joshuaKABBA PEOPLE APPLAUD GOVERNMENT PLAN TO
BUILD A CENTRAL PALACE FOR THE OBARO OF KABBA
In a Press Release from the Palace of the Obaro of Kabba, Oba Solomon
Dele Owoniyi today, the Obaro-in-Council, the body saddled with
upholding the customs and tradition of Owe-Kabba people reiterated
their gratitude to the Executive Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency,
Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello for announcing, through the Deputy
Governor, at the 2022 Kabba Day celebration that the Government will
build a befitting Central Palace for the Obaro of Kabba and that the
project had been captured in the 2023 Budget.
This announcement
evoked a spontaneous applause from the large crowd that attended the
colorful ceremony.
The Royal Release added that the Kabba populace were shocked when
the Ilajo clan-one of the thirteen Ruling clans-in their recent Press
statement opposed the building of the Central Palace.
The Obaro-in
Council regards this opposition as retrogressive to the development of
Owe-Kabba.
The stand of the Ilajo family is no doubt instigated by
their fear that the case they filed in Court challenging the State Government on the appointment to the stool of Obaro
may not be in their favour.
As the Owe proverb goes, if the rat cannot
eat the soyabean, it will scatter it!!
This Ilajo position is seen by the
generality of Kabba people as an anti-government stance and must be
rejected by all peace-loving good people of Owe extraction.
The absurdity of the opposition to the project is apparent as this is a government policy to build Central Palaces for some Chairmen of Area Traditional Councils in the State.
In fact, that of the Ebira Traditional
Council has been completed.
The Obaro-in-Council further drew attention to the Ilajo clan’s usual threat of violence at every given opportunity. Yet they know clearly that they are just a small fraction of Owe population.
In a brief historical sketch, the Obaro-in-Council drew the attention of the general public to the fact that up till date, Kabba has no Central Palace.
Each Obaro reigned from his residence wherever it was located in Oweland.
A few examples of past Obaros who ruled Oweland
from outside Kabba metropolis and were buried in their respective
abodes are the following:
– Obaro Osoku (Odogba Clan)-
the founder of “Ushin”(Lords’ Cult) lived in Odo Akete but moved to Asegidi, built a market there and later moved the market to Odogi which remains a flourishing traditional
market till date.
– Obaro Ugbosu (Irasi Clan) who moved from Gbeleko to Otu-Egunbe where he reigned and was buried at the base of Obangogo hills when he died.
– Obaro Gude (Ogbagi Clan) who lived, ruled and passed on at Gbeleko.
– Obaro Obagbilo (Okere Clan) 1888, who lived, reigned and passed
on at Kakun.
-Obaro Ajibohokun Gbaiyero, an Ilajo man, lived and reigned from his personal residence behind the old Charge Office (opposite Kabba Town Hall) till 1923.
So also did Obaro Oluyori Atikekerejolu who lived and reigned from his private residence between 1923 to 1928.
-The private residence of Obaro Arokoyo Obamudi OluOwe from where he reigned in 1928 to 1932 is the building that the Ilajo clan is now claiming to be their Central Palace.
It was a modest one- storey building with large expanse of land in front and behind.
-Obaroero Olobayo
(1932 to 1936) also lived and reigned from his personal residence.
-Obaro Ologbonyo Arokoyo Atobatele(1942 to 1957), the son of Obaro OluOwe was the one who chose to rule from his father’s modest building earlier mentioned above instead of his own magnificent personal building directly opposite his father’s house across the main road. Perhaps the Ilajo conspiracy to distort history was hatched at this time and probably motivated Atobatele to reign from his father’s palace instead of his own personal house.
After the death of Obaro Arokoyo Atobatele, the Ilajos continued to strengthen their conspiracy by gathering and using the place as their meeting-house.
When late Michael
Olobayo became Obaro on the strength of the Edict promulgated in 1985, after Obaro Aka Gbadebo, he lived in his father’s house at Odi-Olowo. The place became his “Awofin” for more than ten years before he was compelled by the Ilajos to move to the dilapidated Arokoyo OluOwe’s residence now being advertised as a Central Palace.
The place had to be hurriedly fenced in and renovated with addition of new blocks. A facade was then erected to hide the old mud building.
It is instructive to
note that Michael Olobayo was buried in his personal house in Asuta hills and NOT in the so-called Central Palace.
The statement credited to the Ilajo spokesman, that 15 Ilajo past Obaros were buried in the make-believe Central Palace is a fairy tale
which makes sense only in the imagination of the Ilajos.
Nothing is beyond the Ilajos in their scheme to distort history! Otherwise, how on earth is it possible
that previous Ilajo Obas who reigned before Obaro Arokoyo OluOwe erected the so-called palace could have been buried in this place built many years later?
Could they have exhumed their bones for re-burial in order
to support their claim of sole ownership of the Obaro throne? To buttress the false claim they filed in Court, the Ilajos are
said to have created fake tombs in their “Central Palace” and
labelled them to present as the truth to those ignorant of the history of the house.
Thus, to cover one lie, more lies must be told by Ilajos.
However, the reality on ground in Owe-Kabba till date is that there is no Central Palace before the one being proposed by Kogi State Government.
Obaro Gbadebo Aka who died in 1982 lived and reigned from his personal house which became his “Awofin” and is still standing today.
In keeping with this tradition, the current Obaro, Oba Solomon Dele Owoniyi is also using his personal building as a palace–he never thought of using Obaro Aka’s palace
despite the affinity between the two families.
The Ilajo so-called ancient Central Palace is a ruse contrived by them to deceive unsuspecting non-indigenes.
As far back as 1983 when we were still in Kwara State, the then State government, realizing that Kabba
had no Central Palace, formally ceded the whole land including and
around “Native Treasury 1940” building to Kabba Development Union
(documents available) for this purpose.
This in itself clearly debunks the falsehood being peddled by the Ilajos that Kabba has a Central Palace.
Because of the dynamic nature of culture, Kabba cannot continue to
operate without a Central Palace, that is why the Obaro-in-Council
heartily welcomes the timely and kind gesture of our amiable Executive
Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. Thus, Government’s decision to build a
Central Palace for Obaro of Kabba is a welcome development that cannot in anyway generate any tension or put law and order in jeopardy. Rather it will foster unity, peace, progress, infrastructural development and harmonious relationship among the various clans in Owe-Kabba. The Obaro-in-Council therefore urges the Kogi State Government to
disregard the open threat of the Ilajo family and go ahead to build a befitting Central Palace for the good people of Kabba.
Signed
Chief (Hon) FUNSHO EMMANUEL OLORUNFEMI.
The OBAJANO OF OWE LAND. SECRETARY. – OBARO-IN- COUNCIL
