Be patient with Buhari, Alake pleads with Nigerians

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The Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, has called on Nigerians to be patient with President Muhammadu Buhari, saying that he will salvage the country from its current economic and political challenges in the next four years.

He said this on Wednesday at his palace in Abeokuta during the media briefing on his forthcoming 10th coronation anniversary.

The monarch, having had contact with him in the military, described President Muhammadu Buhari as a deep person and a selfless leader who did not court materialism and frivolity.

He said, “I want to plead with Nigerians, who are saying President Muhammadu Buhari is slow, to be patient with him. He is not slow. He is a deep leader and selfless. He is neither given to frivolity nor is he materialistic. He is equally a good listener. If you are talking to him, he normally would be listening to you, but you might think he was not listening until you would see him taking actions.

“I am sure in the next four years; he would turn Nigeria into a country all Nigerians will be proud of.”

Oba Gbadebo who said Egbaland had witnessed tremendous development during the last 10 years of his reign, also appealed to the Federal Government to upgrade the Federal Medical Centre, located at Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, to a teaching hospital, as it did with the one in Ekiti State.

The monarch, who said he was not satisfied with the development in his domain, explained that he would only be satisfied when Egbaland become an industrial hub that would be spotting other traits of a city, including highbrow shopping malls and sprawling estates.

He said though he had faced some challenges, he argued that he had been able to reach out to all the Egbas, both at home and abroad, preaching the message of love and unity.

The monarch also narrated how he survived a dethronement plan by the administration of former Governor Gbenga Daniel.

There was an alleged plan by the Daniel’s administration to remove the monarch from the throne in 2008 for allegedly criticising the state of roads in Egbaland.

He said he was saved by an Abeokuta court judgement which prevented governors from dethroning traditional rulers.

The paramount ruler said that while the plan to dethrone him was ongoing, a former Chief Press Secretary to General Ibrahim Babangida, Chief Duro Onabule, published a two-part article which highlighted the court judgement in a newspaper.

He said, “The judgement was obtained here in Egbaland and the government never appealed against it. So, it subsists.”

Recounting his ordeal, Oba Gbadebo denied criticising the Daniel’s administration but that he only called the attention of the government to the deplorable condition of roads in Egbaland at that time.

Alake explained that the governor’s Chief of Staff, Chief Abayomi Majekodunmi, was present at the occasion where he appealed to the administration to fix the potholes in the state. However, he said it was misconstrued when the newspapers reported it the following day.

According to Alake, the governor sent a text message to one of his aides, directing that Alake has become one of the critics of his government and must be dealt with.

Oba Gbadebo ascended the throne on the November 19, 2005, at the age of 62.

Source: Punch