By DAUD OLATUNJI

ABEOKUTA- Speaking for the first time about the controversy that dogged his comments on the terrible state of roads in his domain during the immediate past administration of former governor, Gbenga Daniel, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, yesterday,  recalled his  ordeal, saying his harmless, candid appeal almost cost him his throne.

Oba Gbadebo, while speaking  during the commissioning of the 2.5 kilometre Ibara-Ita-Eko road constructed at over N1.3 billion in Abeokuta,  lamented that he made the comments to charge the government to repair the road but, he was  brandished as playing to the gallery.

It will be recalled that Alake had made comments that all the roads in Abeokuta were in the state disrepair, which pitched him against then governor,  Daniel, who complained through his former Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Samuel,  that the Alake was  playing to the gallery.

Vanguard, however, gathered that Alake would have lost his throne for making the comments against the government, but, for the  intervention of  his chiefs who worked towards the resolution of the crisis.

According to Alake:  “This is the road I made comments over that the government said I was playing to the gallery.”
At the event, the  Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba  Sikiru Adetona,  urged   Gov. Amosun  to continue obtaining   loan  for the development of the  state  through infrastructure.

Awujale said:  “This is a very good beginning for you. During the time of Olusegun Osoba, there was not enough money like this then, but yet he made remarkable achievements, particularly on education and that is the starting point for Amosun this time.

“If there is the need for us to obtain loan for projects, Your Excellency, go for it. We are going to support you because there is no government that has enough revenue.

“To obtain loan for projects is not a new thing but people need to see what you have spent the money on. If not that such money will be expended on jamboree. A government that does not borrow has not done anything.”

The monarch, however,   advised the governor to prune the number of local governments workers, so as to check idleness.

He said:  “Other area is that we are having a lot of excesses at the local government level. You need to see the parade of workers in that place, but are idle. It is not too much if they are sent to farm. That is why local governments are not doing any meaningful development because there are too many idle workers there.”

Before the  commissioning, Amosun said the road would serve as a model of the highways that would dot the nooks and crannies of the state in the  months to come.

The event was attended by former governor, Aremo Olusegun Osoba; Olowu of Owu, Oba Gboyega Dosunmu and Olu of Ilaro Oba  Kehinde Gbadewole.