By Victoria Odunyemi
Nigeria – Member representing Yewa-North Isokan State Constituency1 in Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Adegoke Awoso has debunked the allegations of imposition and meddlesomeness in the lingering Igbogila Obaship Tussle, levelled against him by a section of the deposed Igbogila chiefs.
Awoso described the claims of the discredited chiefs as unnecessary face saving and a calculated politically motivated attempt to undermine his growing political profile, tarnish his reputation and impugn on his integrity.
It would be recalled that one of the deposed chiefs, former Akogun of Igbogila, Charles Olaotan, while speaking on behalf of others, at a Press conference last Tuesday in Abeokut took a swipe on Adegoke for his undue interference in the Igbogila Obaship tussle and denied the alleged deposition of the chiefs by the late Olu of Igbogila, Oba Ebenezer Olanloye.
He has described the purported suspension as mere rumours, claiming that the chiefs were never served with any official or former letters of suspension.
But in a swift reaction, Hon. Adegoke Awoso, also the Sobaloju of Igbogila Land, at another press conference held at the Ogun State Chapter of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Abeokuta last Thursday, refuted the allegations, maintaining that the affected chiefs were duly and officially suspended by the late Olu of Igbogila, Oba Ebenezer Olanloye, for gross misconduct and corruption. He affirmed that the suspension order was carried out in line with the Igbogila traditional customs and upheld by the relevant authorities- the Yewa Traditional Council and the Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, HRM, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, MFR.
Hon. Awoso vehemently denied sponsoring or instigating recent protests held in Igbogila and at the Governor’s Office, Abeokuta over the vacant stool, explaining that the demonstrations were peaceful expressions of frustration by Igbogila youths and stakeholders over the prolonged delay in selecting a new monarch following the demise of Oba Olanloye.
In attendance at the briefing were some prominent Igbogila indigenes, including the first son of the late monarch, Prince Olanloye Olatunde; the Otunba of Igbogila Land, Chief Semiu Akinlolu; the Secretary of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), Igbogila Branch, Pastor Toye Ogunkunle; Princess Olusola Akinola-Adebayo; several other community members and stakeholders.
On the alleged incapacitation of the late monarch at the time of suspending the former chiefs, Hon. Awoso debunked such wicked and inhuman insinuations, stressing that the late monarch was in high spirit and actively carried out the exercise in the full glare of relevant community leaders.
He claimed that there are corroborative motion and pictorial evidences to this effect. He said, “To also put a lie to the malicious claims by the deposed chiefs that our highly revered monarch was ‘ incapacitated and bedridden’ at the time of their suspension, there is an evidential video of the late Oba presiding over the installation of the new chiefs in the presence of invited Ogun State government officials, traditional leaders, and the media. Therefore, there is no iota of truth in what those discredited chiefs have said. They are only on a face-saving mission, desperately looking for a soft landing after being exposed for their inordinate ambition, corruption, overbearing and domineering attitudes.
“I am a lawmaker, not a lawbreaker. I have no interest in the town’s stool or finances. My only concern is for peace, unity, and progress to reign in Igbogila”, Awoso stated
Responding to the allegations concerning his own share of ₦1 million received as donation from BUA Cement, Awoso clarified that the money has been transparently redirected to the Igbogila Stakeholders Forum to support the community’s electrification project.
He maintained that, “When I discovered that these impostors had collected ₦30 million from BUA Cement and shared it amongst themselves, I queried them immediately. I later donated the ₦1 million sent to me to the Igbogila Stakeholders Forum for the community’s electrification project”.
Hon. Adegoke Awoso also used the media parley to mention some of his community – focused empowerment projects he has facilitated throughout his constituency. These projects include; a police patrol vehicle, a modern healthcare centre, boreholes, classrooms, toilets, solar streetlights, and health insurance schemes for residents across Igbogila and other parts of his constituency.
He however reaffirmed his commitment to peace and lawful and peaceful resolution of the Igbogila obaship crisis, emphasizing that he would never engage in acts capable of disrupting community peace and harmony.
In closing, the lawmaker was full of praises for Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, and the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, commending their leadership and developmental strides, and pledged his continued support for government efforts in promote peace and progress in Yewaland.
In their reactions, the Otunba of Igbogila Land, Chief Semiu Akinlolu, insisted that those parading themselves as legitimate council members are impostors who had been lawfully replaced by the late monarch.
Prince Olanloye Olatunde, the first son of the late Oba, and Princess Olusola Akinola-Adebayo, who led the youth protests, separately clarified that Hon. Goke Awoso had no involvement in the demonstration, describing the protests as collective outcry by the Igbogila indigenes over the leadership vacuum.
Igbogila community leaders and stakeholders in attendance appealed to the Ogun State Government to expedite action on the selection process of installing a new monarch for the ancient town to prevent long litigations.
