Tunde Adeleke, Osogbo
In a bid to proffer lasting solution to the violent clashes between the three neighbouring communities of Ifon, Ilobu and Erin-Osun over land dispute, the monarchs from the towns have met with members of the Land Crisis Resolution Committee.
The three communities located in Orolu and Irepodun local government areas of the state have been at loggerhead over boundary dispute resulting into incessant crisis usually accompanied with lost of lives and properties.
It would be recalled that following the renewed hostilities between the communities, the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, constituted a 100 member Land Crisis Resolution Committee.
As part of measures embarked to curb the crisis the Governor had also in the last two years declared curfew in the towns eight times with a move which has yield positive results.
However, the expanded peace committee which was set up by the Adeleke-led administration chaired by the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun and Co-chaired by a renowned Human Rights Activist, Waheed Lawal along with four other traditional rulers in the state met the affected monarchs in the state capital on Thursday.
The Olufon of Ifon, Oba Peter Akinyooye, the Olobu of Ilobu, Oba Ashiru Olaniyan And the Elerin, Oba Yusuf Omoloye were physically present at the meeting for the first time since the inception of the committee and resolve to cooperate with government.
Daily Champion gathered that the three traditional rulers, who were under warning from the State Government, pledged their commitment to peaceful resolution of the boundary crisis.
When contacted, the Co-Chairman, Comrade Waheed Lawal disclosed that the committee in its effort to ensure lasting solution have heard the grievances of the indigenes of the three towns and also visited the buffer zones that is creating the crisis.
According to him, the committee, like it was, is not just sitting to listen to grievances. We have visited the disputed areas and also collected the written submissions from the towns, which was adopted by their representatives.
“We have also met with the traditional rulers from the communities but the details of our meeting would be made public later during the submission of our report to government which will be very soon. We are hopeful that this step would ensure lasting solution to the persistent crisis in the areas”.
