Former Chief Press Secretary to the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, Richard Olatunde, has faulted the statement issued by the Olowo-in-Council justifying the demolition of the Memorial Park built in honour of the victims of the 2022 Owo Church massacre.
Olatunde, in a detailed rebuttal on Monday, accused the traditional council of issuing a posthumous indictment against the late governor, insisting that the decision to site the cenotaph opposite the palace was not done unilaterally but followed extensive consultations.
“I have read the statement from the Olowo-in-Council… the crux of this issue is not the demolition itself, but the unjust posthumous indictment of Governor Akeredolu,” Olatunde wrote.
He disclosed that a high-level meeting involving the Olowo, His Royal Majesty Oba Ajibade Ogunoye, and members of the Olowo-in-Council was held at the Governor’s Office prior to construction. He listed the traditional leaders in attendance and stated that the project received explicit approval during the meeting.
Olatunde added that at no point before or during the construction did the council or any segment of the Owo community formally raise objections to the project. He maintained that the first protest linked to the location of the park only surfaced after Akeredolu’s death in June 2024.
“Let it be known that there is no record of any objection whether from the Olowo-in-Council or the broader Owo community before, during, or after the park’s construction,” he said.
He also gave further insight into the rationale behind the park’s location, citing its proximity to St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church — the site of the June 5, 2022, terrorist attack — and the fact that the land had been legally acquired by the Ondo State Government under a previous administration.
According to him, the late governor had revoked an earlier allocation of the land to the palace after receiving a protest letter from the original landowners, who argued that the space was acquired for overriding public interest and not for private use.
While acknowledging the right of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to order the demolition, Olatunde urged that the legacy of the late Akeredolu — especially his dedication to the development of Owo — should be preserved and not “disparaged.”
“If this is what the people of Owo want, so be it. But let us not forget that Arakunrin Akeredolu loved Owo deeply. His legacy deserves preservation, not disparagement,” he said
