The Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, has reacted to the demolition of the memorial park built for victims of the June 5, 2022, church massacre at St Francis.
The park, a project initiated by the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, was built to honour the memory of over 40 worshippers who lost their lives in the brutal assault.
In a post shared on his Facebook account titled: DEMOLITION OF OWO MEMORIAL PARK: OLOWO-IN-COUNCIL SPEAK,” the council disclosed that the demolition of the memorial park was at the instance of the Kingdom and “entire good people of the kingdom.”
The post added that the decision to site the structure in that particular location was resisted by the Olowo-in-Council and frowned upon by the people of the community when it was being conceived by the government of the late Governor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu SAN, CON.
“All advice to the late governor that celebrating the dead in any guise around the palace is not in conformity with the age-long culture and traditions of Owo was defiantly dismissed. Even at a time a protest was made by concerned Owo youths and stakeholders to that effect, which the then governor disregarded.”
According to the post, the Olowo-in-Council will soon come out to inform the public with the comprehensive details of all that happened before and during the construction of the structure, which led to the current development.”
The Council reverend Lucky Aiyedatiwa as a listening governor and urged anyone with any issues whatsoever against the memorial park demolition to make the palace their target, “and not the listening Governor, Hon. (Dr.) Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, who is in no way responsible for the demolition.”
Betty Akeredolu reacts to demolition of memorial park
Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, the former First Lady of Ondo State, has criticised Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for ordering the demolition of the memorial park dedicated to the victims of the tragic June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo.
Akeredolu condemned the act, describing it as an act of profound insensitivity and a desecration of sacred ground.”
She challenged the rationale behind removing a monument that served as a powerful symbol of the community’s collective grief and healing.
“What kind of leadership defiles the memory of innocent souls in such a callous manner? Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s demolition of the Owo church massacre monument is not only an act of profound insensitivity; it is a desecration of sacred ground.
“That monument, built by my late husband, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON, a son of Owo, was a solemn tribute to lives violently cut short in a house of worship. It symbolised collective mourning, remembrance, and healing.
“To now dismiss it as having ‘no economic value’ and to demolish it for a so-called ‘world-class shopping complex’ reveals a disturbing level of moral bankruptcy.
“A world-class society does not erase its pain to make way for profit. It preserves memory, it honours the dead, and it builds with conscience.
“This evil act is not just a political misstep; it is an affront to decency. It insults the victims, disrespects their families, and dishonours the legacy of a governor who governed with empathy and stood for justice.
“The voiceover defending this abomination only deepens the outrage. How daft can one be to assume that the value of life, memory, and honour must be measured by profit margins? An honorary doctorate cannot mask a glaring absence of humanity and scholarship. Lucky Aiyedatiwa has shown us who he is and history, too, will remember,” she said.
