Fresh controversy over the final resting place of former governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi emerged on Saturday as sources close to the family accused the Oyo State government of not approving their choice place for the burial of the former governor.
The state government, on Saturday, however, denied the accusation, saying, that it has given the necessary support to the Ajimobi family for the former governor to be interred at his Oluyole residence.
According to sources close to the family, “the burial of former governor had been delayed by what the family alleged as “impediments placed by the state government to the burial plans by the family.” A close source of the late acting chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) disclosed that the family had made plans for the burial the day after the death of their patriarch and was said to have got in touch with the state government for necessary burial approval but alleged that the family rebuffed.
“The government official that the family got in touch with said he could not take action on the matter without approval from the governor, Mr Seyi Makinde. The official also informed us that it has been difficult to pin down the governor for the approval”, the source said.
The source revealed that when the family was able to inform Governor Makinde of the burial plans in line with the laws of the land eventually, the governor completely refused to approve the family choice of the late Ajimobi’s burial site Sunday Tribune gathered that the family’s choice location to bury the former governor is the building located at the Government Residential Area (GRA), Agodi, whose title deeds the state government said it had revoked over issues pertaining to rights to the land.
In a statement released on Saturday, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr Taiwo Adisa, disclosed that the state government was willing to grant a waiver to the family for Senator Ajimobi to be buried at his Oluyole residence, but the family insisted on the Agodi GRA.
“The rumour, which is being spread to give the state government a bad name and to play undue politics with the dead, initially came by the way of social media gossip, which gained traction to attract the attention of traditional media outfits.
“The truth of the matter is that the family, through a proxy, approached the state government and sought approval to bury the late governor on a plot of land at Agodi GRA, which is currently under litigation.
“Incidentally, it was the same former Governor Ajimobi who instituted the legal action. “Governor Seyi Makinde had no choice than to state the facts as they are to the emissaries and turn down the request.
“Governor Makinde, however, against the established land use rule in Oyo State, gave approval that the family can bury the late governor in his Oluyole Estate residence. “It is to be noted that the rules guiding land use in Government Reservation Areas (GRA) forbid the burial of bodies in such locations as Oluyole Estate and Agodi GRA. “Let us also put on record that whereas the family did not follow the laid down protocols in passing information on the sickness and eventual demise of Senator Ajimobi, Governor Makinde overlooked all that and directed the full cooperation of the government with the family on this matter.
“It can only amount to a wicked lie to insinuate that the incumbent government in Oyo State attempted to obstruct the burial of the immediate past governor.”
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