As anxiety continues to mount over the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, on Thursday, held closed-door meeting with members of Ife Royal Traditional Council (RTC), the umbrella body of all traditional title holders from Ile Ife.
Tribune Online gathered that the meeting, held at the Government House, Oke-Fia, Osogbo, the state capital, lasted for about 10 minutes.
The RTC was led to the meeting by the Lowa of Ife, Oba Joseph Ijaodola, while the secretary of the body, Chief Adetoye Odewole, was also in attendance.
Others at the meeting were top officials of the Osun State government that are indigene of Ile Ife led by chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Babajide Omoworare.
Others are former member of Osun State House of Assembly, Honourable Adetilewa Sijuwade; former Commissioner for Culture, Tourism and Home Affairs, Mr. Sikiru Ayedun; Special Adviser to the governor on Youth and Sports, Mr. Biyi Odunlade.
Though insinuations were rife earlier in the day that the chiefs would be visiting the governor to formally break the news of the monarch's death, but Oba Ijaodola restated their previous stand that the Ooni was alive and in good health.
He informed Aregbesola that they were in the Government House to update him about happenings around Oba Sijuwade and regretted that the monarch was always a target of negative publicity.
According to Ijaodola, "we were all shocked when we heard the rumour. If at all such an incident had occurred, the traditional council would be the first to know and equally break the news to the entire public.
"Sixteen of us are his chiefs and when he was travelling out, he didn't look like he was going to die and should that have happened to him, we would have been informed even before anyone would hear about it. We pray that Ooni Sijuade will live long in good health."
Responding, Governor Aregbesola commended the chiefs for holding forth while Oba Sijade was away, just as he prayed for sound health and long life for the monarch.
Later, the governor and the chiefs proceeded to another room within the Governor's Lodge to hold another meeting. But, the chiefs, after the second meeting, declined comment over their talks with the governor.
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