Igangan: Alaafin Condemns Attack
The Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi has condemned the attack in Igangan describing it as “mindless killings of innocent souls, and heartless burnings of defenceless peoples’ property at Igangan”.
The monarch, in a signed on his behalf by the Director of Media and Publicity, Mr Bode Durojaiye, said political elites had been trying to manipulate the identities for their selfish gains.
“But unfortunately this has over the years constituted serious threat to peace, security and national development because the political elites have always tended to manipulate these identitieso for their parochial interests.”
“Politically, the amalgamation of the Southern and Northern protectorates in 1914 brought together peoples of diverse historical and cultural background into one political space to chart a new future.
“Despite this obvious challenge of diversity, the commitment of the colonial government towards ensuring the unity was demonstrated in a number of policies aimed at fostering cultural, political, social and economic ties among the various groups in the new nation.
“Thus, from the time of amalgamation of the two protectorates with the colony of Lagos, till the period of regional administrations, Nigeria became committed to a united federation. Its commitment arose from its acceptance of federalism as a particular kind of function arrangement between diverse communities for living together and working together nationally whilst preserving a measure of separes ately entity”.
“The fundamental thing is how you deal with these challenges. We can sustain national security operations or options by using native intelligence gathering as a response to national security threat.
“It is important for government to take holistic view on information gathering as a system for addressing insecurity, just as there is the urgent tneed to deploy technologies required for identification of criminal suspects”.
“As the permanent chairman of Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, and as a custodian of traditions and values, traditional rulers are the ones who keep peace in our rural areas and in the various local governments that constitute our State. We are indeed formidable barricades which reinforce peace and security of the nation”.
