Who will end this age-long rift between the King of Ososa town in Ijebu & Fototek boss, Alhaji Sulaiman Adegunwa? This is the big question on the lips of many prominent Ijebu indigenes right now.
This is because all is not well between Alaiyeluwa Oba (Dr.) Adetoye M Alatishe the Gbegande of Ososa & a prominent indigene of the town, Alhaji Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa, who is a big Ijebu industrialist. He the Chairman of Fototek Industries and the manufacturer of BIGI & Rite Foods.
As you read this, there is a big crisis currently brewing in this sleepy town of Ososa-Ijebu in Ogun State.
The King ascended the throne 9 years ago, but since his ascension to the throne, there has been no love lost between the King and Chief Adegunwa who is a big industrialist in Ososa town.
Trouble started a few months back when the King alleged that Chief Adegunwa was meddling in his running of the town. He was further worried at the rumour he attributed to Alhaji Adegunwa that he wanted to rebuild the Ososa Town Hall, the Palace and the Market.
OBA PETITIONS GOVERNOR
He promptly petitioned the then Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun who advised that the 2 eminent personalities should meet to resolve their differences amicably. It was a 2-page letter.
On 29th April 2019, Olajumoke Akinwunmi, the Director-General, Bureau of Lands & Survey replied Oba Alatishe’s petition to the Governor.
The title was: Re: Petition Against The Threat By Alhaji Sulaimon Adebola Adegunwa To Embark On Acts Likely To Cause Monumental Breach Of The Peace And Total Break Down Of Law And Order In Ososa, Leguru Council Development Area, Ogun State In Connivance With The State Officials.
I have the instruction of His Excellency, Governor Ogun State – Senator Ibikunle Amosun CON FCA, to write and acknowledge the receipt of your petition titled as above and dated 15th January 2019.
2. You will recollect that His Excellency with a view to brokering peace did encourage that a meeting held between Kabiyesi and Alhaji Sulaimon Adebola Adegunwa, deeming it necessary that lasting, peaceful co-existence is achieved, being an indispensable panacea for the development of the community.
3. Be assured that the Gbegande market at Ososa remains government property, available for the good and benefit of Ososa Community. The government notes the unrelenting efforts to modernize the market (reference letter dated 28/2/16 addressed to the Odogbolu Local Government and the Council’s response dated 3/3/16). We, however, wish to use this medium to advise that there are no plans to demolish the market, now or in the future.
Please accept the assurances of His Excellency’s best wishes”.
The crisis deepened a few months back when Ososa Town Hall was demolished by 2 Chiefs of the town and the King petitioned the new Ogun Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun.
“May I seize this opportunity to seek your protection on behalf of my subject from the nefarious activities of the following people who have constituted themselves and their immediate family members into a gang of terror. If there is no peace in Ososa, there can be no peace in Ijebu. Meanwhile Ogun State need peace to engender the needed developments. (1) Chief Dairo Owolabi- Ala of Oke Ala quarters (2) Chief Adesomiji Adebowale – Oloritun of Ijoku quarters
The above-mentioned persons allowed themselves to be used in the demolishing of the Ososa
Town Hall without permission of any sort.
Chief Dairo had the effrontery to harass the town crier, seized his gong and it took the efforts of the police to retrieve the gong after 24hours.
The management of Leguru LCDA upon our petition attached herewith called a series of meetings but on both occasions, they refused to show up at the meetings.
Despite all pleas from notable senior citizens and peace-loving individuals, these two characters continue to threaten me and my family.
There is a lot of pressure from our people to suspend the above Chiefs but I realize this power does not reside with me. I am therefore appealing that you use your good offices to ensure and endorse peace in my town by recommending that these two people be suspended pending the determination of various cases in court in respect of the subject herein”.
“For months now prominent indigenes of the town have waded in to help resolve the crisis. Not only that prominent Ogun State indigenes have also stepped in.”
ALHAJI ADEGUNWA WRITES OSOSA KING
Based on the advice of former governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun, both Alaiyeluwa Alatishe and Chief Adegunwa met in January 2019 but both could not resolve the issues. After the meeting on 12th February 2019, Dr. Adegunwa wrote a 2-page letter to Oba Alatishe titled: Towards A Progressive Development Ososa Township.
“Kabiyesi, I thank you for your visit of 23rd January 2019. It was a delight to welcome you to my home and also hear of your willingness to follow the path of progressive dialogue as directed by HE, Governor Ibikunle Amosun following your petition to him against me.
Please recall that on your own, you sought the intervention of HRH, Oba Y. O. Adekoya (The Dagburewe of Idowa) to broker a meeting for the 3 of us to discuss and resolve some of the lingering Ososa township issues.
“Consequently, we jointly agreed on an inspection visit to 3 places (listed below) on Wednesday 30th January 2019. 1. The presently dilapidated Ososa Town Hall. 2. Aafin (Palace) of Gbegande of Ososa
3. The proposed site for the Permanent Palace of Gbegande of Ososa which nod been approved; and construction was about to commence – during the time of your predecessor – HRH, Oba Olusegun Michael Onayinka. May his soul rest in peace.
About 24 hours to the scheduled time of the vist, I learnt from HRH, Oba Adekoya that the agreed visit had been cancelled at your request because you had another important matter; and that a new date will be announced.
On 4th February 2019 I engaged HRH, Oba Adekoya for update on the new date. His response seems to suggest that you are no longer keen on the visitation as mutually agreed.
May I put on record, once again, that those 3 places are central to any progressive dialogue as directed by our amiable State Governor – HE, Gov. Ibikunle Amosun.
These projects will be at my expense and at no burden to you whatsoever. As it stands, the 3 projects will require Hundreds of Millions of naira which, Insha Allah, I am willing to deploy. This is in continuation of my constant SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY which has been on-going for over 4 decades. Evidence are all over the town and are well known to you.
My vision is for Ososa to be a Beacon of Hope and a town worthy of pointing to as country home for all indigenes both at home and in diaspora.
Therefore, I urge you to fix a date for the inspection. This will enable us to assess the realities on ground and also afford me the opportunity to shed more light on existing plans.
I will be waiting for your proposed date. A Simple Text Message To My Mobile Phone Will Be Sufficient.
My prayer is that Allah, in His Infinite Mercy, will make you see my gestures in the right perspectives and not make you a cog in the wheel of progress for our dear town.
Thank you, Kabiyesi. NB: Kabiyesi, as promised, I am still expecting a copy of the petition you wrote to HE, Gov. Ibikunle Amosun. It will be nice that you fulfill this commitment.
OSOSA KING REPLIES
The following day, 13th February 2019, Oba Alatishe replied Chief Adegunwa.
Dear Asiwaju, Re: Towards A Progressive Development Of Ososa Township.
I refer to the above subject matter. I received your letter dated 12th February, 2019 on 13th February, 2019 at 2pm, thinking it was a reply to my earlier letter of 31st January 2019, which was duly delivered to and received by your staff namely Ibrahim Audu on the 1st February, 2019.
To my utmost surprise, you did not make any mention about my said letter of 31st January, 2019 (copy attached herewith), a copy of which is also with His Excellency, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. Rather, you went back to our meeting of 23rd January, 2019 when I came to your house, for reasons well known to you.
First and foremost, it is true that I sought the presence of HRM Oba Y. O. Adekoya, The Dagburewe of Idowa at the meeting suggested by His Excellency, so that’ we could have a witness, but for one reason or the other, the very experienced Kabiyesi declined His attendance but encouraged me to meet with you on my own. I came from the Palace with The Ajiroba of Ososa, Chief Jamiu Ogunbadejo to see you, after securing an appointment on, phone. Your insistence that Ajiroba be excused from being part of the meeting was acceded to by me, thereby leaving me alone with you.
There was never a time in the course of our discussion that we talked about “inspection tour of the three (3) places” as listed in paragraph 3 of your letter or any other place AT ALL, AT ALL!
Rather, with all due respect, you were struggling with yourself not to insult me, as you would have wanted to do, and you finally insisted that I bring a copy of the petition dated 15th January, 2019 written to His Excellency,
The Executive Governor, for you to debunk all the points and even add more where necessary.
Despite the passing insults on my intelligence, I did not show any sign of discomfort, as I was genuinely looking for peace, and more importantly the progress of Our Town; Ososa – being very paramount in my mind.
However, if my account of our said meeting as stated above is still being disputed by you, I will be willing to forward to you details of our discussion/conversation unedited.
Upon my ascension to the throne, I have teamed’ up with our sons and daughters on various developmental projects which have resulted in positive impacts being made on health, education, security; culture and tradition sectors of the community, too numerous to enumerate here.
I must say unequivocally that in our town – Ososa, we need you, just like we need every other sons and daughters of Ososa to contribute your/their quota to the further development of the Town.
The new palace which was built on the original site of the ancient palace and commissioned in 2015: about five (5) years after I ascended the throne was the outcome of the joint contribution and unparalleled cooperation of the sons and dauqhters of Ososa and our well wishers. My Dear Asiwaju, your own ontribution is still being awaited. Apart from your private/business concerns in Ososa, which we thank The Almighty Allah for using you and your associates to do, it is also my sincere wish to see Asiwaju embarking on any or some of the following projects for which the community will be grateful for: (i) The reconstruction of the dilapidated Ososa Town Hall (ii) The reconstruction of the major roads into the Ososa Township (iii) Provision of transformers. (iv) The provision of pipe borne water earlier promised the Ososa community by you and yet to be undertaken. (v) The ICT Centre for Ososa Comprehensive High School that your foreign partners promised the school and which you offered to undertake and yet to be attended to.
It is in the light of the foregoing that I hereby extend my hand of fellowship to you as done to all our sons and daughters to enable us work together for the peace and progress of our town.
Thank you.
ALAIYELUWA OBA DR. TOYE ALATISHE MD., FAGP.
GBEGANDE OF OSOSA
