Controversy trails unveiling of Fasheun’s statue

A life-size statue of the late founder of Oodua Peoples’ Congress (OPC), Dr. Frederick Fasehun was at the weekend unveiled to the public at Ago Roundabout, Okota, Lagos State, as part of activities commemorating the one year anniversary of Fasehun.

The ceremony was officiated by Mr. Raymon Ogunyemi, director of Local Government Monitoring, Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Lagos State and attended by the President General of OPC, Prince Osibote, state administrators and members of OPC, celebrities, and members of the civil society organizations.

But soon after the statue was unveiled, a faction of Fasheun’s OPC gathered at its base in Ago-Okota by the Fasheun link bridge to purportedly remove its president, Prince Osibote, due to alleged high-handedness and corruption charges. Osibote’s removal was contained in a statement by the deputy president to the founder, Alhaji Wasiu Afolabi, at a press conference.

Osibote, who became the leader of the group immediately after the death of Fasehun, was accused of working against the progress of the organisation and unity of its members. Afolabi also accused Osibote of unilaterally dissolving the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the organisation three months after coming into the office and constituted a new cabinet made up of dissidents who had left the group.

According to Afolabi, immortalising the great leader and founder does not end with erecting statues, “proper immortalisation should be demonstrated through adherence to the principle and legacies of the late founder who built a cohesive structure for future leaders of the organisation to build on. He is yet to account for over N90 million, accruing from toll proceeds of Fasheun link bridge.”

Afolabi also condemned Osibote’s non-allegiance to the formation of Amotekun by the Southwest governors. “We are convinced our late founder would rouse in his grave when he gets to know that his immediate successor is not in support of the formation of Amotekun as the solution to the security challenges across our region. 

“Osibote’s hardline stance against the introduction of Amotekun has drawn the ire of the majority of our members. We, therefore, state that we are not with Prince Osibote in his opposition to this novel idea. If Dr. Fasehun was alive today, he would have given his blessings to the introduction of Amotekun, which he muted 10 years ago as an antidote to the invasion of the southwest by Fulani herdsmen.”

When contacted, repeated calls to his phone were not answered but an aide to the OPC leader who pleaded for anonymity dismissed the purported removal, which he described as fake news. “Our leader was busy this weekend with activities commemorating the founder’s death with the inaugural public lecture delivered by former president Obasanjo. We have no time for jesters.”