Oba Akinruntan reacts to alleged burning of ancestral palace of Ugboland

Admin l Friday, April 24, 2020

ILAJE, Ondo, Nigeria – Olugbo of Ugbo kingdom, His Imperial Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Frederick Obateru Akinruntan has dissociated himself from any attack at Ode Ugbo area of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

He said it is beyond imagination for anybody to associate him with sponsorship of attacks in his own kingdom. The Olugbo, Oba Akinruntan made this clarification in a statement on his behalf made available to the press by Kehinde Oyekan.

In the press statement, Oyekan noted that the deposed Olugbo has turned himself to a minstrel propagandist peddling blatant falsehood with the intention to misinform the unsuspecting public in a grand attempt to smear the hard earned reputation of Oba (Dr.) Frederick Akinruntan and achieve his secret desire of making Ugbo to be embroiled in communal clash.

Oba Akinruntan who doubles as the Chairman of Ondo state Council of Obas as well as the Chairman of the Yoruba Obas conflict resolution council (YOCRC) said it stands logic on its head that he will be linked to such absurdity as instigating unrest in the kingdom he is doing all his best to attract development to.

The revered royal father said the ancestral palace has been the home of every single Olugbo in the past 4000 years since their arrival from Ile Ife. He noted that no part of the ancestral palace was burnt as claimed in the widespread misinformation in the media.

This ancestral palace is the residence of any reigning and incumbent Olugbo of Ugbo Land and traditional rites are performed here. Since I ascended the throne in 2009 through the ruling of the Supreme Court, I have been performing traditional rites in this residential palace ; so why will I burn it? ” Oba Akinruntan wondered, stressing that the mischievous allegation that the ancestral palace was burnt in an ensued crisis was the figment of the imagination of those who planted the story in the media.

Oba Akinruntan said he has been using his wide network and influence to attract development to Ugbo Land and he will not be distracted by the campaign of calumny of the deposed Olugbo or his cronies.

While debunking the claim that the ancestral palace is the property of the deposed Olugbo, in the press statement, Oba Akinruntan stressed that nobody will be allowed to cause a breakdown of law and order in Ugbo kingdom, noting that he has asked security agencies to thoroughly investigate the attack on his subjects and anyone found culpable will be charged to court accordingly.

“The royal father therefore appealed to the state government, the security agencies and other stakeholders to call the deposed Olugbo to order to desist from further insinuating unfounded crisis, adding that Ugbo Land deserve peace just as we have it in other kingdoms of Yoruba Land.