Abuse of Naira: Egba Traditional Council suspends monarch for two months

Oba Kolawole Sowemimo 

Damilola Ajibola

The Egba Traditional Council has suspended the Olu of Owode in Obafemi -Owode Local Government Area, Oba Kolawole Sowemimo, for two months over alleged abuse of Naira.

It will be recalled that the monarch in a viral video  knitted N1000 notes and hung it on a popular Fuji musician during the 60th birthday of his wife, held some couple of weeks ago.

He, had ,since apologized to the Federal Government for his action.

However, the traditional council under the leadership of the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, on Friday, suspended Oba Sowemimo for three months without salaries.

This development was confirmed by the monarch, on Saturday, when contacted.

He said, “They said the suspension was due to the way I spent money on one musician.

“And when I was asked if I had anything to say, I stood up and apologised for whatever I had done wrong and the suspension which was earlier announced to be for three months without salaries was reduced to two months.

“I totally accept the verdict of the council because it is the person that we love that we chastise, so I am good with the decision,” he said.

His action it must be noted contravene the law of the nation’s apex Bank, the  Central Bank of Nigeria.

It was learnt that the Council in a joint resolution adopted the suspension of the monarch following the recommendation of its Ethics Committee which declared that during the period of his (Sowemimo) suspension, he should not parade himself as a traditional ruler.

Part of the resolution was that Oba Sowemimo should not be invited or seen at any government or public function as a traditional ruler, and for three months should not receive any payments

The three member Ethics Committee of the Egba Traditional Council was chaired by the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Saka Matemilola,  with other two members.

Oba Matemilola who read the report of the committee, said that the committee came to its decision after examining the viral video in which  Sowemimo breached the ethics of a Yoruba traditional institution by defacing Nigeria’s currency.

The committee chairman, who is the Olowu of Owu, said findings revealed that the embattled traditional ruler was seen holding strewn naira as a bead and hanging onto the neck of a musician in public.

The chairman added that a lot of public condemnation of the act inundated the council with derisive comments on the traditional institution, stressing that the said Oba’s action is in contradiction of Section 21(1) of Central Bank Act, 2007.