Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State on Saturday disclosed that his administration's efforts at making the state capital, Ibadan conform with the uniqueness of other cities could only be complemented with a befitting palace for the Olubadan of Ibadanland.

The governor who spoke at the fund raising ceremony for the new palace building for the Olubadan of Ibadanlan held at Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan,emphasized the importance of traditional institution to the success of any administration at any level noted that his administration would not hesitate to remove any threat to the institution of royal fathers in the state.

At the fund raising where close to a N100m was realized with N50m coming from the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was the Chief Launcher, the governor of Oyo State said, "efforts are in top gear to boost the institution of royal fathers and increase their welfare".

Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade 1, who was represented at the event by his second in command, Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Omowale Kuye said he was in ecstasy and felt many years younger, seeing one of his two pledges at his corononation seven years ago coming into fulfillment.

The almost 100 year-old monarch recalled that he prayerfully pledged at his coronation to work with all Ibadan people towards building a new permanent and befitting palace for the Olubadan of Ibadanland and the creation of Ibadan State with the powers that be in Abuja during his reign.

Welcoming guests, the President of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) who is also the Fund Raising Committee Chairman, Bayo Oyero, he described the occasion as historic.

"It is historic because, after today's launch by the grace of God and your expected support, Ibadan will have a palace of such aesthetics and splendour that befits the status and stature of a monarch ruling over a city with the largest concentration of black people in the world," he said.

He remarked that the existing palace at Oja'ba had been discovered to have inherent inadequacies such as its choky nature for present day usage and because of constraint of space, "it has no room for expansion".  

He disclosed that the three-phase project was estimated to cost N2. 5bn, but noted that the first phase being expected to cost N850m was being aimed to complete by the end of this year and urged the people to donate generously to realize the set objective.