Kunle Adelabu
The Ayangbure of Ikorodu, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Engr.) Kbair Adewale Shotobi, has revealed that the programmes being embarked upon by the royal family are geared towards encouraging good homes and proper upbringing of young ones to enable them become good ambassadors of the community.
Oba Shotobi, while stating that the society lost its value in the 80s when young ones were not properly cared for anymore by their parents and the society, added that his wife, who is disturbed by cultism and other vices in lkorodu, has dedicated her time to assisting parents and the community in ensuring support for needing families.
The royal father spoke on Thursday, December 24, 2020, with THE IMPACT at the 4th edition of the annual Olori Kudirat Shotobi Christmas party which was celebrated low – key with the presentation of scholarship to five outstanding pupils in Ikorodu.
“My wife, Olori, has dedicated herself as a mother who is seeing what is going on in Ikorodu Division, that we need to encourage good upbringing from what we are seeing in the community. We are concerned with what we are seeing which has brought about cultism in Ikorodu.
“We actually lost the track in the 80s, because during our time in the 60s and 70s, there was nothing like cultism and street boys. We were dedicated and properly handled by our parents.
“What my wife is doing is to encourage parents and pupils. We want to catch them young and tell the parents that if their children are well looked after, that they won’t turn out to be naughty to society. That is what the Olori has been trying to achieve.
“We want to look after the pupils, give them basic education and encourage some of the parents that are not privileged. Education is the key to whatever that you want to achieve”.
Speaking on the steps been taken to curb cultism and other criminal activities in Ikorodu, Oba Shotobi said that the traditional institution will continue to engage perpetrators for the purpose of making them change their ways.
“We have been educating those that have been into cultism to change their ways and renounce their membership and some of them have been listening”.
He added that traditional rulers in Ikorodu Division recently met with the Commissioner for Police in the state to discuss ways to curb cultism and other criminalities in the division.
He stated that those involved in forceful possession of lands, otherwise known as Landgrabbers, are the ones promoting cultism while also charging land owning families to stop inviting these criminal elements into family lands when there is disagreement.
“Just about few weeks ago, I led all the Obas in Ikorodu Division to the Commissioner of Police and we told him the reality about cultism. The brains behind cultism are the landgrabbers.
“We also let the Commissioner know that there is need to pass certain matters, particularly those concerning land, reported to them to the traditional institutions in the concerned domain for resolution.
“It is important that traditional rulers are allowed to look into land matters alongside concerned families instead of inviting landgrabbers who are motivating and supporting cultism. We are on top of the situation.
“We are talking with the law enforcement agencies and we are going to maintain our rapport with these cult guys till they denounce their activities which are doing our communities no good”, the royal father stated.
While stating that the palace is adhering strictly with the directive of the governor of the state regarding the measures and guidelines stipulated for the prevention of COVOD-19, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu also charged residents not to breach the protocols.
“We are going by the directive of Mr Governor that we must observe necessary protocols to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic which is ravaging the world. We are experiencing the second phase of the pandemic and we pray that we will not lose anybody in our community.
“My message to the generality of Ikorodu people is that I want them to listen to Mr Governor regarding the pandemic which has caused a lot of havoc all over the world.
“We are appealing to our people in Ikorodu to adhere strictly with the COVID-19 protocols by maintaining social distancing, use their nose masks and wash their hands at all times or use sanitizer. Once we are able to follow these simple rules, we can limit the effects of coronavirus.
“And of course, the local way of preventing this virus is for us to cover our face with steam from hot water. This can go a long way in making us avoid the virus.
“I want to wish everybody a merry Christmas and happy new year. I pray that we will all live to see 2021 and beyond”.
Oba Shotobi also took out time to commend THE IMPACT and other media organisations reporting the activities in the palace and projecting Ikorodu to the outside world for a job well done.
