The media team of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade is intact and knowledgeable and requires no external motivation for training, the monarch’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye has said.
Durojaiye, in a statement to LEADERSHIP on Monday, was responding to Otunba Moses Olafare, the spokesman of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, over his call for overhaul of the media team of Alaafin over what he called misrepresentation of the meeting between the two monarchs in Abuja on Saturday.
Olafare had described as a misrepresentation, the meeting between the Alaafin and Ooni at the West Africa Economic Summit held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
He blamed an Oyo-based social media platform, ‘The Oyo Legacies’, which he claimed to be among the media team of the Alaafin of Oyo, for allegedly posting a doctored video showing Alaafin refusing to greet Ooni “against the true representation of the conduct of the Oyo monarch yesterday (Saturday).”
“All Baba should do is to ensure that the palace media team be subjected to trainings in the areas of work ethics and protocols of Principal’s Image Management. “Alaafin’s Media Team Must Be Regiged”.
Responding, Durojaiye described as “insulting, derogatory, and least expected for the Ooni of Ife to have ridiculed the institution of the Alaafin, the Titan of Yorubaland, by referring to his Media team as incompetent and untrained.”
The media director said the Ooni of Ife should know that the Alaafin cannot descend so low to have engaged the services of mediocres to work as his media team. “Far from it.”
He added that, “The Alaafin understands the dynamic world of media, hence his appointment of a seasoned Journalist with about three decades of experience as Media Director who stands at the helm of his media team, and has been navigating the ever-shifting currents of communication, technology, and audience engagement.
“Alaafin’s media team comprises well trained and knowledgeable personnel both in the social and conventional media,” he said.
Durojaiye stressed that the Alaafin was aware that the skills set required for an effective, goal-getting media team required both expansive and precise, balancing creative vision with analytical acuity.
He maintained that one of unique attributes of Oba Owoade’s astute rulership is the monarch’s ability to inspire his people and to bring the best out in them, recognise required further training and education to develop their skills.
“What is more, Olafare in his encounter narrative said the “Ooni had already been ushered in and was majestically seated at the VIP waiting room of the conference centre alongside some of his business associates and friends, while His Imperial Majesty, the Alaafin of Oyo, Iku Baba Yeye, Oba Akeem Owoade, Elewuetu I, few minutes later arrived his own royal candour and walked straight” even ignoring his allocated seat” to the Ooni’s seat for royal greetings.
“This is a blatant lie and the Ooni’s media should stop being economical with the truth. What really happened was that the chairs at the VIP were untagged and available for any personality to come in and sit down.
“While the Alaafin was entering the VIP room, Ooni saw him and immediately stood up and moved towards the Alaafin and greeted him. They both greeted one another warmly and exchange pleasantries. Thereafter, Alaafin sat next to the Obong of Calabar who had already occupied the seat next to the Ooni.
“The referred institution of the Alaafin as the head of Yorubaland is too formidable to be flattered, let alone be subjected to public mockery,” he said.
He added, “The Alaafin’s Palace hereby demands from the Ooni’s Palace, an unreserved apology for denigrating the institution of Iku Baba Yeye, by referring to his media personnel as incompetent.”
Meanwhile, Oyo Legacies has denied posting the alleged viral video. Dotun Oladele, whose Facebook page was accused of posting the video said, “The claims made by Mr. Olafare amount to blackmail and slander. He alleged that I shared a video that could cause discord between the Alaafin of Oyo and the Ooni of Ife. I challenge him to provide evidence of this video on my Facebook page. As the saying goes, “he who asserts must prove.”
He added, “It’s unfortunate that Mr. Olafare has damaged my reputation. The allegations are baseless and constitute blackmail. I demand evidence to support their claims. Who needs retraining in journalism ethics – them or me?
“I urge the public to scrutinise the evidence and decide who is telling the truth. I didn’t attend any event in Abuja with the Alaafin, nor did I claim to have done so.”
