Fresh crisis has no doubt broken out between Olukere of Ikere-ekiti Oba Abdulganiyu Obasoyin and Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose.
The new bubble burst is associated with the felling of a sacred tree in the heart of Ikere township. The deities according to the state government will have to give way for the dualisation of Ado-Akure road.
Governor Ayodele Fayose has in a programme monitored by TimeNewsNg said he paid the monarch a sum of One million Naira to facilitate felling of the sacred tree and relocation of other deities.
Fayose in his remark on the issue said “On the Ikere matter, I met with Ogoga and Olukere before the dualisation of Ikere started and we talked about ancient deities that will be affected by the construction. Olukere told me the movement of the deities will cost #1m, I paid and he signed on 11th January, 2017.”
Speaking with TimeNewsNg via phone, Olukere of Ikere however denies taking any money from the governor, asking Fayose to come out with any evidence to that effect.
Oba Abdulganiyu Obasoyin explained that the issue of relocation is on the other three deities which are movable and that “the earlier agreement was to move the “Ejibaosi square”, Ogun and Esu square closer to the sacred tree and these relocation is at no cost. The issue of felling the tree was never in the agenda before, because the governor knew that the tree is the unifier of the whole Ikere community and he came to celebrate with us last year dancing round the tree with us”
Olukere went on to accuse the Ogoga of Ikere of instigating governor Ayodele Fayose against him.
“Governor Fayose has been doing wonderfully well for Ikere community, he is a friend of Ikere, he is just been instigated by Ogoga of Ikere, who as a stranger is claiming to be the owner of the land and he is ready to destroy all evidences which point to that fact.
All spiritual activities of the town is under my custody and Ogoga has never been happy with this, so he is instigating the government against me so that all historical monuments will be destroyed.
The governor himself knows that felling that tree is tantamount to my death, so I will not take any money from anyone to cut my short my own life. It is a cheap blackmail” Olukere ended.
