The Kwara Government has resolved the lingering communal dispute between indigenes and non-indigenes in the Chikanda community of Baruten Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
A State Government delegation, led by the Speaker of Kwara House of Assembly, Mr Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, brokered peace among warring parties in the recent unrest in Chikanda.
This was at a meeting held at Kosubosu, the headquarters of Baruten LGA, and which was attended by the Okere of Saki Land.
Other traditional leaders in attendance included Oba Khalid Olabisi Ilugbemidepo and the Ibà of Kishi Land, Moshood Lawal Arowoduye II, both from the neighbouring Oyo state.
There were also delegations from the Baruba and Yoruba communities.
While addressing the gathering, Danladi-Salihu reiterated the commitment of the Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led administration to sustain peace in the area.
He said lingering conflicts, if left unresolved, were capable of tearing into shreds the age-long mutual and cordial relationship between the communities of Kwara and Oyo state.
“We are here as delegates to talk peace.
”We are committed to doing everything possible to maintain and sustain the age-long peaceful and harmonious co-existence between our brothers and sisters of the Baruba and Yoruba extractions, with whom we’ve lived peacefully over the years.
“I must commend the proactive measures taken by our royal fathers — the Okere of Saki Land and the Ibà of Kisi Land — to put the crisis under control.
”You have done wonderfully well as traditional leaders and I will urge you to keep playing the fatherly role of talking to our people to maintain and sustain age-long friendly relationship we have among ourselves.”
The Speaker also acknowledged the support of the Emirs of Òkúta, Ilesha-Baruba, Yashikira and Gwanara who also attended the peace meeting for their efforts towards maintaining peace in the land.
”I urge you to keep talking to the people on the need to avoid war at all cost, because no price should be too much to pay for peace to reign,” he said.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Abdullahi Bata, and the Baruten Local Government TIC Chairman, Hon. Rasheed Lafia, also sued for peace.
They restated the commitment of the Gov. AbdulRazaq-led administration to sustaining the age-long peaceful and mutually-beneficial relationship between Kwara and Oyo state.
In their separate remarks, the Okere of Saki Land and Iba of Kisi Land assured the Kwara Government of their commitment to ensuring peaceful co-existence among people from the neighbouring states.
The traditional rulers applauded the swift response from the state government to put the crisis under control. (NAN)
