Economic crunch delaying Olubadan’s new palace -CCII
By; Bayo Akamo, Ibadan.
President-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Wole Akinwande has said the present economic crunch in the country is delaying the construction of the new palace of Olubadan of Ibadanland earlier billed for completion in April this year.
Chief Akinwande dropped this hint in Ibadan while speaking with journalists at the unveiling of the logo and lighting of torch for Ibadan cultural festival 2015/2016 held at the Civic Centre, Idi-Ape.
The CCII President noted that as at now, the Olubadan’s new palace project is on-going having been roofed, plastered in and out with the CCII working round the clock to ensure that work did not stop on the site.
According to him, some of those who had pledged to donate for the completion of the new palace were finding it difficult to keep to their promises, “not out of unwillingness, but because they were incapacitated due to the bad economy”.
Chief Akinwande however assured that the landscaping of the palace compound will be the next priority in the phases of the project, saying the completion of the project as well as its readiness for habitation would not take much longer time to accomplish.
Speaking further, he disclosed that CCII had been visiting all the critical stakeholders in Ibadanland to sensitize them on the need to appreciate that the Olubadan Palace project “is our joint project and the response has been encouraging with all those visited showing enthusiasm and commitment towards the successful completion of the project”.
It will be recalled that the new Olubadan palace project started last year with Governor Abiola Ajimobi turning the sod at Oke-Aremo in hinterland of the ancient city with the promise that the first phase of the project would be completed by last April.
Chairman of the Ibadan Cultural Festival 2015/2016, Very Rev. Ademola Moradeyo said the annual festival would be historic as it would be the first time the programme would be held with Okebadan festival.
