Ekiti State Government has resolved the crisis that engulfed Omu-Ekiti in Oye Local Government Area of the state over the chieftaincy stool of Olufon of Ifon quarters in the community.
According to a Memorandum of Resolution signed by Chief Afolabi Oladele and Chief Andrew Akinlabi as representatives of Ifon, Omu-Ekiti as well as the Owajumu of Omu-Ekiti, Oba Ogundeyi Adeyeye and Mr. James Babalola as representatives of Omu-Ekiti which was made available to journalists in Ado-Ekiti, all parties in the dispute agreed to allow peace to reign in the town, stressing that their allies shall henceforth avoid any provocative acts that may lead to breach of public peace.
The peace agreement which was brokered by the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) include the resolution that all injured and aggrieved people whose properties were destroyed during the community fracas of 2017 should bear the loss to avert further loss of properties and hindrance to development in the community while all parties must henceforth engage due and lawful process in addressing future claims
and redress.
The community also resolved to jointly and severally respect the Office of the Traditional Head of Omu-Ekiti, adding that people in the community should first present their grievances or dispute before the Palace Court for settlement before resorting to litigation.
The Memorandum however charged the traditional ruler of Omu-Ekiti to be neutral in dealing with people in the community, stressing that the Oba must see everybody in the community as his subject.
In his remarks, the Owajumu of Omu-Ekiti, Oba Ogundeyi Adeyeye expressed gratitude to Governor Kayode Fayemi for his efforts at developing the State, noting that the establishment of the Office of the Public Defender, Ekiti State, is appreciated and its intervention at settling the lingering disputes within a few days is highly
commendable.
Oba Adeyeye however solicited for a grant of passionate relief from the Government of Ekiti State in respect of one Mr. James Babalola whose case is more pathetic in order to resettle him in the town towards achieving sustainable peace and development of the Community.
He said that the grant would assist Mr. Babalola, who he said is a pensioner, to renovate his house that was destroyed in the 2017 fracas thereby restore him from the pitiable status of a squatter for life to
a house owner again.
The Executive Secretary of OPD, Barrister Bolanle Wale-Awe gave kudos to the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State, Mr. Amba Asuquo, his team at the Command Crime Investigation Department (CCID) and other stakeholders in the matter for their cooperation with her office which had paved way for the peaceful resolution of the dispute.
Barrister Wale-Awe assured that her office would continue to work for sustainable peace in the State while indigent people would be guaranteed justice.
