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Owu stool feud, family affair --
Obasanjo
KOLA ADEPOJU,
Abeokuta
PRESIDENT Olusegun
Obasanjo said yesterday that the sharp disagreement between him and other
kingmakers in his native own, Abeokuta, is "a family affair" which would soon be
amicably resolved.
But indications are that all is still not
well between them as a reconciliatory meeting yesterday was not attended by many
of the kingmakers even as the President said they were not invited.
The President said he bears no grudge
against any of the kingmakers who may have spoken ill of him on account of the
crisis.
Obasanjo was addressing newsmen on the
outcome of the reconciliatory meeting with the kingmakers, chiefs and community
leaders at his Ota farm house in Ogun State.
Chairman of Owu festival security
committee, Chief Thomas Ige, said yesterday that tomorrow’s planned Owu Day will
still hold, amid tight security, however.
Some Owu kingmakers had accused President
Obasanjo, who is also the Balogun (commander) of Owu, of annulling the
election of Prince Sina Fadairo as the new Olowu, by allegedly tearing the score
sheet.
Yesterday’s reconciliatory meeting which
was at the instance of Gov. Gbenga Daniel was attended by only one of the
aggrieved kingmakers, the Olotu of Owu, Chief Ogo-Oluwa Bankole.
Obasanjo said:, "I have made the point
known several times that anything (disagreement) in Owu is a family affair and
since it’s a responsible family, we don’t wash our dirty linen in public".
He noted that his acceptance to host the
meting indicated that the matter would soon be resolved and that he bears no
grudge against anybody.
On the absence of other kingmakers, the
President said they were not invited for the meeting.
The other kingmaker who attended the
meeting is Chief Ola Yusuff.
Meanwhile, Chief Ige told newsmen
yesterday that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olusegun Efuntayo had been
strictly instructed to provide tight security at the festival ground.
The security measure followed a threat by
the aggrieved Owu kingmakers that the festival will not hold this weekend except
President Obasanjo accepts the election of Prince Fadairo as the new Olowu.
Dousing the threat that the Bashorun
of Owu and chairman, Planning Committee of the fifth Owu festival, Chief
Doja Adewolu told newsmen that the event would hold irrespective of whose ox is
gored.
He said President Obasanjo would grace the
occasion alongside Governor Daniel of Ogun State.
But Chief Ige, expressed the need to
secure the celebration against unforeseen circumstances, adding that the state
police command had been contacted to beef up security at the festival ground.
"We have informed the commissioner of
police and all the divisions to provide tight security and I am sure policemen
will be there in large numbers", he said.
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