A disagreement between some protocol officers of the Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, and a Federal Government delegation almost disrupted the funeral service for the late publisher of the Tribune titles, Chief Oluwole Awolowo, in Ikenne, Ogun State, on Friday.
The disagreement created a drama which delayed the funeral service held at Our Saviour’s Anglican Church, Ikenne, for about 30 minutes.
The Federal Government delegation to the funeral service was led by the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku.
Amosun’s protocol officers had insisted that the Federal Government delegation must vacate the front row seat for the governor and his colleagues and this led to a hot exchange of words.
The Federal Government delegation, which included the Presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru; the Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Mrs. Olajumoke Akinjide and Special Assistant to President Jonathan on Policy and Strategies, Mr. Oronto Douglas, was already occupying the front seat in the church before the arrival of the Ogun officials.
The Federal Government protocol officials became infuriated by the insistence of their Ogun counterparts that only one Presidency official would be allowed to occupy the front seat.
To save the situation, a grandchild of the late sage, Segun Awolowo, intervened and begged the feuding officials not to disrupt his uncle’s funeral service.
Sympathisers already seated watched in silence as the verbal exchange between the Federal and state government officials lasted.
A hurried adjustment was, however, made to the sitting arrangement to accommodate Amosun and his wife on the same seat with some members of the Federal Government delegation.
Upon the arrival of the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku in the church auditorium, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru had to vacate his seat for him.
But the disagreement between the state and Federal Government officials was resuscitated when some chairs were arranged in front of the Presidency’s delegation for the five state governors at the funeral service.
The Federal Government delegation, which could not stomach the development, protested but they were ignored as the governors took their seats.
The disagreement got to a head when the representative of President Jonathan was called to deliver his message before the governor of the state in violation of the order of protocol.
But the leader of the presidential delegation, Maku ignored the invitation and refused to move to the rostrum to deliver the President’s speech.
The development put the programme on hold for a while before Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu dashed forward and corrected the moderator on the order of protocol.
Governor Amosun acknowledged the mistake made in the order of protocol, saying the Presidency would make the final speech as protocol demands.
(Punch)
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What a show of shame, even in the house of God? May God help our leaders.
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