Osun monarch Oba Adekeye Oluyeye has appealed to Governor Ademola Adeleke over seven months of unpaid salaries for 17 kings and 440 chiefs.
Osun State traditional ruler, the Oloyan of Oyan, Oba Adekeye Oluyeye, has raised a public alarm over the non-payment of monthly salaries to traditional rulers and chiefs in Odo-Otin Local Government Area.
The monarch revealed that 17 recognized kings and 440 traditional chiefs across the local council have been forced to survive without their official monthly entitlements for seven consecutive months, causing severe hardship and hunger among community leaders.
The cry for help was contained in a video recording circulating online, where the traditional ruler spoke directly in Yoruba to appeal to Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke to intervene and release their long-overdue funds.
Speaking on behalf of the affected royal fathers and traditional title holders, Oba Oluyeye explained that the economic situation in the country has made living without salaries unbearable for community leaders who have families and dependents to feed.
Appealing directly to the Osun State Governor to clear the accumulated salary arrears, the Oloyan of Oyan stated:
“Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, we the kings are hungry. You’re starving us, the kings, and also the chiefs. Pay us our salaries; you’ve not paid us for seven months.”
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Providing a breakdown of the number of traditional leaders who are currently affected by the non-payment crisis across Odo-Otin Local Government Area, the monarch added:
“Nurudeen Jackson Ademola Adeleke, the king is hungry. We have 17 kings and 440 chiefs, and none of them has received a salary for the past seven months. Imagine the votes that will come from each of them, yet they are the ones who are not being paid. And we are saying we have people dying; it is obviously because of the struggles they are going through.”
Addressing questions regarding whether President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government were responsible for withholding local government funds, the traditional ruler defended the President, insisting that federal allocations were not the problem:
“President Tinubu has done what he was supposed to do, and he loves the king because he is an Omoluabi, so he has nothing to do with this. Please, help us beg the Osun State Government, Nurudeen Jackson Ademola Adeleke, to pay our salaries.”
Under Nigeria’s administrative setup, recognized traditional rulers and chiefs receive statutory monthly stipends through local government accounts.
The current salary crisis in Osun State comes amid ongoing administrative disputes over local government management and statutory allocation handling across local council areas. Community members are waiting for an official response from the Osun State Government.
Jennifer Baba is a journalist, international news correspondent, and writer at Moderncrux, where she covers artificial intelligence, fintech, emerging technologies, global politics, and international affairs. Based in Nigeria, she is passionate about transforming complex global developments into clear, engaging stories that inform and inspire readers.
