Black American Multi-Millionaire god father of the Oba of Ikorodu, Dr. Robert Brown, has fulfilled the promise he made in October 2015 to donate 100,000 text books to schools in Ikorodu kingdom.
Oba Shotobi had, in November, announced this promise when he came back from his first trip to USA last year as he briefed Ikorodu leaders on his America official trip.
Exactly on Saturday, January 23, 2016, a day before he took his second trip to the same North Carolina, USA to receive an international award, the books arrived at the Ayangbure palace in containers.
For nearly four hours, the books were being offloaded in the presence of some traditional and honoury chiefs and other eminent personalities as well as members of the royal family.
Oriwu Sun gathered that the books will later be handed over to the Ministry of Education, when the Kabiyesi returns from his American trip.
The Monarch told Oriwu Sun in an interview that he was delighted that his god father, Dr. Robert J. Brown, had fulfilled the promise he made and he expressed the gratitude of Ikorodu people to this great Black American.
On his part, Dr. Brown told Oriwu Sun in Greensboro, USA that he was highly disappointed by the action of Nigeria customs officials, who delayed the delivery of the books and demanded demurrage and other charges amounting to nearly more than one million naira from Oba Shotobi, whereas the books were free donations and are not to be sold.
Furiously, he told Oriwu Sun that a similar donation of books, which he made to the Kano State government, received the same treatment as customs demanded about N3million from the government as demurrage and other charges. This made the Kano government reject the free text books; instead, advertising that any state willing to pay the demurrage charges should collect the books.
Dr. Brown said he would petition President Muhammadu Buhari on this issue wondering why the custom should demand such heavy amount for no commercial educational books.
Oriwu Sun asked Oba Shotobi if he will similarly petition Governor Ambode on request for refund of the money he paid from the state government, the monarch said he will do so since the book were free donations which ought not to have been charged.
Below are the actions during the offload of the book containers at the Obas palace.