The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Palace

  • Multi-billion naira palace for Olubadan

    Ibadan indigenes, under the auspices of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), will, before the end of the year, inaugurate a multi-billion naira palace for the Olubadan.

    The council’s National President, Chief Bayo Oyero, made this known at an interview with The Nation.

    Monarchs in the city normally use their personal homes as their palace, though there is a palace on Mapo Hill. Only the late Oba Asanike lived in the palace.

    The plan to build a modern palace is to make governance convenient for the Olubadan.

    Oyero said the palace will sit on a large expanse of land on the Agala Hill at the centre of the city. Six acres of land was set aside for the complex. The hill is adjacent to the University College Hospital (UCH).

    Oyero said the proposed palace will be a cluster of structures, which will be part of what he called the “Olubadan Palace Complex”.

    The complex will have a clinic, guest house, museum and library.

    Oyero said the complex would be built in phases, adding that the first phase, which is expected to take off next year, would cost at least N2 billion.

    He said: “It has been a major concern for CCII for a long time. Ibadan House, which serves as CCII’s office was built on part of the piece of land earmarked for the Olubadan Complex. We already have the design. A committee for the construction of the Olubadan Palace is in place. The members have been meeting. The cost runs into billions and we will build it in phases. The first phase will cost about N2 billion. It will have other facilities, such as a church, mosque, swimming pool, police station and other conveniences.”

  • Mob torches Osun ruler’s palace

    The palace of the Oloba of Oba Oke in Olorunda Local Government Area of Osun State, Oba Dahunsi Iyiola, has been torched by youths from the neigbouring Oba-Ile community.

    Other buildings in the community were also burnt.

    Ten people were injured in the incident, which occurred on Sunday evening.

    It was learnt that after the celebration of the annual Oro festival, Oba-Ile youths, singing war songs, attacked Oba Oke.

    A source said the communities had, for a long time, been fighting over ownership of a parcel of land located between them.

    During the crisis, it was learnt that the youths used cutlasses, charms, axes and other weapons freely.

    The injured were taken to an undisclosed hospital in Osogbo, the state capital.

    Police Commissioner Dorothy Gimba said anti-riot policemen sent to restore peace in the area were shot and their vehicles vandalised, but no one was killed.

    She said Oba Iyiola was rescued by the police.

     

  • Alaafin of Oyo’s palace razed by fire

    Alaafin of Oyo’s palace razed by fire

    A section in the palace of Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, was razed on Wednesday morning.

    The dawn inferno, which was said to have started at about 6am destroyed properties worth millions of naira.

    21 one rooms, including Ile-ifa and Ile-ori (historical sites), as well as residential apartments belonging to the Oloris ( king’s wives) were also affected.

    The cause of the fire could not be immediately ascertained, but the Zonal Commander of Oyo State Fire Service, Mr. Munirudeen Olalekan Abidogun, who led a team of fire fighters to put out the fire, said his station promptly responded to a distress call it got at about 6.47am.

    He said, “It took a lot of time before the fire could be put out due to the architectural designs of the palace. The buildings within were linked.

    “After the first water tanker was exhausted, we had to send for another water tanker from nearby office, before the fire could be finally put out. It was indeed a serious fire incident.”

    Relying on the information made available to him by the monarch, Abidogun said “the inferno was caused by electrical surge.”

    Residents, including political office holders, have been paying sympathy visits to the palace.

    Among the early birds were the Chairman, Oyo State House Committee on Local Governments and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Femi Adelakun and his works counterpart, Mr. Waliu Adekunle.