Posted by By MOSHOOD ADEBAYO, Abeokuta on
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his childhood friend, former Attorney-General of the Federation(AGF), Prince Bola Ajibola last Saturday in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital further stirred the hornet's nest when they said all communities occupying the Egba territory as at today are all settlers.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his childhood friend, former Attorney-General of the Federation(AGF), Prince Bola Ajibola last Saturday in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital further stirred the hornet's nest when they said all communities occupying the Egba territory as at today are all settlers.
The former AGF had during the last annual celebration of the 8th Owu Day celebration said that Abeokuta owes its existence to the Owu people. 'Without us (Owu) there would not have been any Abeokuta today. That is why it should be realized in this regard. We the Owu fought endlessly and won Abeokuta for our people."
This statement irked the paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Aremu Adedotun Gbadebo who through his chiefs, including the Oluwo of Egbaland, Chief Edmond Adeyemi Adeboye, Alhaji Lateef Adegbite said Ajibola's sense of history was shallow and described his claim as 'an attempt to give credit to whom it is not due."
But Ajibola who spoke in the presence of about 32 Owu monarchs during the 2007 annual national convention of the Owu people which held at the Gateway Stadium, Totoro Abeokuta, insisted that nobody or group could disrupt history.
The former AGF who spoke in Yoruba said: 'Truth must be told whether anybody or group likes it or not. We are great warriors who are no cowards. Those saying otherwise have no sense or knowledge of history.
'We are all settlers here. Nobody can lay claim to this town called Abeokuta now. Nobody can disrupt history. Truth must be told, whether anybody likes it or not. We are great warriors who are no cowards. Those saying otherwise have no knowledge of history. We are gallant warriors who always display leadership qualities. There is nothing anybody could do about it.
'That's why people are usually envious of us. That's how we were created. Those people who did not like what I said here are being economical with truth. Even if anyone or group tries to disrupt history, such a person or group can not distort visible evidence. If anyone tries to distort history, such a person could not distort geography."
Obasanjo, who corroborated the former AGF said, 'apart from what he (Ajibola) read in much literature, he is very close to elders. So he knows what's he is saying. To us as Owu people, we fought the Dahomeans war. If we did not win the war we would not be here. We fought and won the war."
'Obasanjo who arrived three hours into the programme said: 'Although our great-grand fathers were forced out of their homestead, we know where we were coming from. If they don't know their own homestead, we know our own. Nobody got here willingly; we were all forced out of our homesteads, or is here (Abeokuta) their own homestead? ask them. We may be stubborn as a race, but we know what we are doing," the ex-President said.
He urged Owu people irrespective of their status to stand up for their right saying that 'although we no longer fight with guns, bows and arrows, we still have to fight wars of identity and dignity among several others."