Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has stated that the Bishop of Ondo Catholic Diocese, Most Rev Dr Jude Arogundade, erred in his position on the demolition of the cenotaph built by the late former governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu in honour of the worshippers of St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.
Aiyedatiwa, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, said the Bishop ought to have explored the proper channels before taking a stance on the demolition.
The bishop, in a statement on Wednesday, had condemned the demolition of the cenotaph, which he claimed was carried out by the state government and the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye.
Aiyedatiwa, who stressed that the demolition of the Memorial Park was done to restore the dignity of Owo culture, emphasised that the monument symbolises death, which does not conform with the traditions of the town.
He further stated that the monarch is the rightful owner of the land on which the monument was constructed.
The Governor maintained that his administration revoked the land after discovering procedural errors made during its acquisition for the construction of the cenotaph.
Aiyedatiwa said, “The demolition of the Memorial Park in Owo was a necessary step taken to restore the dignity of Owo’s culture and the original purpose of the site.
“At the time of constructing the cenotaph, there was no record of official revocation of the land from AgroMore. The state government later realised the procedural errors made in taking possession of the land for the construction of the cenotaph.”
