By TOPE ADEBOBOYE
Lagos monarch, Oba Rilwan Babatunde Akiolu has sent a note of warning to desperate politicians that might be thinking of taking over the state by illegitimate means, asserting that no one could capture Lagos. Oba Akiolu made the declaration at his palace in Iga Iduganran, Lagos during a courtesy call on him by members of the management staff of The Sun Publishing Limited, led by the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Tony Onyima.
The visit to the 500-year-old palace on Thursday morning kicked off a ten-day programme of activities to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the media company that publishes Daily Sun, Sunday Sun, Saturday Sun and Soccer Star, an all-sports daily newspaper. Oba Akiolu, who also goes by the designation, Olowo Eko (Owner of Lagos), recalled that certain politicians had once boasted that they would take over Lagos by force, noting that such people were vehemently resisted and eventually humiliated. He reminded his guests that he was forced out of the Nigerian Police Force as an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in 2002 after 32 years in service even as he was denied promotion by the federal authorities at that time. “We were forced out through intrigues,” said the 21st Oba of Lagos who would clock ten on the throne in May.
“They believed I was the father of the then Alliance for Democracy (AD) and the then Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu. They forgot that Bola Tinubu is my relation and, as they say, blood is thicker than water. “But for God and the prayers of well-meaning people in this country, where we are in Lagos today, we wouldn’t have got there. But for God and for people like Bola Tinubu, we wouldn’t have got to where we are in Lagos. And I say this anywhere.” Insisting that no one would be allowed to take over Lagos by force, the monarch stated: “I will never compromise Lagos for anybody. It will never happen. God Almighty Allah and my ancestors will never allow it to happen. And no matter what anybody is planning in future, only a lawful, democratically elected governor will rule Lagos.
Nobody, even if it will cost us the last drop of our blood, I repeat it, nobody can take Lagos away illegally from Lagosians. And I mean it. “Ninety per cent of all the well-to-do people in this country made their money from Lagos. When they came, they were labourers staying under Carter Bridge. But in just 10, 20 years, you see them putting up high-rise buildings. And Lagos people don’t discriminate against anybody. “But for anybody to say, ‘I will capture Lagos, I will take Lagos,’ God forbid that. Only a democratically-elected governor, a governor elected by popular votes, will always rule Lagos. I don’t take sides with anybody. But I’m for the well being of Lagos and its people.”
The monarch said his traducers in the police also accused him of being an ambitious prince who was interested in becoming the Oba of Lagos. “But it is only a bastard-prince that would not aspire to sit on the throne of his fore-fathers. Anybody that is not ambitious in life is as good as dead,” he said. The royal father said he would spend his tenth coronation anniversary in the Holy Land of Mecca to offer thanks to God. “In 1988, I was in Mecca with the former Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun. Then, everybody was praying to Almighty Allah, asking for what they wanted. What I, then Prince Akiolu, said at that time was that, ‘God, I’m inside the Kaaba now.
Please inherit the throne of my forefathers for me.’ And God heard it. “I don’t know what police retirement had to do with a prince wanting to be Oba of Lagos. But you see how God works? I left the service in March, 2002. A year and two months later, I was crowned the Oba of Lagos. So I’m going to Mecca to thank Almighty Allah.” While praying for The Sun, Oba Akiolu urged the management to always consider Lagos first in its developmental plans.
In his response, The Sun Managing Director, Mr. Tony Onyima congratulated the monarch on his tenth coronation anniversary even as he commiserated with the palace on the recent murder of one of Lagos White Cap chiefs. He assured the monarch that The Sun would continue to contribute its quota to the development of Lagos.
Obama Rilwan is so right, nobody can forcefully rule Lagos state over our dead bodies. Most of all it’s a no go area for PDP rouges.
MAYBE ANOTHER LAGOS,OR MAYBE PDP WILL CREATE THEIR OWN LAGOS STATE SOME WHERE AROUND NIGER DELTA CREEKS,OUR NATIONAL LEADER SENATOR A B TINUBU IS GOING TO ABUJA COME 2015 AS OUR VICE,HE STILL HAVE A LOT TO GIVE US.
CAN SOMEONE IMAGINE A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT HAVE GENERAL BUHARI AS PRESIDENT,SENATOR TINUBU AS VICE,MEN LIKE FASHOLAS,RUBADUS,MARUWAS AND MANY OTHERS AS FEDERAL MINISTERS,HEE HEE,EDEE BE KEKE
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This oba, is very stupid u are calling allah,God forbid lagosian and indeed all yroubas. up u Republic of biafra
@Una. How dare you call the Oba stupid. I do not see what the Oba said for you to even disagree with, to the extent of disrespecting him and showing your lack of home training. I wonder what part of the country you crawled out from that have no respect for elders. GOAT. May you people have your biafra one day, so we can be rid of you and live in peace.
Once a thief always a thief.u ar not asham 2 call tafa balogun here dn,t u no is exconvit bewere come 2o15 p.d.p is takingover lagos
Once a thief always a thief.u ar not asham 2 call tafa balogun here dn,t u no is exconvit bewere come 2o15 p.d.p is takingover lagos ok
Una a ur father is stupid, ur mama is stupid in fact de rest of ur generation are stupid n Allah will dam u all for calling our king s****d. U think we will allow u bastard to destroy our region de way u did urs. Pdp is as dead as dodo in de south west, that is a fact.
kolanut amosu amodu, bastard beach of a harlot, islam is not a religion. it is purely a terrorist organisation.
This is a mistake from the SUN, Kabiyesi once before said Musiliu Smith who also is a lagosian and former IG of police and not Tafa Balogun. The two of them together went to Mecca that year and pray to their Allah for what they want. Kabiyesi asked for the throne of his ancestors while Musiliu asked for the IG position. Allah granted their requests.
Whoever attack me on my comment should go to hell if it’s possible,this Oba is calling allah because of component state like lagos.some of these crowned as king don’t think rationally oh! GOD HELP THIS OBA OF LAGOS,HE FORGOT ONE DAY HE WILL SURELY COMEDOWN A fool like him.his statement maybe on what senators are saying that no more state of origin,he then thinks that Igbos will dominate lagosians sorry if it’s necessary
Una, if you have no respect for your elders,dont come here to expose your ill manner by insulting other people ‘s elders.What exactly warrants your insultive language on the Oba?Did he mention your name or village ?Sometime I wonder where people like you were raised.You are worse than a beast in the wild.It is you,your father, mother and your entire family that will end up in hell if you dont desist from your path of self destruction.Take it from me!
Boko haram OBA,u’re not suppose 2 particpate in politice or are u a politician no u’re a traditional ruler.leave politice 4 politians b/4 govt dethrone Kabiesi olowo eko.
Una n prince we all know who u’re, just hope when ur agreed date (20_2_2013) comes u will not chicken out. Just hope u will get ur biafra by that day. We all know that nigerian jews don’t have respect for their parents talkless of strangers. That’s why ur people will kidnapp ur king, bishop n kill for money. Una n prince, pls try n read today’s punch, out of 21 Nigeria inmates in indonisan prison, 19 of them are biafran jews. That say it all. Useless people, nobody ask or foce u to come to south west, if u’re not happy about our rules n regulations, if u can’t respect our way of life, u should fuckoff to ur crime invested region. Hope it won’t be long before u get ur biafra. Useless people.
Is Oba Rilwan Babatunde Akiolu not supposed to be a traditional ruler? Are all Lagosians not his subjects irrespective of their political and social leanings? More so, had he expected people migrating into Lagos, which was the federal capital, to come with their houses, physical offices and shops? Did he give money, food or clothing to those migrants? What will he do if another political party wins Lagos state? He was a prince. Who else could have taken the Lagos Obaship from him? What has his Obaship added to Lagos apart from the heavy federal investment in Lagos? This is “shakara” kingdom. Why haven’t all Lagosians succeeded like those who came empty handed and slept under Carter Bridge if Lagos oozed money for the lazy? Oba had better told Nigerians how many human rituals gave him the throne. This is a bitter Oba.
This would have been a glorious celebration if The Sun had continued the way it was one or two years ago. The return of its owner to PDP has completely destroyed any modicum of national image that it had. It is now a raw, crude mouthpiece of PDP. It has also brought the utter inability of most Igbos to look at issues from a critical perspective. Unlike the Yoruba who can criticize his brother if he takes side with injustice, that noble, large hearted intellectualism is rarely ever found among our people from the East. They always see all political issues from the same perspective, until the issues relate to power sharing amongst them. It’s so sad.
I am hoping that one day this verbal war waged by kolanut amodu against the BLESSED BIAFRA NATION will become a physical one. It’s then that we shall know who is who.
I am hoping that one day this verbal war waged by kolanut amodu against the BLESSED BIAFRA NATION will become a physical one. It’s then that we shall know who is who.