As the race for succession to the throne of Deji of Akure hots up, Damisi Ojo reports on the attempt by the deposed monarch of the ancient city, Oluwadare Adepoju Adesina, to regain the throne
Three and half years after he was removed from the throne and nineteen days after the demise of his successor, deposed Deji of Akure, Oluwadare Adepoju Adesina has formally written the Ondo State government seeking reinstatement to the throne of his forefathers.
Adesina, through his lawyer Olusola Oke Esq. not only asked to be returned to the palace as the paramount ruler of Akure land, but also explained his own side of the events that led to his deposition and banishment by the state government on June 10, 2010.
In the letter to the state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, and his executive council titled: Appeal for vacation of orders of deposition and banishments Oluwadare Adepoju Adesina from the throne of the Deji of Akure and reinstatement to the throne, dated December 19, 2013, the deposed monarch while commiserating with the government and people of Ondo State, Akure in particular over the passing of Oba Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida Afunbiowo II said he was moving quickly to seek a return to the palace because of information he had that some people are already jostling for the throne even before the dust settles on the traditional rites of passage for the late Deji.
Adesina, while blaming communication gap between the palace and the mass media for the public not hearing his own side of the story of his alleged assault on his late Olori denied all the allegations leveled against him leading to his removal.
“I have, time and again, considered the tragic events that led to my exit from the throne and I have come to one conclusion: that Goebbels, not Hitler, was the reason Germany thought she was strong enough to conquer the World. Sir, I now know how important the press is. Communication and information management are issues I will never toy with again.
Why did I say communication and information management? Because none of the things I was alleged to have done ever happened!
For the avoidance of doubt, I do not lay any blame at the door of any journalist but I admit that avoidable communication gap was the reason why the press could not even report a single account of the version of the palace at that material time. Again, I admit that this communication gap was avoidable.”
Explaining what happened between himself and his late wife, Adesina raised some posers to buttress his innocence:
•Did I go to Hospital Road? Yes I did, because it was a house I had rented before I mounted the throne. I kept the house and still paid for same while on the throne because some members of my family still lived there. Where then, for example did the press get information that the house I went to belonged to my in–laws?
•I also read in the newspapers that I poured acid on my wife: To begin with, how could someone I allegedly poured acid on in the evening of May 30, 2010 now go out just a few days thereafter to plead with different Obas, Chiefs and leaders that her husband should be reinstated? It may interest you to note that she went about asking that I be reinstated whilst fully dressed as an Olori i.e. without buba on top of her Iro. There were no bruises on her.
Sir, it may further interest you to know that when my late wife, who was allegedly bathed with acid got to the palace of the Jegun of Ile – Oluji, the Jegun said he had read about all that happened in the print media and said he hoped the Olori had fully recovered. It was at this stage that the Jegun was told that the beautiful lady dressed in Iro, with beads round her neck but without the buba top and who accompanied the emissary to his palace was indeed the Olori that was allegedly bathed in acid! The Jegun quickly drew the Olori to his side and searched for the spots where she was allegedly bathed with acid but did not find any!
The other Obas who saw her soon after she was allegedly bathed with acid were the Olugbo of Ugbo land and the Olukare of Ikare. The mother to Your Excellency also saw her at Ondo town when she came to beg her to plead with Your Excellency.
Above all, the families concerned have since reconciled their differences.
•Moreover, I also read from the dailies that I fell into the gutter and had to be rescued. This was outright falsehood. Firstly, up to this point, three years after the incident, even with modern technology, phone, camera and other means of communication, is it not strange that there has not been one single documented account of this fact? Why is it that none of the media houses in this country ever showed or got this printed out! I came downstairs from the building and stayed in my car at the time my late wife was allegedly bathed with acid.
•I also read it in the papers that I poured hot ashes which I brought in nylon bag on her. Sir, is it not strange that hot ashes was brought in a nylon bag? Why did the nylon not melt? Besides, is it not elementary traditional science that if you pour ashes, it will undoubtedly be blown towards you (the pourer). That is why it is said in Yoruba land that “eni deeru ni eeru n to”. Why was I not affected by the ashes myself since I was the one that allegedly poured it? Why was any other person not affected since, by the media accounts, the environment was rowdy and full of people?
For the avoidance of doubt, I married my late Olori Bola Adepoju Adesina traditionally. I also needed to divorce her for reasons due largely to some serious and irreconcilable family differences. Even though it is good for the married to stay together for better or for worse, it is however my belief that where certain acts of one of the spouses is consistently dangerous to the life of the other, it is better to divorce and stay alive than to pretend to be married but die in it.
Sir, you are a good man. You will kindly pardon me to respect and honour the memory of the late Olori by refusing to disclose, in details, through this medium, all that my late wife did that necessitated the divorce. Besides, because of the future of my children from the late Olori, I most humbly plead that you will further pardon me from going further than this through this medium. At any rate, some of the reasons for the divorce are not unknown to Your, Excellency.
•On the issue of engaging in shady land deals: I wish to place it on record that I never instructed anyone to collect “royalty” on my behalf from any land owner. No one ever came to inform me that he wanted to check if it was true that I actually sent anyone to collect “owo omo onile” from him. It is worthy of note that the only known account/record of the use of my name to collect “owo omo onile” is at the ‘A’ Division in Akure where the culprit, one Mr. Gbenle Kikiowo made an undertaking not to use my name again for such fraudulent activities when, upon a tip – off, I got him arrested and took him to ‘A’ Division, Akure. Why the police never prosecuted him up till now, I do not know because I personally reported him to the police when I got information that he used my name to collect “owo omo onile.”
•On the issue of engaging in a public fight with Chief Jossy Abegunde, I deny firmly that I fought with him. Conversely, the issue between Chief Jossy Abegunde and I had to do with the ownership of a large parcel of land belonging to Akure community which was turned to a plank market by the Police Authorities. Sir, you will agree with me that the Police Authorities do not have any constitutional or statutory responsibility to operate plank markets. The Police Plank Market beside St. Luke Anglican Church, Idi-Agba, Akure is indeed the first of its kind.
Your Excellency, it is also my belief that an important function of Obaship is the protection of the common heritage of the Oba’s domain. Thus, I believe I did the right thing by instituting an action against the Police Authorities in respect of the disputed parcel of land. That was all I did. It is worthy of note that in the suit I instituted against the Police Authorities on the disputed land, it was done with the active consent and participation of Akure Council of Chiefs. The Chiefs were also co-plaintiffs in the said suit against the Police. The Chiefs even agreed to contribute money for the payment of our lawyer’s professional charges.
Moreover, even the late Oba Adegboye Adesida was reputed to have continued with the litigation on the disputed land.
At any rate, it is important to inform Your Excellency that Chief Jossy Abegunde and I have since reconciled our differences. We both later understood that both of us wanted what was in the best interest of Akure on the disputed land but our approaches were different.
•On the disagreement between the Chiefs and the Palace: To begin with, I never had any disagreement with either the Akure Council of Chiefs as a whole or the Kingmakers alone. The seeming disagreement I had with the Chiefs was on the payment of “Igbanujo”.
Your Excellency, “Igbanujo” is the money I was obliged to give the Chiefs as a whole for their entertainment upon my emergence as an Oba elect. Sir, due to obvious financial constraints, as a result of the various expenses I incurred at the time of contesting the throne and thereafter, I could not immediately raise the sum of N5million meant for the “Igbanujo”. However, I later paid the “Igbanujo” money after I ascended the throne.
Thus, it is important to state categorically that the “Igbanujo” money was not money collected or paid for any illegal or fraudulent purpose. All the Chiefs of Akure can attest to this fact. The payment is just a traditional way by which any Oba-elect fetes all the Chiefs. This is a tradition in Akure that I am sure that even the late Oba Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida honoured. Sir, I dare say that all the Chiefs of Akure can attest to these facts.
•On the Lisa of Akure: My disagreement with High Chief Folorunso David, the then Lisa of Akure started when, after I had become the Deji of Akure, the Lisa wrote a letter to the Ondo State government on his own letter head paper requesting that the Olu of Ala be made an Oba. The then Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Otunba Omolade Oluwateru sent a copy of the letter to me after which I invited Akure Council of Chiefs and the Lisa himself to the palace on the issue.
On the advice of the Council of Chiefs, I set up a committee which investigated the circumstances warranting the letter by the Lisa to state government. Even though I was not opposed to the upgrading of any person to the status of an Oba where deserving, the Council of Chiefs, and the committee set up found the Lisa’s conduct to be capable of undermining the throne of the Deji of Akure and capable of causing disunity and disaffecting amongst Akure indigenes. Thus, the committee recommended that the Lisa be suspended for six months. The Lisa was thus suspended on the recommendation of the committee. However, after considering his plea and the significance of his chieftaincy title amongst the Chiefs, his suspension was subsequently lifted.
The second cause of the disagreement I had with the then Lisa also occurred when the Lisa, wrote a petition against me to our respected Akure and Yoruba leader, Chief Fashoranti. The Lisa wrongly alleged that I supported members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), who were pro–Labour Party against those who were pro – PDP. He further alleged that I went to Erekesan Market with your Excellency when your Excellency came to inspect the market for possible reconstruction. There were about twenty other false allegations in the said petition to Chief Fashoranti. I also got a copy of the petition written to Chief Fashoranti.
Upon receipt of this petition, I also called a meeting of Akure Council of Chiefs where I showed the petition which was written on the letter head paper of Akure Council of Chiefs. The Chiefs denied knowledge of this letter but the Lisa said the then Elemo High Chief (Barr.) Bolanle Adedipe and the Ojomu of Akure High Chief Ayo Oluyide were privies to the petition.
The Chiefs with the exception of the Lisa, Elemo and Ojomu collectively denied being parties to and/or being aware of the petition written on their behalf.
Consequently, the Council of Chief decided that they were fed up with the high handedness of the Lisa more so since the Lisa had taken such a grave decision in their names without actually informing them of his actions.
Thus, the chiefs recommended that High Chiefs Elemo and Ojomu should be queried. The two High Chiefs were duly queried by me but I also applied wisdom by refusing to take any further step in the matter with or without their responses to the queries. As a matter of fact, even though the two Chiefs did not respond to the queries I never raised the issue again since, by their actions and oral explanations, they were not parties to any attempt to spite the throne of the Deji or smear my name/image.
On the Lisa however, since there was no sense of remorse, the Chiefs went to my secretary’s office, typed a letter of removal of the Lisa and brought it to me for signing, saying that was their decision. I obliged by signing the letter of removal of Folorunso Davids as the Lisa of Akure.
Thus, even though High Chief Folorunso Davids was removed by a letter signed by me his removal was however the majority decision of the members of Akure Council of Chiefs.
Sir, my seeming refusal to reinstate High Chief Folorunso Davids was by no means an act of disrespect but I feared the serious consequences of reneging on the oath made with the Chiefs on the issue. The breach of oaths in traditional institutions attracts dire consequences even if the “oath” is a mere oral agreement.
Your Excellency may wish to ask: Why was it that even after my deposition and banishments, the late Oba Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida, Afunbiowo II refused to reinstate the said Folorunso Davids but chose to appoint another illustrious son of Akure in the person of High Chief (Engineer) James Raymond Olusoga as the new Lisa of Akure? The reasons that prevailed at that time were also why the late Oba Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida could not reinstate the Lisa.
Sir, suffice it to say that notwithstanding the difference in our actions, approaches and believes, my respect and admiration for the person of the Lisa never waned. Rather, I always respected him. He was always very bold, daring, courageous and dogged. These were the unassailable good qualities I liked in him – evidence of his distinguished career in the Nigerian Army. It was the extreme application of these virtues however that caused a misunderstanding between us.
Sir, even though he also partook in the process of my removal by signing petitions against me in his capacity as the Lisa (despite his removal without a challenge in the law court) I have also completely forgiven him. I hold no grudges against him whatsoever.”
Plea for reinstatement
After stating his case, Adesina pleaded with the state governor Dr Olusegun Mimiko and the state executive council to recall him to the throne: “I do honestly plead with your good self and the other members of your Executive Council to kindly rescind your decision on my deposition and banishments and to reinstate me back to my position as the Deji of Akure.
Sir, I knew but I have also been further educated by my team of lawyers that legally and lawfully your esteemed executive council can still reinstate me.
Sir, from the bottom of my heart, I hold no grudges against my Chiefs. I forgive them. As a matter of fact throughout my travails, I appreciate all the support I got from them. I also have to be realistic that with my deposition, Akure needed to move on. In moving on however, justice and truth are all I ask for. Again, I forgive all of them from the depth of my heart because without them, there cannot be a Me.
Your Excellency, even though I never had the opportunity of expressing my own side of the story to the media by virtue of my position as an Oba and further because of the prevailing circumstances at the time and, admittedly, my mishandling of the Communication and Information Bureau, I honestly owe the executive council and the entire people of Akure the duty to make them understand that I never fought with my wife, never poured acid or any other substance on her and did not at any time fight in public.
Sir, I wish to find favour in your eyes and in the eyes of all the other members of your council. I promise to work for the collective ideals of the entire people of Akure and to actively mobilise my people towards the maximum participation in your regime’s laudable programmes.
For the avoidance of doubt, in the likely event that you and your honoured council do graciously vacate and/or rescind the orders of my deposition and banishment, I do promise you and the good people of Akure: That I will not witch-hunt or persecute anyone (particularly my Chiefs) for their actions or inactions at the time of my deposition and banishments; to withdraw all suits and litigations against your esteemed self and government; not to institute any further action against either your good self or any of my Chiefs in respect of any matter connected or relating to the circumstances of my deposition and banishment;to exhibit improved, matured and better approach in the discharge of my duties as the Oba of Akure; to relate more harmoniously with all Chiefs, Community leaders, indigenes and non–indigenes of Akure; to institute a foundation in honour of my late wife, Olori Bolanle Adesina Adepoju; to exhibit total loyalty to your regime and all other regimes that may come upon the successful completion of your well – deserved second term; to govern my people with godliness and with total respect for the rights of all; and above all, I forgive all.
Efforts to get either the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs or the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to confirm receipt of the letter were not successful as both failed to pick their calls.
