The Oba-elect of Orile-Ilawo town in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State, Professor Alexander Olusegun Macgregor has advised the aggrieved members the community that are still bittered about his emergence to pocket whatever misgivings they could still be nursing against him in the interest of peace and development of their land.
MacGregor specifically admonished members of the Orile Ilawo Council of Chiefs that were opposed to his pickation as the next traditional ruler of the ancient Oke Ona Egba settlement to sheath their swords, join hands with him in his efforts at attracting more developmental projects to the town towards uplifting the sufferings of the indigenes.
In a statement issued yesterday from his Ilawo palace and personally signed by himself, the new monarch passionately appealed to the aggrieved chief to see his emergence as something ordained by God the Supreme Being, who enthrones leaders for position of authorities worldwide.
Apparently reacting to a statement credited to one of the palace chiefs, the Balogun Orile Ilawo, Chief Abraham Adebayo Soyoye, wherein he allegedly accused MacGregor of threatening the lives of people in Ilawo community “with the use of thugs and different armed securities, who threatened to set on fire, his house and that of another chief, the Ilawo Oba-elect urged all the aggrieved palace chiefs to consider events that preluded his emergence as part of the selection process which mentioning does not befit the status of any traditional ruler in Yorubaland.
While distancing himself from any planned attack on anyone in the community, MacGregor urged the aggrieved chiefs to always bear in mind that posterity will not forgive whoever that goes about blackmailing the Ilawo stool just to achieve any personal aggrandizement.
The statement reads in part: “my attention of Prof. Olusegun Macgregor, the Oba elect of Orile Ilawo has been drawn to a statement credited to Chief Abraham Adebayo Soyoye, the Balogun of Ilawo, concocting various allegations against the person of Oba elect of Orile Ilawo, Prof. Alexander Olusegun Macgregor”.
“Ordinarily, we could have ignore his vituperations and allegation, but for posterity’s sake, we need to put some things straight on record. To those who know him very well, Prof. MacGregor is a man of peace. His life and dealings, both as a professional and ordinarily citizen, have being in pursuance of peace with whoever he meets on his way and this is attested to through various awards and testimony from people both at home and diaspora”.
“Prior to his involvement and eventual emergence as the Oba-elect, Orile-Ilawo town in Abeokuta had a reputation for various youths’ misdemeanor. But that bad reputation has now been transformed into a peaceful and safe haven. The youths are now meaningfully engaged in life changing activities and residents of the community can attest to this”.
“I however, want to appeal to you all to please allow peace to reign in Orile Ilawo town. There can only be one king in the town and I want everyone aggrieved chiefs and others to remember that we will have no other place to call our home if we should allow all these blackmailing game to continue because of the personal aggrandizement of few greedy leaders”.
While condemning the threat to live and various attacks said to have been perpetuated by some people in the area, MacGregor in the statement, further appealed to the law enforcement agencies to wade into the matter and unravel whoever that was behind the dastard act “if it was true.
“I will never support any acts of violence or killings in order to attain any position in life and I will continue to appeal to all sons and daughters of Ilawo to embrace peace and not allow any issue to divide us, knowing well that ‘united we stand, divided we fall”.
