03/03/2025
Youths of Sasa petition Olubadan over attempt to establish Hausa-Fulani dynasty
By Ayinde Adeleke
The Concerned Youths of Sasa have written to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Akinloye Owolabi Olakukehin, expressing their concerns over the purported appointment of a new "Sarkin Sasa" following the demise of Alhaji Haruna Mai-Yatsin Katsina.
The youths view this appointment as an attempt to create an Hausa-Fulani ruling dynasty in Ibadanland, which they believe would perpetuate Hausa-Fulani hegemony in Sasa at the expense of the indigenous Yoruba people.
According to letter dated March 02, 2025, signed by Jelili Isiaka and Bamidele Isaac, mentioned that Alhaji Haruna Mai-Yatsin Katsina was installed as the Sarkin Hausawa of Sasa Community in 1979/1980, but he paraded himself as the Sarkin Sasa (King of Sasa) and exercised overlordship over the activities of Sasa market.
The youths argue that the title "Sarkin Sasa" is not recognized by the Chiefs Law of Oyo State and is therefore an illegality.
The Concerned Youths of Sasa have urged the Olubadan to prevent the establishment of an Hausa-Fulani ruling dynasty in Ibadanland, citing the need to protect the rights and interests of the indigenous Yoruba people.
They have also expressed their disappointment over the condolence messages sent by Governor Seyi Makinde and other dignitaries, which they believe conferred undue recognition on the late Alhaji Haruna Mai-Yatsin Katsina.
The letter reads;
His Majesty, Oba Akinloye Owolabi Olakukehin, Ige-Olakulehin 1
The Olubadan of Ibadanland
Aafin Olubadan,
Ibadan.
2nd March, 2025.
Kabiyesi Alayeluwa,
Above subject refers.
1. Kabiyesi Alayeluwa, we pay homage and obeisance to you Baba. May your reign be long. May the spirits of your ancestors from Lagelu to Olubadan Alli-Okunmade II continue to guide you.
2. Your Majesty, we are constrained to bring this urgent matter to your royal court for the prompt consideration and attention of Your Majesty and the esteemed elders in the Olubadan-in-Council.
3. In the early part of the 1970s, the Federal Government of Nigeria acquired 1,000 hectares of land in the Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State for the construction of the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan which led to the displacement of 33 Ibadan villages from their homeland. Suffice to state that the said IITA was inaugurated in July, 1977
4. The 33 villages were, thereafter, resettled in a place called “Structural Adjustment Settlement Area” (SASA) near Ojoo in the same LGA.
5. The information at our disposal indicates that the Sasa market was established during the same period whereupon the services of an Islamic cleric (name below) was sought for prayers to enable the growth of the market.
6. Around 1979/1980, the Islamic cleric, a certain Alhaji Haruna Mai-Yatsin Katsina (1900-2025) was installed as the Sarkin Hausawa of Sasa Community in the Akinyele Local Government Area of Ibadan, Oyo State.
7. Contrary to his designation, he paraded himself as the Sarkin Sasa (King of Sasa) and described his residence (which he allegedly constructed on a land freely gifted to him by the liberal and warm Yoruba people of Sasa) as a “Palace.”
8. Worse still, he was actively involved and did exercise overt acts of overlordship over the activities of Sasa market.
9. Kabiyesi, it is apposite to state that your predecessors have always installed Baales in Sasa but none of them has ever had any measurable control or domineering influence on the affairs of their community. They have been treated, for the most time, as second class citizens due to the overbearing influence of the so-called “Sarkin Sasa”. For ease of reference, the first community Baale in Sasa was Alhaji Hassan Fijabi (1974-1980) from the popular Fijabi Family of Oritamerin that produced past rulers of Ibadan namely Baale Fijabi I and Olubadan Fijabi II, Chief Sanusi Kolade of Ile Awumoro (1981-1987) and the incumbent Chief Amusa Akinade Ajani of Ile-Agbo in Oke-Aare(1989 till date).
10. It has now come to our attention that upon the demise of Mallam Mai-Yatsin on Saturday the 1st of March 2025, his son, who describes himself as Chiroma n’ Sasa, has been purportedly appointed as the new “Sarkin Sasa” and is to be presented to Your Majesty for “royal blessings”
11. Kabiyesi, it is our considered opinion that the purported appointment of the biological son of the last “Sarkin Sasa” is an attempt to create an Hausa-Fulani ruling dynasty in Ibadan – the heartland of Yorubaland.
12. We are also of the opinion that the confirmation of the appointment will further perpetuate the Hausa-Fulani hegemony in Sasa at the expense of your sons and daughters who are ancestral owners of the land!
13. We have searched the Chiefs Law of Oyo State and we are unable to find any title of “Sarkin Sasa”. It is an illegality and a joke taken too far! For this reason, we call on Your Majesty to reenact the exploits of your ancestors in OSHOGBO who stopped the rampaging Fulani incursion into Yorubaland.
14. While we are not averse to the condolence messages sent to the family of the deceased of the Sarkin by His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde as well as Senator (High Chief) Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli Esq & Senator (Senior Chief) Teslim Kolawole Folarin, we take exception to their usage of the terms “monarch, traditional ruler etc” to describe the deceased. If we may ask, which domain did he superintend over? Where was his territorial jurisdiction?
15. We sincerely hope that this message will be treated with the urgency it deserves.
With kind regards,
Jelili Isiaka and Bamidele Isaac
For: Concerned Youths of Sasa!
