Fashola rejects Oba’s chieftaincy title

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola
on Saturday politely rejected the honour of
a chieftaincy title from a royal father,
Oniru of Iru land, Lagos, Oba Abidun Idowu
Oniru.
He said, “Kabiyesi and his chiefs can continue to
lead us, let them deal with all those traditional
and chieftaincy issues. At the appropriate time,
we will come and join them, but for now, leave
us in our suits, booths, overalls and helmets,
because this agbada is not good for clearing
refuse and tarring the roads.”
He, however, received the award of excellence
conferred on him by the monarch who was
celebrating his 75th birthday and 18th
coronation anniversary. While expressing his
appreciation to Oba Oniru for honouring him,
Fashola said the task of governance required
absolute focus and would want the chieftaincy
title to wait for now.
On the award for excellence, Fashola said it was
not for him; rather he dedicated it to all the civil
servants in the state who he said were
responsible for the giant strides of his
administration.
While acknowledging the mornach’s exemplary
leadership and support for his administration
and his predecessors, the governor expressed
his gratitude to the Oniru on behalf of members
of the state executive council.
He confessed that when the state Commissioner
for Waterfront Infrastructure, Prince Segun
Oniru, informed him of the event, and told him
that the Kabiyesi wanted to present him with
something, he had made it clear that he would
not attend the event if what the Kabiyesi
wanted to present to him was going to be a
chieftaincy title, but that Oniru had assured him
that that would not be the case.
Former Lagos State governor and national leader
of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Senator Bola
Tinubu was also conferred with an award of
excellence.
But Tinubu was not present as he had travelled
to the United States.
Other dignitaries at the occasion included the
Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, Oba
Abdulfatai Aromire Ojora, Oba Tijani Akinloye,
Chief GOK Ajayi, (SAN), former Inspector-
General of Police, Mr. Sunday Adewusi,
chairman, House of Representatives Committee
on Diaspora, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, as well as
all the white cap chiefs.: