Enimere Àkànbí
The Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin, has called on all indigenes of Eruwa, at home and in the diaspora, to unite and rally behind the newly crowned Eleruwa of Eruwaland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Samuel Adebayo Adegbola.
Speaking at the official coronation ceremony held at Eleruwa Stadium, Eruwa on Saturday, Honourable Ogundoyin, described the occasion as a monumental milestone and a restoration of dignity, peace, and tradition to the land after many years of chieftaincy tussle.
“Today is a day of history, healing, and homecoming. After years of legal battles, division, and uncertainty, we rejoice in the coronation of Oba Samuel Adebayo Adegbola. We are happy that the long wait has ended” the Speaker said.
He noted that the annulment of Oba Adegbola’s earlier appointment cast a long shadow on the community, but with his return, the people of Eruwa have regained their cultural identity and leadership structure.
Honourable Ogundoyin, lauded Governor Seyi Makinde for his courage and political will in resolving the prolonged Chieftaincy tussle in Eruwa, praising the Governor’s dedication to fairness and traditional values.
He further urged all stakeholders, royal families, and community members to embrace peace and put aside past grievances for the good of Eruwaland.
“We must now close the door on conflict and open the gates to unity, growth, and development. Let us all work with Oba Adegbola to bring development to Eruwa” Ogundoyin said.
The Speaker prayed for a peaceful and impactful reign for the new Eleruwa and pledged the support of the Oyo State House of Assembly to the advancement of traditional institutions across the state.
Reading his acceptance speech, Oba Adegbola thanked Governor Makinde for his fairness, steadfastness and courage in upholding the tradition, legal and all legitimate administrative processes resulting in his reappointment as the new Eleruwa of Eruwa.
He equally appreciated the indigenes of Eruwa town for their unwavering support and promised to work for the peace, unity, progress and development of the town to lift the people from poverty to prosperity through the sustained economic and infrastructural development of Governor Makinde’s administration.
Oba Adegbola said, “In the course of my reign, I will work to harness the energy of our youths while listening to the wisdom of our elders. In general, I will try very hard to achieve a kinder, more civil, more tolerant, more generous and more compassionate community”
In his remark, Governor Seyi Makinde, assured that his administration would redouble efforts to ensure completion of Eleyele-Ido-Eruwa road within the next 11 months.
He emphasized its economic importance to boosting agricultural activities in the area and the state as a whole.
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The Governor also disclosed that the documentation for the Eruwa Farm Estate, also known as Agricultural Transformation Centre, had been concluded, assuring that contractors would soon move to site.
While congratulating the Eleruwa and promising to work with him to develop the town, Makinde said that due process and laid down rules were followed in the selection of Oba Samuel Adegbola, noting that his administration would continue to maintain its record of non-interference in traditional institutions and the selection process of traditional rulers.
The governor continued, “We all know the struggle to get to this point. About five months after I became the governor of this state in 2019, we got the Supreme Court judgment deposing Kabiyesi Eleruwa. I was not experienced enough to settle certain issues and it was a first shocker to me. So, I called everybody and asked questions.
”And after gathering some information, we went back to Supreme Court for them to have another look at the judgment but we did not also succeed.
”I was of the opinion that Eruwaland would have a king but we would follow due process. We came back to follow the process but didn’t end as expected.
”Now, what is the lesson for us in all of these? Eruwaland from 2019 to 2025 was deprived of traditional headship, though that is behind us. And I am glad that today, the Kabiyesi has not come on a revenge mission but to collaborate with everybody for the growth of Eruwaland.
”I also want to say that the government will work together with him to bring about progress in the land.
”I want to assure that within the next eleven months, the road from Eleyele to Eruwa would be fixed. Another promise I want to make again is that, which we had made in the past regarding this critical infrastructure, we want value for our farmers that are using this road every day and night to convey farm produce. And we shall achieve that.
”Kabiyesi, I have also noted what you said about Eruwa Farm Estate, which we launched recently. The AfDB has renamed the place as Agricultural Transformation Centre, which is the second of its kind in Nigeria. The first one is Fasola.
”One good thing about this administration is that, our project can be delayed but definitely not abandoned. This administration has completed all the projects the past governments abandoned. And during our first term, we completed most of our projects in record time. You would see efforts at the Agricultural Transformation Centre. It is AfDB that is supporting us. We have completed all documentation and the contractor should move to site”
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