12th July, 2011
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State today commissioned The Polytechnic, Ibadan to produce the statues of three leaders of Yorubaland for the government of Oyo State.
The leaders are: Premiers of the Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief S. L. Akintola and a Member of Western Region Parliament and Federal Minister, Chief Adegoke Adelabu.
In a release signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Communication, Dr. Festus Adedayo, Ajimobi said that this was aimed at celebrating heroes of Yorubaland whose imperishable footprints are still everywhere today.
The governor revealed that after the production of the statues, they would be placed in front of the Government House, in a place which will now be renamed ‘Heroes Square.’
Last week, Oyo State House of Assembly ordered the state government to immediately replace the statue of “unknown soldier” in front of government house with that of Awolowo.
The house further ordered that the statue of the “unknown soldier” be relocated to Dugbe Area of Ibadan.
P.M. NEWS gathered that in order to douse the tension that the erection of the Awo statue might generate, Governor Ajimobi decided to add the statues of Adelabu from Ibadan and Akintola from Ogbomosho.
—Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan