OF IGANNA, OBA SALIU AZEEZ; LEADER OF YORUBA CONFLICT RESOLUTION
COMMITTEE, OLUGBO OF UGBOLAND, OBA OBATERU AKINRUNTAN; OLOJUDU OF OJODU, OBA SIKIRU OBATULA, AT THE YORUBA CONFLICT RESOLUTION COMMITTEE MEETING IN IBADAN ON SATURDAY (4/1/14).
Traditional rulers in the South-west have reiterated their commitment to resolving the long-standing rivalry existing between the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, and Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.
The monarchs also disclosed that they may likely mediate in the feud between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his daughter, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo following the scathing letter she purportedly wrote to her father which was widely published in the media.
These were some of the outcome of a meeting held by the Yoruba Obas Conflict Resolution Committee at the Premier Hotel in Ibadan, Oyo State yesterday.
The Ooni and Alaafin have for many years been embroiled in a supremacy tussle as to which between the ancient towns of Ife and Oyo should be considered the ancestral home of Yorubas.
While affirming that the cause of enmity among monarchs in the zone was ego, the committee assured that it would not be distracted from its mandate.
The Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan, who is chairman of the committee, said, “We have achieved a lot after setting up this committee. We discovered that the genesis of rivalry among Yoruba obas was nothing but ego. We have succeeded in that we have been able to make our traditional rulers speak with one voice”.
On the battle of supremacy between the Alaafin and Ooni, Oba Akinruntan said, “They are our senior obas. We are not competent to judge them. We are their children. They have been our rulers for many years. But we are sure they would come together very soon”.
On the altercation between Obasanjo and his daughter, he said, “On the feud between Obasanjo and Iyabo, it is a family matter and it is also a political matter.
“We don’t want to make comments on it. We will see what we can do about it. We will settle it in a matter of time. When we leave here, we will meet Obasanjo to know what actually happened”.
