akoko, Ore, and Okitipupa, as well as additional 100-bed facilities at the State Specialist Hospital and another specialist hospital in Igbokoda.
He added that 50-bed hospitals would be built in Irele and Igbokoda, alongside two general hospitals designed as integrated “one-stop shop” facilities offering laboratory, radiology, consultation, and pharmacy services.
The council also approved the construction of a new neuropsychiatric hospital and the upgrade of the existing facility in Akure to address rising mental health and substance abuse cases.
Further approvals include a revised cost for the Contributory Health Commission building to accommodate expansion and the procurement of advanced diagnostic equipment such as CT scan, MRI, and mammography machines for the University of Medical Sciences.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Idowu Ajanaku, said the decisions reflect the administration’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery and preserving traditional institutions.
He noted that the meeting came shortly after the state’s 50th anniversary and the first anniversary of the current administration as an elected government, adding that security issues were also discussed, including a recent visit by the governor to a community affected by a security breach.
