Popular Yoruba Monarch Suspended (See Why)

The Egba Traditional Council February statutory meeting which was chaired by the Alake and paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo has on Friday suspended he Olu of Owode in Obafemi-Owode Local Government of Ogun State, Oba Kolawole Sowemimo.

According to reports, he was suspended for two months without salaries by over alleged abuse of naira notes.

While speaking with newsmen, Sowemimo said the suspension was announced during the traditional rulers meeting on Friday.

“They said the suspension was due to the way I spent money on one musician. And when I was asked if I had anything to say, I stood up and apologised for whatever I had done wrong and the suspension which was earlier announced to be for three months without salaries was reduced to two months. I totally accept the verdict of the council because it is the person that we love that we chastise, so I am good with the decision,” he said.

It could be recalled that a viral video had in January showed the royal father decorating a popular Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde, with knitted new notes of N1,000 which was used as a garland to decorate the musician.

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However, the Chairman of a three-member Ethics Committee of the Egba Traditional Council, Oba Saka Matemilola, who read the report of the committee, said that the committee came to its decision after examining the viral video in which Sowemimo breached the ethics of a Yoruba traditional institution by defacing Nigeria’s currency.

The committee chairman, who is the Olowu of Owu, said findings revealed that the embattled traditional ruler was seen holding strewn naira as a bead and hanging onto the neck of a musician in public, adding that a lot of public condemnation of the act inundated the council with derisive comments on the traditional institution, stressing that the said Oba’s action is in contradiction of Section 21(1) of Central Bank Act, 2007.

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