Fresh tension has erupted in Owo following the release of an audio clip said to feature the suspended Chairman of Owo Local Government, Hon. Tope Omolayo, making unguarded comments about the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III.
In the viral clip, Omolayo was reportedly on a private phone call with a female political appointee when he allegedly spoke harshly about the monarch and threatened to use his office to restrict access to the palace if the royal father continued to involve himself in political affairs.
The recording, which spread quickly among residents, angered many youths who were said to have planned a reprisal before the Olowo personally intervened to restore calm. The controversy came shortly after the Legislative Council suspended the chairman, partly on allegations of disrespecting traditional rulers.
It was gathered that Omolayo has since left town amid reports that some groups have declared him unwelcome in the community. The monarch’s appeals for restraint are believed to have prevented the situation from escalating into violence.
Reacting to the development, the Owo Youth General Assembly (OYGA) described the comments attributed to the suspended chairman as “a grave affront to the stool of the Olowo and an insult to Owo’s heritage.” In a statement signed by its president, Comrade Olaposi Oyegoke, the group urged authorities to apply stiffer sanctions against him.
The youth body also called on the state government and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to constitute an independent panel to probe the matter, stressing that such conduct from a public officer is capable of disturbing the peace of the town.
Attempts by our reporter to reach Hon. Omolayo for his reaction were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to his mobile line were not answered as of press time.
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