Following the outrage trailing the demolition of the memorial park built to immortalise massacred victims of St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye, has claimed he requested the demolition of the monument.
The monarch, who stated that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa only executed the complaint of the palace over the location of the memorial park, urged that the governor not be held responsible.
He urged all aggrieved persons to channel their attacks and anger at the palace.
The Olowo in a statement, said late former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu who conceptualized and built the monument ‘defiantly’ ignored the objection of the palace and the people of Owo over the citing of the cenotaph opposite the palace.
The Olowo’s claims is, however, at variance with an earlier position of the former CPS to late Akeredolu, Richard Olatunde, who revealed that the Olowo of Owo actually gave his late boss the consent to build the project.
Demolition of Owo church massacre cenotaph will reopen healing wounds – Akeredolu’s aide
Ogunoye emphasised that the location of the memorial park within the proximity of the palace is not in conformity with the age-long culture and traditions of the ancient town under any guise of celebrating the dead.
The traditional ruler also stated that youths and some concerned stakeholders had protested against the development but the late Akeredolu disregarded the plea.
“The Palace wishes to say unequivocally that the request for this action was at the instance of His Imperial Majesty, Olowo of Owo and the entire good people of the kingdom.
“It must be made clear that the decision to site the structure in that particular location was resisted by the Olowo-in-Council and frowned upon by the people of the community when it was being conceived.
“We advise anyone with any issues whatsoever against the demolition to make the palace their target and not the listening Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, who is not in anyway responsible for the demolition.”