Ife Mayhem: Muslim Community Lauds Ooni For Ensuring Peace Afterwards

By Nofisat Marindoti, Osogbo

The Muslim Community in the South West region under the auspices of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) has commended the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi for the roles he played in ensuring peace returned to the areas where the recent ethnic clash occurred.

The leadership of the Muslim community hailed Oba Ogunwusi on Friday, when its paid a condolence visit to the first-class traditional ruler at his place in Ife.

While speaking, the President of MUSWEN, who doubles as the Deputy President-General (South) of the Nigerian Supreme Council For Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji (Dr) Sakariyau Babalola said the monarch's efforts in promoting the course of peace and peaceful coexistence among the peoples of the region and beyond were commendable and widely acknowledged.

Babalola noted that prompt intervention of Oba Ogunwusi doused the tension that the violence between the indigenes of the twin and Hausa settlers created and praised the monarch for speaking against perceived politicisation of the crisis.

He therefore appealed to all Muslims, the people of Ife and Nigeria in general to shun acts and deeds culpable of causing ethnic violence and asked them to choose the path of peace in the interest of all as no people or nation can develop without peace.

Addressing Oba Ogunwusi, the President of MUSWEN said, "indeed, within the short period of time of your ascension to the throne, you have earned your place of honour as an ambassador of peace.

"Your Majesty, against this backdrop, we were greatly concerned upon learning of the recent disturbances within this ancient town that has provided home to indigenes, settlers and foreigners alike. It is to our relief that your words and actions have greatly helped in providing the much-needed balm that doused the tension and prevented the crisis from escalating.

"Your act of grace in the face of challenges; your call for forgiveness rather than retaliation; your strong caution to those who wanted to give the sad incident unnecessary ethnic and religious colouration have further raised your standing as a model of the well-cherished omoluwabi values."

In his remarks, Oba Ogunwusi while appreciating the Muslim community, attributed the successes he has recorded on the throne to God, saying he has therefore, decided to always place God first in whatever he does on the throne.

His words, "God has been with me on the throne. I have determined to always place God first in whatever I do on this throne."