Posted on 02/05/2002 4:49:15 PM PST by aculeus
THE Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade yesterday gave detailed account of what transpired in his palace on December 15 last year when the late Attorney General and Justice Minister, Chief Bola Ige was manhandled.
The monarch also denied having anything to do with the brutal killing of Ige.
At a press conference he addressed in his palace in Ile-Ife, Oba Sijuwade expressed regrets that most reports about the incident created undue fear in the minds of the citizens.
"Instead of them to investigate the matter, everybody began to write what they want. Bola Ige was my good friend. His wife is the godmother of my son," the monarch explained.
He said it was unfortunate that Ige's cap was removed in his palace, adding however that the incident was without his knowledge. Oba Sijuwade said: "I never knew until Ige himself came to report to me and I gave order immediately that the cap be returned to me".
The ruler who declared that it is impossible for anyone to perpetrate evil at the palace and go free, added:
"When this happened, I called the Deputy-Governor, Otunba Iyiola Omisore and warned him, but he told me that he never knew anything about this."
Tradition, he noted forbids him from commenting on death until after 41 days. "You will of course note that it is most unusual for me to give a press briefing but it is also true that these are abnormal times."
The monarch continued: "While the mourning period lasted, a lot of events unfolded and stories upon stories featuring the events of December 15, 2001 most especially some of the magazines and newspapers carried these tendentious and unsubstantiated account laced with very unfortunate and sinister insinuations; all of which are designed to create unwarranted tension, and of course hate for my person and Ile Ife community."
Ooni said that immediately he heard of Ige's death, a condolence team was sent to both the deceased minister's monarch, the Oba Isaiah Adeniran and the paramount Ijesha ruler, the Owa Obokun of Ijeshaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran.
The Ooni stated that he even spoke to the late Ige over the feud between the governor, Chief Adebisi Akande and his deputy, Omisore.
"Apart from the late Attorney-General praising me for intervening in the ugly incident, he also promised that he will be here along with Akande on December 26, 2001 and as a matter of fact, he told Omisore to make himself available at the palace ground on that day and both of them took a photograph with me before Uncle Ige departed from the reception area of the palace," he noted.
Sijuwade said the state's traditional rulers had tried without success to settle the rift between Akande and Omisore "but we all have to pray that God would settle it."
He added: "I am not a politician, I am a traditional ruler, I don't know why they are fighting. Let us ask them and let us pray for a good leader in Osun State.
"The traditional rulers set up a committee to look into the problem. In fact, Owa Obokun led some others to the governor, but they were rebuffed because Akande said he never reported the case to anybody."
Oba Sijuwade explained further that the governor was also invited for the December 15 programme when the wife of the President, Mrs. Stella Obasanjo was installed as the Yeye Oranmiyan of Ife" but he only sent a cow to us to kill for the visitors."
Journalists including the chairman of the Nigerian Press Council, Alhaji Alade Odunewu and other top media executives were made to watch video clips of the event and how the Ooni intervened to get Ige's cap recovered.
At the press conference were top Ife chiefs including Rear Admiral Akin Odunwo (rtd), the Asiwaju of Ife; Chief Orayemi Orafidiya, Chief Oluwole Awolowo and some traditional rulers.
This will explain everything.
I thought Ooni was Charlie Chaplins daughter...(or was she his wife?)
FMCDH
Must have been having a bit of an off day,
When He put tons and tons of sweet crude
Beneath the posteriors of a people so rude,
And with names so amusing to say.
Any explanation for the cap?
It's plain as day.
No matter how one looks at it, Ige's murder, the murder of public servant of almost 40 years is a bad omen for Nigeria's democratizing effort. I am not a political prophet but a realistic graduate of political science and public administration, hence I make bold to caution that if Nigeria's democracy takes its bizarre turn to demoCrazy, the stability and viability of the country becomes a real issue for frank debate. It's sad it will take the murder of Nigeria's chief law officer for retired Gen. Obasanjo and Nigeria's undisciplined political class to be re-awaken to the fact Nigeria needs more basic public safety, fair-minded mediation and domestic presidential responsibility by Obasanjo and Co for its multifarious conflicts, legitimate environmental and human rights concerns of its components, national and individual security needs more than increasing the defense budget or promoting more non-combatant Nigerian generals some of whose biggest "battles" have been downing a big bowel of fish pepper soup with pounded yam! This murder of Ige sets back President Obasanjo's frenetic, frequent flier years of international travels abroad.
A big bowel full of fish pepper soup will do it every time.
Re Joyce! All is not sythee that trun de baldragen! Re Joyce! joy, Joy, JOYCE!
MY NAME IS OBA ODUNADE SIJUWADE, THE OONI OF IFE. MY LATE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND JUSTICE MINISTER, CHIEF BOLA IGE WAS KILLED FOLLOWING AN UNFORTUNATE MANHANDLING INCIDENT. CHIEF IGE LEFT US $25 MILLION IN A SECRET ACCOUNT AND I SEEK YOUR KIND ASSISTANCE IN REMOVING THE FUNDS OFFSHORE TO YOUR US ACCOUNT, FOR WHICH YOU WILL RECEIVE A FEE OF 25%. PLEASE SEND YOUR ACCOUNT INFORMATION FORTHWITH AND A $2500.00 FEE TO OUR LAW FIRM TO COVER EXPENSES AND LICENSING OF OFFSHORE ACCOUNTHOLDERS.
It's been three years, anyone figured this out yet?
Rumor has it an analyst at NSA is getting close.
Over five years now, and no.
It still gives me a headache to read.
I’m still working on it. Colonel Mustard, in the library, with a knobkerri. Maybe not.
I thought it was Professor Plum, in the Dining Room, with a big bowel(sic) of fish pepper soup with pounded yam.
But there’s one thing I haven’t figured out. What the hell is a pounded yam?
REF - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/622489/posts?page=9#9
I personally think some minions of the Lord High Bunga Wunga of Givashitastan had a hand in the dastardly deed.
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