Oyo Monarchs: I stand by my action—Obasanjo
Oyo Monarchs: I stand by my action—Obasanjo
The former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, maintained on Monday that his call for monarchs to rise and pay respect to Seyi Makinde, the governor of Oyo State, was correct because governors deserve respect.
Obasanjo emphasized that he adhered unapologetically and uncompromisingly to the position that the governor of a state holds the highest office in the state and should, therefore, be shown the respect stipulated in the constitution.
This was said by the former president in a statement released by his special media assistant, Kehinde Akinyemi, and made accessible to the media on Monday.
“The former President has affirmed that he stood firmly, unapologetically and uncompromisingly on the position that the governor of a state holds the highest office in the state.
Obasanjo, who received harsh condemnation from many Nigerians for ordering monarchs present at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology on Friday for the dedication of the Iseyin campus to stand up, has explained his reasoning.
According to Premium Times story, the former military head of state claimed that the reason he acted in such a way was because the monarchs disrespected Governor Makinde.
“As we arrived (at the venue with the governor), every other person at the venue rose, but they (the monarchs) remained seated. I was surprised because I considered that a breach of protocol and disrespect for the governor.
“It later became the turn of the governor to speak. As he rose, every other person at the venue, including me, stood up as demanded by protocol and in respect for the governor and his office. Again, the Obas refused to rise. They all remained seated.
“I then asked people around whether that was the practice in Oyo State. I was told the Obas have always displayed disrespect for their governor. I wondered where they got that from and then decided to speak to them about it.
“As far as I am concerned, there is constitution and there is culture. By our constitution, the governor is the leader of a state. Everyone must respect him no matter his or her status or age. He deserves respect no matter how young he is and protocols must be observed.
“That was why I spoke to them the way I did. I wanted them to realise that it is not part of Yoruba culture to disrespect authorities. Respect begets respect and they must learn to deal with their governor with respect if they want to be respected in return.
“I respect traditional rulers and even when I was President and till today, I treat them with reverence. I prostrate, bow, and kneel before them as necessary.
“I respect our culture. But let us also know that there is a constitution that puts a chairman as head of a local government, a governor as head of a state, and a president as head of our country. Whatever we do must be in respect for that arrangement. I am saying there is culture and there is constitution. One must not disturb the other,” according to statement from the former president.
