Egba leaders to intervene in Alake-Ogun govt face-off

EGBA high chiefs have assured their kinsmen that they are handling the recent face-off between the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo and the Ogun State Government in a mature manner hence there should be calm over the issue.

At the end of a three-hour meeting with Oba Adedotun at the Ake, Abeokuta palace on Saturday night to deliberate and take a position on the issue, the chiefs pledged to issue a public statement on their position.

The hitherto public cordial relations between the state government and the Egba monarch went sour last week when the king was reported to have publicly lamented over the poor state of roads in Abeokuta, the state capital.

The government had condemned the Alakes observation, insisting among other things that since he had free access to the government and also a beneficiary of some of the governments dividends of democracy in terms of provision of infrastructure, he could have drawn the governments attention to bad roads privately.

Egba lower chiefs had on Saturday met and issued a statement urging the Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, to render an undeserved apology to Oba Adedotun.

Dr. Lateef Adegbite, the Seriki of Egbaland, who spoke at the end of the high chiefs meeting said: We met and deliberated on the feud between the state government and kabiyesi (monarch). There has been wide spread concern of the Egba, both at home and abroad on this matter.

Adegbite, who is also the Secretary-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) urged his people to be calm because we (high chiefs) are handling the issue with maturity.

He described the dispute as surprising, because there has always been a cordial relationship between the governor and the Egbas.

Adegbite disclosed that the meeting resolved to communicate their feelings and decision on the issue to Governor Daniel, after which they would make their resolutions public.