Oba (Dr.) Michael Aremu Adedotun Gbadebo, Okukenu IV, the Alake and Paramount
ruler of Egbaland, that he
prevented his subjects from placing a curse on the former governor of Ogun
State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
He said the embittered
sons and daughters of Egbaland were ready to curse Daniel during his face off
with the governor in 2009 but he restrained them.
Alake disclosed that Egba
sons were asked to assemble at Lisabi Forest to invoke the spirit of Lisabi, the
great fighter and one of the forefathers of Egbas, who they do call upon to
intervene during tribulations.
The monarch revealed that
if not for his quick intervention, the matter would have degenerated into a
very serious spiritual crisis for the former governor.
The Alake said, as a
traditional ruler, what he did then was not bad but Daniel overreacted and blew
the matter out of proportion, thinking he can use his political powers to
undermine the traditional institution.
Daniel, who was the
governor of Ogun State between 2003 and 2011 was a very close ally of the
monarch until during the rainy season of 2009 when the Alake called his
attention to the bad roads within Abeokuta metropolis.
The matter got out of hand
and the governor planned to remove the monarch from the throne and banish him
from the town.
In an interview with a
local newspaper, Egba News, Alake narrated all what transpired between him and
Daniel.
According to the monarch,
“I felt that the purpose of an Oba is the human and material development of the
people. I pointed governor Daniel’s attention to the condition of the bad roads
in the town privately, and when nothing was done, I told him publicly.
“I don’t see that as too
much. It should not be something that should be beyond an Oba, so, I felt the
governor overreacted over the matter then.”
On the steps taken by his
subjects during the crisis, Alake revealed that they had a lot of plans then
which, if allowed to be implemented, may have led to crisis.
“It was the grace of God
that saved the situation. Sons and daughters of Egbaland overreacted then. I
was the one that persuaded them not to turn the whole thing into a war.
“There was an announcement
on one of the radio stations that all Egba sons should report at Lisabi Forest.
I had to stop that announcement.
“There were so many steps
that were taken by then and I had to stop them. Two wrongs don’t make a right,”
he said.
Commenting on the
political feud among sons and daughters of Egbaland, the monarch described the
situation as a normal thing, adding that Egba must always be in every
government, irrespective of the political party in power.
“There is no serious
conflict among Egba sons and daughters. We cannot all sleep and face one side.
We should never again plan to have an Egbaland that would have no son as
governor, minister, Governor of Central Bank.
“We should be in every
government, therefore, we cannot all pack ourselves into one political party if
not when that party loses, then for four years, we will lose out.
“What is happening is good
for Egbaland, they are not having any serious conflict. They have differences of
opinion and it is helping us.
“The year Obasanjo left
office was the year an Egba son became the Speaker. The year the Speaker
(Dimeji Bankole) left office was the year another Egba son became the governor
from another different political party entirely. What could be better than
that?” he asked.
When asked if he will
still take such action if things go that way again, he said: “of course, I
will, even with our present governor. If there is anything I think I should do,
any areas of neglect, I will point his attention to it from time to time.”
Many Egba sons and
daughters who opposed the embarrassing treatment meted out to their paramount
ruler by the governor then, also have one or two stories to tell today. Among
them were the then General Manager, Ogun State Culture and Tourism, Princess
Doyin Ogunbiyi, who confronted and condemned the action of the governor and
resigned her appointment in protest. She went ahead to defect from the
governor’s party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Ogunbiyi is now the
General Manager of Ogun State Vocational and Technical Education.
Also affected was the
Senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial District then, Senator Iyabo
Obasanjo-Bello, who was openly embarrassed by the aides of the governor at a
function in a church at Ilaro.
The present Iyalode of
Yorubaland, Chief Mrs Alaba Lawson, was another victim who fled from the town
when the heat was so much on her and she was dethroned as Iyalode of Egbaland
by the Daniel government and was not endorsed for the exalted position of
Iyalode of Yorubaland. Immediately after the 2011 election and the governor and
his party, Peoples Party of Nigeria, PPN, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lost
out, the woman was re-installed and also appointed the women leader of
Yorubaland.
By Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
Culled from PMNEWS
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