…inaugurates Olu of Ilaro as Chairman, Ogun State Council of Obas
Segun Ayinde, Abeokuta
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State on Tuesday said that his administration would deal decisively with any traditional rulers found culpable of selling or allocating government land for illegal mining without authorised approval.
He equally maintained that his office would soon issue an Executive Order to deal with any Obas or Baales that is found wanting while sounding a note of warning to them to shun partisan politics.
Abiodun who lamented that both unauthorised selling of government land and illegal mining of the land has caused serious environmental impact on some communities and posed serious threats to some critical public infrastructure in the state insisted that any traditional rulers found culpable would be dealt with
He disclosed this at the inauguration of Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, as the new chairman of the Ogun State Council of Obas, at the Oba’s Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The governor maintained that the role of the traditional rulers is to support the government in its developmental stride across the state, and not tobe an instruments of destruction, urging them to continue using their revered stools in promoting peace and unity in their various domains.
He described the traditional institution as an important arms of government towards the enthronement of good governance in the state, promising that his government would support and empower the monarchs through the provision of needed resources, infrastructure and platforms for effective delivery of their duties.
Abiodun divulged that despite the encroachment of Western civilization, the Yoruba culture has shown remarkable resilience and adaptability, emphasizing that the ongoing interplay between tradition and modernity continues to shape the cultural landscape of Yoruba land, ensuring that its rich heritage endures amidst global changes.
He said: “We value your inputs and recommendations on matters that concerned your welfare and that of the people.
“As an administration, we confidently state that the advisory and supportive role offered by our Royal Fathers is largely responsible for the rapid development and transformation currently being witnessed in Ogun State. Indeed, your insight, wisdom, and close connection to the grassroots are invaluable assets as we strive to build a prosperous and inclusive society.
“We are blessed with highly resourceful traditional rulers who have been providing purposeful leadership at the grassroots and who are passionate about the general well-being of our people in our communities.
“Therefore, our administration will not deviate from executing our development’s plans, which aims at building on the legacies bequeathed to us by our founding fathers in the old Western Region.
“I wish to express my sincere appreciation to all our Royal Fathers for the role they have been playing to support our administration’s development agenda.
Without your support and that of the people over whom you reign, we would not have achieved the successes that our people have continued to publicly acknowledge, ” averred Governor Abiodun.
The governor however congratulated the new chairman and charged him to use his intellectual prowess to unite and promote the state’s traditional institution
