Fresh details have emerged as to what might have led to the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, snubbing the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, at a public function recently, THISDAY reports.

According to a source, who is a close friend and business associate of the Ooni, disclosed that the incident involving the two traditional rulers may not be unconnected to past business encounter between the two of them.

The sources said that there was an unpleasant engagement between the Ooni and Oba Akiolu, before he became the Ife monarch.

As a businessman and property developer, the source said, Ooni had bought a large expanse of land on the Island for a certain project, a deal said to have been sealed and delivered with those concerned, including all the financial commitments resolved.

Oba Akiolu was said to have gotten wind of the deal later and allegedly stopped the development even when Ooni had invested hugely in it. But as one with royal upbringing, Ooni was said to have sought audience with the Lagos Oba and pleaded with him, reeling out details of how far he had come with the project.

But the Oba of Lagos, the source further said, declined all entreaties and insisted that for any development to continue on the property, Ooni must pay royalty, which was said to be running into several millions of naira.

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“It was a lot of money, that even the Ooni was shocked Oba Akiolu could demand of him,” sources alleged.

Unfortunately, for the Ooni, it was said to be a large sum at that time for him because he had put in so much into the very development and found it difficult to raise the money.

He therefore sought Oba Akiolu’s understanding and pleaded for a reduction, which Akiolu allegedly declined to grant, insisting he either pays the sum or forgets about the development.

Thus, the Ooni, the source said, quickly rallied some of his dependable friends for assistance before he came up with the money. But as fate would have it, a few months after this encounter, Ogunwusi became the Ooni of Ife.

“That is the truth of this bitterness, at least, what we can link this to. The Oba of Lagos hasn’t completely gotten over the emergence of ‘Yeye and against the backdrop of how he treated him…

“We were always at the palace in Idugaran nearly every day, prostrating for Akiolu with ‘Yeye, just for him to relax his stand a bit, but he was adamant as if his sole aim was to jeopardise the project. ‘Yeye was at the palace for many days, only going to beg and plead with the Oba to reduce what he was asking for and not to dissuade him from asking for what was due to him. But all fell on deaf ears.

“’Yeye was forced to raise that money because a lot was at stake. But even if ‘Yeye had not become Ooni, he still has his respect for age and the throne as a child born into royalty, who was also raised with strict adherence to tradition. I mean, apart from that, ‘Yeye has never had any untoward interaction with Oba Akiolu that would warrant snubbing him in public the way he did
http://grovebasenigeria.com/blog/why-oba-of-lagos-snubbed-ooni-of-ifeoba-of-lagos-ooni-of-ifeoba-rilwan-akiolu-oba-enitan-ogunwusi/

Hmmn