The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has refuted claims suggesting he visited the embattled former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, at Kuje prison.
According to the monarch’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, Oba Ogunwusi’s presence at the correctional facility was in connection with an advocacy program by the Non-Governmental Organisation “Hopes Alive Initiative” (HAI), led by one of his wives, Queen Temitope.
Olafare emphasized that the program, conducted in collaboration with Kuje correctional authority, focused on instilling hope in inmates for their reintegration into society post-incarceration, marking the Ooni’s eighth anniversary.
He dismissed allegations of any meeting with Emefiele, stressing that the event was transparent, and the video is available to the public.
“The intent of those spreading the news was to blackmail the monarch; there is nothing hidden about the event. In any case, the king never met Emefiale because it was an official event organised by the NGO in conjunction with the Kuje Correction Centre.
“The programme centres around giving hope to the inmate that, after serving out their terms, they still have hope to reintegrate back to the society. The Arole Ooni was invited to chair the event in commemoration of his eighth anniversary on the throne.
“What is exclusive about a public programme where different public figures spoke and representatives of the inmate also spoke? How then did the Ooni manage to meet Emefiele?
“We must be careful with how people spread falsehoods about people. The video of the event is available to the public. I am not even sure Emefiele attended the programme because he is only in detention and not an inmate yet, so why link the programme to Emefiele? It is simply to achieve blackmail”, he added.
| Vanguard
