OBASANJO WADES INTO 15 YEAR OLD OGUN COMMUNAL WAR, SET UP RECONCILLATORY COMMITTEE
However, Obasanjo at the weekend intervened on the crisis, engaging leadership of the feuding communities in a meeting held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library,(OOPL),Abeokuta, with appeal to them to allow sleeping dog lie, expressing optimism that, “the war is over for good”
The former President in a release signed by his Special Assistant on Media , Kehinde Akinyemi, said Obasanjo while re-echoing the emotions of the civil war, said “Despite the war, those of us pointing guns at each other at the war front, sat down to reconcile and ended the war’.
“That is the beauty of disagreement. Coming together again to settle and move on in the interest of peace, progress and future generations. It is time to come together in your areas. I want to appeal you all to sheath your swords’.
“I know that Akanle can do it, because of my schedule, whatever he says, it is me that is saying it. It is only a bastard that do not get angry when provoked and it is only a bastard that we beg and turn recalcitrant. I once again appeal that let the war be over,” Obasanjo said.
Penpushing further reports that, the Traditional Ruler of Ayetoro town, Oba Adewunmi Odutala, in his remarks assured that peace and progress would return to the town, commended the former President on his intervention, in bringing the feuding communities together for a peace parley
Hear him, “I have come for another event here in Abeokuta and since you said you wanted to see me Sir, I told my entourage that we should come together. It is part of the sincere move that you really wanted peace in our domain’.
‘I want to really appreciate you Sir and our highly respected Baba (Obasanjo). I promise that with this, we have no option than to put the past behind us in the interest of all that you have mentioned”, the monarch said
Penpushing also reports that, in similar vein, Alhaji Kazeem Ajiboye (a.k.a Oluomo) while speaking on behalf of the Itele community, assured that, “war is over. We cannot but thanked our fathers, who have the interest of Itele and Ayetoro at hearts more than us. We shall put the past behind us,”.
The initiator of the peace meeting, Chief Abraham Akanle, who is the junior brother of the former President also admonished the two communities to embrace peace and put the past behind them.
His words,”I was not happy at all with the situation. I knew and related very well with your fathers and I am sure that they will not be happy wherever they are now. I have said that let Ayetoro be and let Itele be. Live together in harmony. There is much positive and prosperous future if we all come together’.
“This my brother has corroborated. Your coming together again will bring me joy. Next year, I will be 81. What again do I need now, but to do things that will make me happy. I beg you my children, let us embrace peace,” Akanle said.
Meanwhile the meeting ended with the composition of five representatives each from both camps to work on how compensation and rehabilitation would be achieved before the end of August 2019, while the ad-hoc team, which will include security personnel is to submit its report on Thursday for final vetting and ratification by the two communities.
