The Oluyede Royal Family of Ayede-Ogbese in Akure North Local
Government, Ondo State, on Thursday distributed two thousand nose masks
towards the campaign against COVID-19 pandemic.
At a town hall meeting hosted at the Palace of Alayede of Ayede-Ogbese
by the Regent to the stool of the Kingdom, Princess Catherine Bukola
Akinyede, one thousand food packs were also distributed to the residents
of Ayede-Ogbese and other villages and towns in the Kingdom.
Speaking at the event to which residents were only allowed in after
observing the appropriate sanitary safeguards in respect of disease
control, Princess Bukola Akinyede said the forum was not for reasons
other than ensuring that her subjects had relevant information on
several measures in the face of the defiant spread of Coronavirus.
She also explained that every family with historical link and property
in the community ought to stand firm with the ruling family and the
Council of Chiefs in order to deter persons who have been staging
provocative incursions into farmlands and properties within the Kingdom
limits.
She called on Ayede-Ogbese indigenes and residents to co-operate with
government in keeping the peace and tranquility of the area. The
Odopetu of Ayede-Ogbese, High Chief Oladimeji Abitogun, accused
individuals whom he described as “revisionists, dishonest intellectual
dwarfs” as pushing “fallacious history” about the originality of
Ayede-Ogbese as a Kingdom. These characters have no respect for the
human worth of persons or communities that are not big, the fact is that
this is where God said we should be, we are not afraid of our small-town
identity.
“We have come to stay as a Kingdom, we existed here for ages and no
attempt or fraudulent stories from them would ever make our land
available for grabs. Their motivation is the greed factor. Yes, we
have a linguistic affinity with them, we are never their subjects.
Ayede-Ogbese shares common boundaries with Uso to the East, not Owo as
often claimed in error. And to the West, we share a boundary with
Oba-Ile, not Akure, as internal colonizers would want to stamp out our
identity”, he submitted.
The forum which was moderated by the Adaja of the community, Chief Femi
Joseph, also had in attendance, all the members of the Council of Chiefs
led by High Chief Femi Fajembimo, the Lisa of Ayede-Ogbese, the members
of the Oluyede Royal House, religious leaders, the Divisional Police
Officer, Mr. Olawoyin, political and religious leaders as well. Rules
of social distancing were kept.
The climax of the event was the unveiling of the Coat of Arms of the
Royal Family, gold and purple colour, with an elephant crest,
symbolizing the King of the jungle that was subdued in ancient times in
order for the Kingdom to thrive.
Ayede-Ogbese is a major community known for its agricultural plantations
and cosmopolitan market patronized by people from all walks of life.