Oluwo debunks letter seeking financial support from Oyetola for proposed wedding ceremony
…As State Govt describes propaganda by mischief makers dead on arrival
By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo
Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi has denied seeking financial support from Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola to finance his proposed wedding ceremony with a princess from Kano Emirate.
The monarch described the letter as fake and handiworks of people whose mission is to discredit his stool.
A letter with the title: “Notification of Wedding and Request for Financial Support,” dated February 8, 2022, and marked “HIM/TELU 1/14” was addressed to Governor Oyetola and it has gone viral on social media.
The letter reads, “I have the instruction of His Imperial Majesty, Oba (Dr) Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwo, to notify you of the Oluwo’s decision to marry a Princess from Kano Emirate, to be precise, Ado Bayero dynasty.
“I wish to remind your Excellency that this kind of Royal wedding within two notable traditional institutions in Nigeria will require huge expenses, which necessitate support of state government financially even logistically.
“Moreover, the estimated amount for the event is above (N20,000,000,00) Twenty Million Naira.
“His Excellency, Oba Akanbi relies on you for necessary consideration and approval on this request.”
The letter didn’t show the name of the person that signed it.
In a statement signed and issued on Friday by Oluwo’s Press Secretary, Alli Ibraheem, the monarch said he didn’t beg Oyetola to finance his wedding adding that “there is no marriage venture too big for him to finance.”
“We read with total dismay a letter purportedly said to emanate from the palace of Oluwo of Iwoland seeking financial assistance on his personal affairs, wedding.
“While we commend the enlightened public for their sense of fair judgment, we want to categorically state it that the letter is fake and did not emanate from the palace of Oluwo.
“The said letter lacks basic in-house styles of Oluwo’s palace correspondence. Oluwo always append his personal signature while writing the government. Equally, the font in the letter is not our official style. At the said date on the letter, Oluwo was not in the state up till now. And his secretary has no audacity, whatsoever to sign on behalf of His Majesty while communicating with the government.
“The letter was orchestrated by mischievous people whose mission is to discredit the palace. Marriage is a personal affairs. There is no marriage venture too big for Oluwo to finance on his own. Those circulating such should exercise caution. Queen is coming but not in haste of the public demand.
“We enjoin reasonable individual to get their facts before jumping on the bandwagon,” it read.
Oluwo had reportedly confirmed that he was planning to marry from Kano and did not disclose the date.
Recall that Oluwo and his former wife, Queen Chanel Chin bin, a Canadian, parted ways in December 2019.
Meanwhile, the State Government, in its reaction described the alleged letter as a fresh attempt by mischief makers to bring the governor and the government on a collision course with the citizens.
Noting that the development is coming up as the state draws closer to the gubernatorial primaries and election, the government averred that “this is another dead-on-arrival plot.”
A press statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Funke Egbemode, and made available to journalists at the weekend read, “The Osun State Government is aware of a letter that is in circulation on the social media purportedly from the palace of the Oluwo of Iwo land, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, requesting for the sum of Twenty Million Naira from Governor Adegboyega Oyetola to finance his proposed marriage to the daughter of the Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero.
“We are aware that the Oluwo has denied writing the letter and as a government it is important to stop those making negative insinuations in their tracks.
“This fresh attempt by mischief makers to bring the governor and the government on a collision course with the citizens did not come as a surprise especially as the state draws closer to its gubernatorial primaries and election. The community of sadists are increasing the tempo if their shameless propaganda machine. However, this is another dead-on-arrival plot.
“For starters, it is an established fact that this is a government that has put the welfare of its citizens ahead of personal or group interests. It is also established that Governor Adegboyega Oyetola is a prudent manager of resources, who is focused on the development of Osun and everything that translates to public good.
“Specifically, the people of Iwoland are happy with this government for looking in their direction after years of neglect and they eloquently expressed their pleasure with the governor when he visited Iwo Federal Constituency last week. Of course, we knew the unprecedented crowd that welcomed the governor would give the sadists sleepless nights but this resort to blackmail is low, even for them.
“These mischief makers have come up empty again and all their attempts will come to nothing. We will not be disturbed or distracted by the noise of political miscreants whose only job is to grab their phones, get on social media every morning to cause bad blood.
“We implore the good people of Osun to ignore all insinuations targeted at maligning this governor and government. We can see through the thin veneer of those who out of desperation will do anything to get the attention of Osun people. We know they are running out of oxygen, but we will not descend to their level.”
