Ondo warring communities embrace peace

By Sunmola Olowookere
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The Chairman of the five-man panel put in place by the Ondo State Government, Mr Tunde Atere has extracted a commitment of peaceful relations from the leaders of both Araromi- obu and Ikale leaders at the last day of the public Sitting.

The peoples of the two communities in Ondo State agreed to live in peace with one another after the panel of inquiry set up by the government to unravel the causes of dispute winded up its activities.

 Atere who praised the leaders, counsels and people of the communities for the orderly and peaceful manner they conducted themselves said such showed that the people truly deserved peace.

According to him, peace is sacrosanct to development, adding that where there is no peace there can not be a meaningful development.

He appealed to gladiators on both sides who had once co- existed peacefully  and managed their differences before the July 16 Court judgement that  tore them apart to find a place in their hearts to forgive each other and let peace reign again in their midst.

Speaking on behalf of the Ikales, their lead counsel, Mr Donald Morebise and octogenarian Ikuedunyi Odimayo and Baale of Ikale community at Araromi Obu promised to allow the people of Araromi Obu with farms in the areas under their control free access to and from their farms without any molestation.

The people of Araromi Obu did likewise. Prince Olu Falolu, a former chairman Odigbo Local Government Area who spoke on their behalf said there was no reason the Ikales who have been living peacefully in their midst should panic in returning to their homes abandoned in the heat of the crisis.

 According to him, the Obu people never drove the Ikales  away  in the first instance, but they left on their volition for fear of reprisal attacks assuring them of safety of their lives and properties in the spirit of reconciliation midwifed by the panel.

They promised to take the message of hope and  peace home to their people underscoring the nexus between peace and good neighbourliness and development.

Charles Titiloye, counsel to the people of Araromi-Obu at the proceedings advocated the need for government to do justice to all concerned by ensuring that whoever is found culpable in the eruption of the crisis that led to loss of lives and destruction of properties must not go unpunished to forestall future occurrence.

Speaking for all the counsels that appeared before the panel at the end of the public sitting, Mr Donald Morebise  poured encomiums on  the panel for the matured manner it navigated the difficult terrain to arrive at a happy ending for all.