Owo Massacre: Demolition Of Victims’ Cenotaph Shows Who You Are – Akeredolu’s Widow Slams Aiyedatiwa
Betty Akeredolu, the widow of the late former Ondo State Governor has slammed incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa over the demolition of the cenotaph built to immortalise and honour victims of worshippers of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, who were brutally killed by gunmen in 2022.
Betty, who joined others to kick against the move by the current administration in the state, described the move as insensitive and the ‘desecration of a sacred ground.’
While berating Governor Aiyedatiwa over the directive given for the demolition of the memorial park, the former first lady, in a terse social media post, said the demolition of the monument is not only a political misstep but an insult to the victims and disrespect to their families.
Betty, who further described the action of Aiyedatiwa as an affront to decency, emphasised that the move was a dishonour to her husband, who governed with empathy.
The late Akeredolu’s widow maintained that “Lucky Aiyedatiwa has shown us who he is and history, too, will remember,” adding that demolishing the cenotaph for “a so-called world-class shopping complex, reveals a disturbing level of moral decay.”
Betty, who commended the courage of those who had spoken out against the demolition, particularly Richard Olatunde, a former aide to her late husband, stated that history would be kind to those who defend truth and justice, stressing that a world-class society does not erase its pain to make way for profit, “it preserves memory, honors the dead, and builds with conscience.”
“An honorary doctorate cannot mask a glaring absence of humanity and scholarship.
“How daft can one be to assume that the value of life, memory, and honor must be measured by profit margins? The monument was part of his (Akeredolu) legacy, a physical embodiment of empathy and leadership in the face of tragedy.”
Late Akeredolu, a native son of Owo, built the cenotaph in the heart of the ancient town to honor the victims of the deadly June 5, 2022, massacre.
The former CPS to late Akeredolu, Richard Olatunde, had disclosed that the Olowo of Owo gave his late boss the nod to build the project, adding that the demolition will no doubt reopen healing wounds of the victims’ families.
On his part, the CPS to Aiyedatiwa, Ebenezer Adeniyan, revealed that the demolition was carried out following the complaint of Olowo over the siting of the cenotaph opposite his palace.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
