The Kwara State Government has resolved the lingering communal dispute between indigenes and non-indigenes in the Chikanda community, Baruten Local Government Area of the state.
The state government’s delegation, led by the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, sued for peace among the warring parties in the recent unrest in Chikanda community.
The peace meeting held at Kosubosu, headquarters of Baruten Local Government, was attended by the Okere of Saki Land, Oba Khalid Olabisi Ilugbemidepo, and the Ibà of Kishi Land, Moshood Lawal Arowoduye II, both from the neighbouring Oyo state, as well as delegations of the Baruba and Yoruba communities.
Danladi-Salihu reiterated the commitment of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led administration to sustainable peace, as lingering conflicts, if left unresolved, are capable of shredding the age-long mutual and cordial relationship between the communities of Kwara and Oyo states.
“We are here as Kwara State Government’s delegates to talk peace and we are committed to doing everything possible to maintain and sustain the age-long peaceful and harmonious coexistence between our brothers and sisters of the Baruba and Yoruba extractions, with whom we have lived peacefully over the years,” the Speaker stated in his opening remarks.
He added, “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 would like to urge you to keep playing the fatherly role of talking to our people to maintain and sustain the age-long friendly relationship we have among ourselves.”
He also acknowledged the support of the Emirs of Òkúta, Ilesha-Baruba, Yashikira, and Gwanara who attended the peace meeting for their efforts towards maintaining peace in the land, urging them to keep talking to the people on the need to avoid war at all cost, adding that no price should be too much to pay for peace to reign.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Abdullahi Bata, and the Baruten Local Government TIC Chairman, Rasheed Lafia, also sued for peace and restated the commitment of the Governor AbdulRazaq-led administration to sustaining the age-long peaceful and mutually beneficial relationship between Kwara and Oyo states.
In their separate remarks, the Okere of Saki Land and Iba of Kisi Land assured the Kwara State Government of their commitment to continue ensuring peaceful coexistence among people from neighbouring states and applauded the swift response from the state government to putting the crisis under control.
At the end of the peace meeting in Kosubosu, the Speaker led the delegation to the scene of unrest, where he sympathised with the victims of the unfortunate incident and further urged them to continue to embrace peace while assuring them of the government’s intervention.
On the state government’s delegation were the lawmaker representing the Okuta/Yashikira constituency at the Kwara state assembly, and Mohammed Baba Salihu, the TIC Chairman, Baruten Local Government, Rasheed Lafia, among others.
