By Sola Jacobs
A year after the crisis between Yoruba and Hausa Communities that claimed lives and property in Ile-Ife, people in both communities have reflected on the need to maintain peace and tranquility in their domain.
Last Saturday, the Hausa community organised a prayer session which was led by Seriki Hausa of Ile-Ife, Alh. Muktar Madagali, and attended by the representatives of the Commissioner of Police in the state of Osun, traditional rulers in Ife community as well as friends and well wishers.
The representative of the state Commissioner of Police, CSP Funso Adegboye, the Area commander in Division A Moore police station, stressed the importance of peace and good neighbourliness as a prerequisite for growth and development.
Adegboye enjoined the Hausa community to livefully peacefully with their host community, while he guaranteed their security in Ile-Ife and its environs.
According to him, the issue of communal clashes, insecurities and other vices is all over the world and no land is of exception, but the government of Nigeria and Osun in particular are doing their best to ensure the security peaceful co-existence of its residents.
The police chief therefore advised the people of the community to seek and maintain peace at all times.
While reflecting on the past mayhem, the leader of the Ile-Ife Hausa community, Alh. Muktar Madagali, said he was full of gratitude for the support, care and love of individuals who donated in kind and cash to the victims of the civil disturbance.
He prayed for the repose of the souls of those that lost their lives and enjoined his people to distance themselves from anything that will threaten the peaceful co-existence in their host community.
A social critic in Ile-Ife, Mr. Olaobaju Olalekan said that the lessons learned from the aftermath of the civil disturbance cannot be forgotten in a jiffy by both communities, as all had known that peace is an essential ingredient in day-to-day living.
He added that both communities had since sustained strong relationship and commitment towards maintaining peace in the area and that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye should be commended for his initiative to build bridges of peace within and outside his domain.
Olaobaju said that the incident had made both communities to be security conscious, as well as flush out criminal elements within Sabo and its host community.
Olaobaju then advised the government to tackle the issue of youth unemployment, insecurity and poverty in the society and advised that both Hausa and Ife communities should be vigilant, never allow religious fanaticism, criminal elements and unpatriotic people to threaten the peace of the land, as no meaningful development could take place in any community marked with acrimony and disunity.
