Club 66 Idanre, Ondo State, has cautioned Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for his ‘unguarded words which denigrated the Owa of Idanre, Oba Fredrick Aroloye (Arubiefin IV)’, following a peaceful protest by the community over the alleged takeover of the forest reserve by some companies.
A statement by the club President, Dr. Anthony Omolola, urged Akeredolu to apologise for the invective words reported to have been used on the monarch. He described the governor’s alleged insults and threat on the 96-year-old monarch as an affront to the peaceful community.
Dr. Omolola insisted the governor, as a Yoruba son, should have been ‘modest and diplomatic while talking to elders and traditional rulers who are custodians of the people’s culture, heritage and values’.
The statement reads: “An insult on the Kabiyesi, the Owa of Idanre, is an insult on the Idanre people and we reject such.
“We believe the ancestral land/forest of the people cannot be shared or allocated to groups or companies without the proper discussion and agreement with kabiyesi, community leaders and the people who are custodians of the land/forest, considering the socio-cultural, moral and economic implications. “We demand from Governor Akeredolu, unreserved apology to our kabiyesi.”