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Friday, May 15, 2015

How Alake Saved OGD From Being Cursed

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. 
Alake of Egbaland, Oba Michael Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo

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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