,,,,,,, Ilajo Royal family urges stay of action.
By Correspondent in Lokoja.
Few days after the Ilajo Royal family in Kabba,Kogi West Senatorial district of kogi state urged Governor Yahaha Bello to allow full determination of the Obaro chieftaincy suit pending in the court before building another palace in Kabba, the people of Kabba have him for his administration’s decision to build a central palace for the Obaro of Kabba.
Chief Funsho Emmanuel Olorunfemi, the OBAJANO OF OWE LAND and SECRETARY,OBARO-INCOUNCIL,who ,gave the commendation in a statement in Kabba on Wednesday,said the body was saddled with upholding the customs and tradition of Owe-Kabba people.
The Obajano of Oweland reiterated the gratitude of the people of Kabba to Governor Bello for making the announcement through the Deputy Governor at the 2022 Kabba Day Celebration, adding that the announcement was applauded by the mammoth crowd that attended the colorful ceremony.
He expressed delight that the state government would build a befitting Central Palace for the Obaro of Kabba , noting that the project had been captured in the 2023 budget.
The Chief frowned at the statement credited to the Ilajo Family which he said gave the impression that there is in existence, a Central Palace in Kabba and as such, the state government should not build another one.
“The Obaro-in-Council also categorically stated that the Ilajo Royal family statement is in bad taste for the overwhelming population of the community in view of the fact that, the previous Obaros lived and reigned in their personal houses, when they died, were all buried in their personal abodes,”he recalled.
Chief Olorunfemi noted that the building being referred to as the Central Palace by the IIajo Royal family was a personal property of Obaro Arokoyo Ologbonyo who lived, reigned and died there.
Explaining further, he said that late Oba Michael Olobayo lived and ruled from his father’s house at Odi Olowo for over 10 years before he was allegedly compelled by the Tajo family to move to the building being advertised as the Central Palace.
While debunking the claim that fifteen Obaros were buried in the “so-called Central Palace”, Olorunfemi added that it was known to most Owe people that when Micheal Olobayo died, he was buried in pis personal house in Asuta Quarters, Kabba.
The Obaro-in-Council,according to him, regards the opposition of the Ilajos to the State Government’s plan to build a Centra! Palace for Kabba as retrogressive to the development of Owe-Kabba.
According to him,the decision to build a Central Palace in Kabba is desirable, adding that it will bring unity, progress and harmonious living among all the people of Owe-Kabba.
Our Correspondent recalls that the Ilajo Royal family had earlier cautioned the state government on its plan to build another palace for the Obaro of Kabba, for now, to avoid break down of law and order, adding that the Obaro chieftaincy tussle in Kabba is pending before the law court.
The Ilajo Royal family,during a press briefing held at the Aoffin palace, kabba said the palace had been existing since over 200 years, adding that it had housed more than 15 different Obaros and wondered why a new palace would be built at “this point in time when litigation over the Obaro tussle is still pending in court.”
Addressing newsmen in Kabba,the spokesman of the Royal family and Secretary, Ilajo Planning Committee, High Chief Peter Oloba, said the family was surprised when the current Obaro of kabba, Oba Dele Owoniyyi, on the occasion of Kabba cultural day celebration, said there was no existing palace in the town.
He said the Oba’s statement was a calculated attempt to distort the historical facts of the ancient town.
The spokesman,while conducting newsmen round the tombs of over 15 Obaros who he said reigned, died and buried within the palace and showed their paraphernalia of office to Journalists, said it was an aberation to say that kabba has no palace.
Going memory lane, he recalled that the first Governor- general of Nigeria, Lord Fredrick Lugard and some past Nigerian leaders like General Ibrahim Babangida, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and vice president Yemi Osibanjob had visited the palace at different times.
Oloba said:”We see this distortion as a deliberate act of causing confusion and as usual, a way of distorting the historical facts, age long tradition and culture of Oweland by insinuating that there is no palace in Kabba.
“We hereby set the records straight, and wish to state, categorically without equivocation, that Kabba Town has always had a Palace, a significant paraphernalia of Royalty and the centre point of Owe culture and tradition. And this is the palace of Obaros of kabba.
“We,therefore, believe that the Kogi State Government should not get involved in an issue that is not unconnected with the matter in Court of the land and as such, stay action on anything that concerns this sensitive matter.
” Finally, we of Ilajo the Royal Family of Kabba, Oweland are praying the Kogi State Government to allow for the full determination of the subsisting court case before decision regarding Palace is made.
“This plan, if implemented now, is capable of generating avoidable tension and can therefore put law and order into jeopardy, “he said.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
