Re: ALAAFIN NOT ARROGANT, BUT CONSIDERATE, VISIONARY - A Response to the Reckless Accusation and Unbecoming Remarks by Prof. Ademola Omobewaji Dasylva

               PRESS RELEASE

Re: ALAAFIN NOT ARROGANT, BUT CONSIDERATE, VISIONARY 

A Response to the Reckless Accusation and Unbecoming Remarks by Prof. Ademola Omobewaji Dasylva

It is with a deep sense of duty to truth, culture, and decorum that this response is offered regarding the unfortunate and reckless remarks credited to Prof. Ademola Omobewaji Dasylva concerning the purported late arrival of the Alaafin of Oyo, and the Titan of Yorubaland, His Imperial Majesty,  Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1, to the inauguration of the Alaafin’s Institute of Yoruba Studies at Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo.

To reduce a sacred institution, a custodian of Yoruba civilization, and a monarch of global reverence to the object of public ridicule over time is not only intellectually lazy, it is culturally injurious.

The accusation that “Alaafin came  three hours late” betrays a fundamental ignorance of royal protocol and institutional coordination.

For the records, the original schedule proposed by the University indicated 11:00am as the time for His Imperial Majesty’s arrival. However, prior to the commencement of the event, the Director of Administration of the Alaafin’s Palace, who was the official interface between the Palace and the University, formally communicated that the Alaafin would be arriving with other Paramount Obas who were traveling from outside Oyo State. Consequently, it was made unequivocally clear that His Imperial Majesty’s entourage could not arrive earlier than 12:00noon or 1pm.

This communication was not an afterthought. It was made deliberately and in good faith to enable proper planning. To therefore feign surprise and launch into public castigation is either a willful disregard of facts or a deliberate act of provocation.

The Palace does not move in isolation. When the Alaafin moves, he moves with the dignity of Oyo, with the council, and often, in concert with other crowns. To expect an Imperial procession to conform to a timetable designed without full consultation is to misunderstand both monarchy and courtesy.

Prof. Dasylva is not the convener of the event. He was not part of the protocol team. He was not privy to the correspondence between the Palace and the University.  

The honorable and scholarly path, therefore, would have been to inquire from the organizers before rushing to the marketplace of public opinion with insults. 

A Professor of repute is expected to embody circumspection, research, and restraint. To substitute these virtues with uncouth outbursts is to erode the very intellectual authority one claims to wield. 

Accusation without verification is slander. Criticism without context is recklessness. And when such is directed at the throne of Oduduwa, it ceases to be commentary and becomes desecration.

The Alaafin is not a ceremonial Guest. He is the Iku Baba Yeye, the symbolic and spiritual Head of the Yoruba nation. His presence at the inauguration of the Alaafin’s Institute of Yoruba Studies was itself the highest endorsement the Institute could receive. 

To be present at all, despite a demanding Imperial calendar and the logistics of moving with other royal fathers, is a statement of commitment to Yoruba education, culture, and scholarship.

Must we now demand that the Custodian of our heritage abandon royal procedure to satisfy individual impatience? Must we trade 700 years of institutional dignity for a wristwatch?

We acknowledge Prof. Dasylva’s contributions to Yoruba scholarship. But scholarship without humility becomes arrogance. Criticism without facts becomes calumny.

We therefore demand retraction and apology for remarks made without due consultation and in disregard of prior communication from the Palace.

In future,  public commentators must seek clarification from organizers before making pronouncements on matters involving the Crown. Scholars and subjects alike,  owe it a duty to protect the dignity of Yoruba institutions from needless assault.

The Alaafin did not come “late.” He came according to schedule, as duly communicated. To say otherwise is to bear false witness.

Let it be known: The throne is not late. The throne arrives when it arrives, and history adjusts its clock to meet it.

                                                                Signed

                     Bode Durojaiye , Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Paramount Ruler of Oyo Kingdom, and the Superior Head of Yorubaland.

                    .....

Canada: Alaafin Seeks Establishment Of Hydro Power Firm To Boost Oyo Electricity

By Remi Adedayo

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, on Tuesday, paid a royal visit to his former work place, Manitoba Hydro, an electricity generating company in Manitoba, Canada.

Oba Owoade is visiting Canada alongside his queen, Ayaba Abiwumi Owoade and some notable traditional rulers and Oyo chiefs.

Prior to his ascension to the throne as the Alaafin, then Prince Owoade worked at Manitoba Hydro as the Project Management Professional (Project Manager) of the power engineering firm.

PhotoSpeak:

On the entourage are Olora of Oraland - HRM Oba Rilwan Olawale Aremu Cooler, Ona Onibode of Igboholand - HRM Oba Abdurasheed Adetoyese Jayeola III and Oloro of Oro Kingdom - HRM Oba Joel Olaniyi Oyatoye Titiloye Olufayo II, who accompanied the Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty Oba Akeem Abimbola Owoade I along with other members of the royal entourage to Manitoba Hydro, a power-generating company.

The visit provided an opportunity to discuss partnerships and strategies aimed at easing the strain caused by the erratic nature of electricity supply back home in Nigeria.

The Alaafin and his entourage was received on Tuesday by the President and Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, Allan Danroth, alongside the management of the Manitoba Hydro.

Following the royal courtesies and reunion that highlighted the visit, the foremost traditional ruler discussed the possibility of establishing a hydro power generation station in Ikere Afonja-Oyo in Oyo State with his former employers.

The initiative by Oba Owoade, himself a power engineer, was targeted at easing the challenges of epileptic electricity supply in Oyo metropolis and Oyo State in general.

Earlier, Oba Owoade's delegation was welcomed into the North American country amid celebrations as his entourage was accorded royal welcome in Winnipeg.

Nigerians of Yoruba extractions in their numbers took turns to welcome the paramount ruler back to his former base and to pay him homage as the new Alaafin.

Oyo Govt Finally Receives N7.7bn Surveillance Aircraft To Boost Security After Backlash

The Oyo state government says it has taken delivery of the two long-awaited security surveillance aircraft, more than a year after purchasing them.

On July 9, 2025, the Oyo state government announced the procurement of the aircraft, saying the acquisition cost N7.76 billion.

Dotun Oyelade, the commissioner for information, said the military assets would bolster security across the state.

“The two aircraft already procured cost N7,763,360,000 and will effectively back up Amotekun and other security forces in the state to prevent and destroy bandits in their hideouts,” Oyelade said at the time.

“The two DA 42 MNG model aircraft are for Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations and are equipped with sophisticated surveillance gadgets capable of identifying targets from both high and low altitudes.”

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Oyelade announced the arrival of the aircraft at Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport in Ibadan, the state capital, saying they would strengthen aerial surveillance, intelligence-gathering and rapid security response across Oyo and neighbouring states.

“The arrival of the aircraft marks another step in the state’s efforts to strengthen security operations through improved intelligence gathering and aerial surveillance,” the statement reads.

“The aircraft are expected to support security agencies, including the Amotekun Corps and other relevant formations, in monitoring criminal activities and improving response efforts across the state,” he said.

FIFA Demands Structural Stability For Nigeria To Qualify For 2030

FIFA has outlined structural stability rather than raw talent as the foundational requirement for Nigeria to successfully qualify for the 2030 World Cup.

This follows the Super Eagles' painful failure to secure qualification for consecutive tournaments, including the 2026 edition, prompting a major rebuild of the nation's footballing blueprint. 

Core Demands for Nigeria's 2030 Qualification

According to structural evaluation blueprints shared by sports analysts and The Punch Newspaper, Nigeria must enforce distinct administrative upgrades to progress: 

• Administrative Integrity: Eradicating internal issues like players boycotting training sessions due to unpaid allowances just before crucial playoff matches. 
• Contractual Guarantees: Honouring contracts by paying national team coaches on time to allow focus without distractions. 
• Long-Term Squad Overhaul: Managing a strict age-transition plan to replace older veterans with younger talent before physical decline hits by 2030. 
• Grassroots Infrastructure: Restructuring the grassroots pipeline rather than heavily relying on overseas-born players or the NPFL alone. 

The Rebuild Underway

• Coaching Trust: The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has backed head coach Eric Chelle, whose strategies are aimed at restoring confidence and engineering a youthful squad rebuild. 
• Integrated Development: Plans require aligning under-23 developmental squads closely with the senior Super Eagles squad to streamline progress over the next four years.