By BASHIR ADEFAKA
Seventy-two hours after announcement of White Paper on Ajama Judicial Commission of Enquiry Report was released by Ondo State Government, one of the affected traditional rulers and Ogbolu of Ita-Ogbolu, Oba Idowu Faborode JP, has described Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) as a courageous man that is leading light to his colleagues.
Ogbolu is ancestral traditional leader of Ita-Ogbolu, a seat of a second-order administration division pairing Iju, another seat of a second-order administration division and vital ancient community, as Headquarters of Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo, South West Nigeria. It is a town located about 193 miles (or 311 km) South West of Abuja, the country’s capital city.
Oba Faborode made this assertion while talking to The DEFENDER in a 15minutes media interview from his palace in Itaogbolu, Akure North Local Government, on Wednesday.
The decades-old monarch said: “Whether we are upgraded or not, it has been mandatory that we would naturally support the government of our state. What I particularly see is that, there is no person, who is perfect. This man, Akeredolu, has done something wonderful,” said the Ogbolu.
He continued saying, “The Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), is doing excellently well. He cannot please everybody otherwise, he will be seen differently. When everybody is mad, the only sane person will be a mad man.
“People are already crying about too much of rain water. Is it Akeredolu that caused that? Here we cry rain is scarce. I am a farmer and when next you are coming to visit me, don’t come just empty. You didn’t ask me what you should bring. Idea that can translate to something good,” the king went on lighter mood.”
Apparently versatile and in his right frame of mind, Oba Faborode asked, “Don’t you see the security apparatus of the governor? It is equal to none. He is a leading light to others. He has been the courageous spirit for his colleagues.”
He bemoaned the problem most communities of people have is their failure to have one voice and unity on the ground of goodness.
“All I can say is that we, the people, should come together in unity because, it is our failure to unite in goodness that is causing problem for us.
In the portion of the Bible that I read, God says “These persons that I have created, if they have one voice and are united, they are unstoppable”. It is the God that said it. So, go back home and preach that gospel,” he said.
He still had the space to touch on tradition and customs and the traditional ruler, who is a pioneer of Christian fellowship in Nigeria, said, “Tradition is dynamic, it doesn’t change. When I came to the throne many years ago, the period of mourning for a widow was 40 days. Women, whose husbands died, I cut their mourning period from 40 to seven days. It has been over 20 years and no dead has come back to life to say he is now allowed to enter heaven.
“A teacher that taught me in school defined market as a meeting place for buyers and sellers. He that bans market, does he not buy palm oil to cook food? They say women do not judge in court but what do we say today that we have women judges? I am not against anybody. That is to tell you that tradition is dynamic. I am not saying people should not celebrate culture. But any festival or tradition that disturbs civilisation should be parked aside.
“History says Idanre and Oloba (Oba Ile) were the first to come here before all of us. It was because the other man (?) was being fetish….. So, the person the District Officer (DO) was seeing was the one he would recognise. That is the truth. Go to Ikere and see the same type of things happen. Make your findings. May the sitting Oloba live long. But those who will come to the thrones after us, may God let them to be more civilised than we.
“So, we thank God for this man (Akeredolu) and pray that God will be with him and be his guide,” the Ogbolu of Itaogbolu said during the 15 minutes interview with The DEFENDER.
