Residents of Owo on Thursday took to the road en mass to express their support for the demolition of the memorial park built to immortalise victims of the June 5, 2022 terror attack on St Francis Xavier Catholic Church Owo.
The memorial park was built by the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s led administration, but pulled down on Saturday by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa – led administration.
The state government tore it down because its location was considered as a ‘taboo’ and against the culture and belief of Owo people.
But the former First Lady, Mrs Betty Anyanwu – Akeredolu, in a recent statement condemned the Governor over the demolition of the memorial park following the request by the Olowo of Owo, the paramount ruler of the town.
“What kind of leadership defiles the memory of innocent souls in such a callous manner? Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s demolition of the Owo church massacre monument is not only an act of profound insensitivity; it is a desecration of sacred ground.
“That monument, built by my late husband, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON, a son of Owo, was a solemn tribute to lives violently cut short in a house of worship. It symbolised collective mourning, remembrance, and healing,” the former Ono first lady said.
Later, she visited her late husband’s graveside in Owo on Tuesday and described the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye, as a “baby oba” and Governor Aiyedatiwa as an “enabler,” adding that the demolition was done to settle political scores.
In a video which she posted on her official social media handles, she is seen and heard speaking in a touching tone at her husband’s graveside, accusing the Olowo of Owo of betraying her late husband’s memory.
She also claimed that her late husband single-handedly installed the monarch during his tenure as governor.
She said, “Darling, I’ve always known you to love your people to pieces; this is your Owo people. But look at what they’ve done to you. They didn’t blink an eye at rubbishing you, rubbishing your memory, rubbishing your legacy.
“As they claim, spearheaded by the Olowo of Owo, whom you single-handedly installed…. this is a known fact. It’s no longer a secret. You single-handedly installed that baby Oba.”
The Daily Crucible reports that the Catholic Church also condemned the demolition through a statement by the Catholic Bishop of Ondo Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Jude Arogundade.
The Diocesan Bishop expressed strong condemnation and disappointment over the demolition of the cenotaph at the order of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
He described it as a “violation of our common respect for the dignity of life and the memory we share of our 41 brothers and sisters who were unjustly killed.”
“Memorial Park was established by the State Government as a neutral and communal space for remembrance, reflection, and communal healing after the June 5, 2022, terrorist attack.
“The site was legitimately acquired and developed by the State Government and publicly designated as a Memorial Park for honoring the victims. It was commissioned and blessed by the state government and the Church, respectively,” the Bishop added.
However, the protesting Owo residents, including market women and youths, on Thursday morning bunched – up at a spot in front of the palace of the Olowo of Owo, to say the demolition was long overdue after several complaints over the site of the cenotaph.
The protesters led by some traditionalists also condemned Betty-Anyanwu Akeredolu, the widow of the late Governor over what they deemed as her uncouth utterances against Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye for supporting the demolition.
Spokesperson of the protestors who is also one of the chiefs of Owo, Idowu Olakunori, blasted Mrs Akeredolu, saying the former first lady was disrespectful to the monarch with her utterances.
“She (Mrs Akeredolu) disrespected the community. Whatever point she had, she should have been cautious. We cannot allow anybody to disrespect our Oba.
“She called our oba, ‘baby oba’, She has desecrated our land and cultures with such language. Whoever disrespects our king won’t go free. It is erroneously bad and barbaric to be calling our monarch such names.
“I don’t want to go further by referring to one’s place of birth, but in our clime here, we respect our traditional institutions and hold them in very high esteem.
”Now, she spoke about Aketi’s legacy. Aketi was never a local person. He was a national person, and he had all legacies all over the place. Among the legacies he left behind is the Amotekun, which is protecting the entire Yoruba race.
“So when you are talking of some kind of a legacy, it’s a legacy that is almost without a doubt. Not the one that disrespects the culture and the traditional institutions.
“Our people have come out today to show their anger. Nobody, irrespective of where you came from, should be allowed to disrespect their legacy place.”
