Ondo Govt Defends Owo Memorial Demolition as Cultural Correction

By: Maryjane Austine 

Ondo Govt Defends Owo Memorial Demolition as Cultural Correction

Ondo State Government has explained that the recent demolition of the Owo Memorial Park was aimed at correcting what it described as a cultural misplacement, rather than an act of disregard for the victims of the tragic church attack of June 5, 2022.

In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, the government responded to the Catholic Diocese of Ondo’s condemnation of the demolition. The state clarified that the land on which the cenotaph stood originally belonged to AgroMore Limited, a company owned by Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye before he became the Olowo of Owo. It stated that the site had been re-allocated to the company in 2021 by the administration of the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

The government said there was no official revocation of the land prior to the cenotaph’s construction, a development it now describes as a procedural error. It also noted that the site’s location in front of the Olowo’s palace sparked multiple protests from community members, who viewed the cenotaph designed in the likeness of a cemetery as a cultural taboo.

Read More: Aiyedatiwa Sworn in as Ondo Governor, Grants Freedom to 43 Convicts

According to the state, the decision to remove the structure was reached after fresh consultations with the Olowo-in-Council under Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, following up on earlier conversations initiated during Akeredolu’s tenure but left unresolved due to his illness and eventual passing.

The government added that the actual demolition was carried out by the land’s rightful owners, AgroMore Limited and the Olowo of Owo with state approval, emphasizing that no remains were buried at the park.

Watch More: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1C8kahgsdE/

To address the Catholic Church’s concerns, Governor Aiyedatiwa has reportedly directed officials to work with stakeholders in identifying a more culturally acceptable site for a new memorial.

The Catholic Diocese, led by Bishop Jude Arogundade, had earlier expressed sadness over the incident, calling the act a violation of the shared memory of the 41 victims. The Diocese maintained that the memorial was established lawfully to honour lives unjustly lost in the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church attack.