Posted by By Jide Osokoya on
High chiefs and other influential Egba indigenes have condemned the attack on their royal father, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, the Alake of Egbaland by the Governor Gbenga Daniel administration, describing it as an insult.
High chiefs and other influential Egba indigenes have condemned the attack on their royal father, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, the Alake of Egbaland by the Governor Gbenga Daniel administration, describing it as an insult.
Even artisans, market men and women as well as pedestrian egba indigenes publicly discuss and protest against the development inside buses and taxis, saying the government had overstepped its bounds.
P.M.News gathered from impeccable sources in Abeokuta that the media attack on the Alake had been the topic of discussion at the three Abeokuta elite clubs - Abeokuta Club, Lisabi Club and Abeokuta Sports Club where the who's who in the Ogun State capital always unwind after the day's job.
Our source revealed that some Egba high chiefs and other prominent Egba indigenes have been discussing the reaction of Governor Daniel to a press interview granted by the Alake as highly intolerant.
'The powerful Egba indigenes, who are highly influential are very bitter with Gbenga Daniel for publicly insulting their Oba, who until the recent development, was known to be the governor's best friend.
'They were of the view that, even if Daniel felt slighted by the Alake's comment on government projects, he should have personally asked the Oba what went wrong, instead of attacking him on radio, television and newspapers through the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Kayode Samuel.
'The Egba indigenes have also called on their people in Governor Daniel's cabinet to call the governor to order, as they cannot toy with the dignity of the paramount ruler of Egbaland,' our source said.
To express his disappointment, the Alake of Egbaland has started avoiding any function attended by Governor Daniel, confiding in some of his Chiefs that why would he seat with somebody who disrespects royalty.
Alake was conspicuously absent at a programme organised by the Government College, Ibadan (National Old Students Association) held at the Cultural Centre, Kuto Abeokuta, yesterday, where he was to be the royal father of the day.
P.M.News gathered that when Alake heard that Governor Daniel would be at the event, he tactically sent people to the organisers, apologising for his non attendance.
The Alake had,during the inauguration of the Sodeke memorial cenotaph built by the Overseer of The Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, lamented the poor state of Abeokuta roads, calling on the state government to expedite action on the rehabilitation of some of the bad roads in the state capital, describing them as embarrassing.
The Alake had said in the presence of Chief Yomi Majekodunmi, who represented Governor Daniel that, 'we need to pay special attention to some roads right now… I'm aware the state has a way of getting its money reinbursed by the Federal Government whenever it rehabilitates federal roads'.
In a swift reaction to the Alake's comment, Governor Daniel, through his Information Commissioner, Kayode Samuel, returned the verbal salvo, saying the monarch was playing to the gallery.
Part of the state government's reaction read : 'The Alake of Egbaland knowing fully the predicament of the state government on inadequate finance, has not employed his clout and friendship with the federal authorities, including his kinsmen; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the minister of solid minerals and a senators of the federal republic to push for federal intervention on our roads and other facilities.
'We are tempted to ask the Alake to compare the fortunes of our capital city today with what was obtained when his kingsmen (Osoba) was at the helm of affairs in our state.'