…As Afe Babalola Withdraws Criminal Charges Suit
The Arole Oduduwa and Ooni of Ife, Olofin Adimula, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II, in company of not less than eight prominent Yoruba traditional rulers in Ekiti State has resolve the imbroglio between the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola and human rights activist and lawyer, Dele Farotimi.
The Arole Oduduwa was at the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, ABUAD, on Sunday night to appeal to Aare Babalola to forgive the human rights lawyer and activist, Farotimi and also withdraw the ongoing criminal case instituted against him.
This was contained in a statement by the Director of Media and Public Affairs, Ooni’s Palace, Otunba Moses Olafare.
The statement added that Ooni Ogunwusi had arrived Ado Ekiti at about 10:08 pm last night into the waiting hands of Aare Babalola himself in company of ABUAD’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Elisabeta Smaranda Olarinde, Bursar, Pastor Joseph Modupe Babalola, the school PRO, deans of various faculties at the university and the legal team of Aare Babalola handling Farotimi’s criminal case.
In her welcome speech, the Vice Chancellor acknowledged Ooni’s love for the school’s founder and the school itself, which she described as one of the leading universities in Africa.
The Ooni briefed journalists about outcome of the meeting, which was earlier held behind closed door between Aare Babalola and the Ooni, accompanied by Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe Aladesanmi III, the Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti, Oba Adewole Joseph Adebayo, the Ogoga of Ikere, Oba Samuel Adejinmi Adu, the Alaaye of Efon Alaaye, Oba Dr. Emmanuel Aladejare Agunsoye II, and the Olojudo of Ido Ekiti, who doubles as Chairman of the Ekiti State Council Of Traditional Rulers, Oba Ilori Faboro, Ọọni Ogunwusi averred that having watched the scenarios surrounding the criminal case instituted against Dele Farotimi with rapt attention, it has become very imperative to apply Alternative Dispute Resolution method which Yoruba race was known for in the past, because it’s a case between father and son.
The Ọọni said, “We have come today to appeal to Aare Babalola to forgive his son; Dele Farotimi and what we want from him is to withdraw the criminal charges against Farotimi today.
“Aare Afe Babalola, you are an elderstateman, you have seen it all, you are one of the iconic voices in this country, a great man per excellence, you are a rare breed, who has excelled in everything you have touched in this life, a very God-fearing elderstateman, above all, you are one of the proponents of the Yoruba ethos of Omoluwabi which has been your strongest value that you hold in our country. This is what we are using to bring down the tempo in what has happened between you and your son, Dele Farotimi. We have been very proud of you as a great Yoruba elderstateman. You have done great things for this race and Nigeria such that your name can never be forgotten.
“We’ve all come together as traditional rulers to discuss with you on this issue and this gentleman, Dele Farotimi is your son and you must forgive him and withdraw the criminal charges against him. As a father, you have soft sons and you have tough sons, Dele Farotimi is a tough son of yours. You have indeed made a point that your name can not be be messed with.”
When given the microphone to respond to Ọọni Ogunwusi and other traditional rulers’ request, Aare Babalola said, “I hereby withdraw the criminal charges against Farotimi.”
Aare Afe Babalola did not hesitate to accept the request, saying that he grew up as a child to understand such interventions by the traditional rulers.
The legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria declared that he had not only forgiven Dele Farotimi, but also will instruct his lawyers to withdraw the criminal charges against him with immediate effect, because of the honour for the Ooni and the other Obas.
He added, “Today is a very important day for me, I’m a Yoruba man and I’m very proud to be one. Ewi of Ado has come here to meet me on this matter, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has intervened, same with Bishop Matthew Kukah and a host of other prominent Nigerians to ask for the exact thing you have come to ask for this evening; my answer to them has been ‘NO,’ but today, my answer is ‘YES.’
“Your coming is unquantifiable in terms of money, who am I? When the colonialists came here in the 17th century or thereabouts, they found as a fact that Yoruba land was a highly organised society with an advanced systems of government, with each town headed by an Oba who was regarded as a replica of God on earth. His words were commands.
“In the middle ages, the Greeks had a saying – ‘the meadow that grows on the bank of a river which obeys the direction of the flood remains strong forever, but the meadow that grow that disobey the direction of the flood were broken asunder’.”
Aare Babalola said that there is an adage in Yoruba that “Eni ti o ba ni nkan lati se, kii wo elegan rara,” meaning “those who change the world for the better do not wait to respond to criticism.”
He said he had listened to the Ooni’s advice and he certainly didn’t want to be a meadow by the riverside which disobeys the flood.
He enthused, “I was a lawyer who defended the EFCC law, yes I’m corrupt, I was given an oil block, when I looked at the money and saw that it was too much, I rejected it, yes I’m corrupt, I was offered ministerial appointments twice, I rejected it, yes I’m corrupt, because whatever I am, I don’t want anybody to say I made it through corruption. Look at my books, I’m Chairman of Transparency International, based in Germany, I have given lectures against corruption with my papers in many universities globally. For someone to allege me that I have won my cases through corruption, it’s an attempt to defame me, that was why I rejected all appeals earlier made to me. But when I heard that Ooni was coming, I knew I’m in a fix today. ‘Nkan de o.’ There is nothing I’m going to gain from his (Dele) imprisonment and there’s nothing I want from the so called damages. I am not in quest for more wealth, I’m rather concerned on managing the one I have already. Dele Farotimi is hereby forgiven. On this occasion, I say ‘YES’.”
The Ooni departed venue of the meeting at about half past midnight for his Ojaja Park in Akure, from where he is expected to make his departure to Abuja on Monday.
