Alaafin meets Hausa/Fulani leaders, farmers, says ‘no development without peace, stability’

Violent conflicts between nomadic herders from northern part of the country and sedentary agrarian communities in the southern zones have escalated in recent times and are threatening security and stability.
With unabated gruesome murder of innocent souls and wanton destruction of properties by these herdsmen suspected to be of Fulani extraction, these despicable acts are becoming as potentially dangerous  as the BOKO HARAM insurgency.
Before now, Oyo metropolis under the reign of Alaafin not only remained the first to provide cattle ranches for Fulani herdsmen in Yoruba land, another ten acres of land were made available for convenience of the herdsmen free of charge, in order to ensure harmonious relationship and peaceful co-existence among all ethnic groups residing in the metroplolis.
Whenever there are skirmishes between farmers and the hersmen, the royal adopted his age-long Conflict resolution mechanisms, dated back to the Old Oyo Empire, which provides opportunity to interact with the parties concerned, promotes consensus-building, social bridge reconstructions and enactment of order in the metropolis.
 While, the western world places more emphasis on the judicial system presided over by council of elders, kings’ courts, assemblies for dispute settlement and justice dispensation, the Alaafin administration evolves  traditional conflict resolution techniques such as mediation, adjudication, reconciliation, and negotiation as well as cross examination.
These had been offering great prospects for peaceful co-existence and harmonious relationships than the modern method of litigation settlements in law courts. 
Against this background, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, on Friday summoned a peace meeting of Hausa and Fulani leaders, farmers, Baales, community leaders, the Police, Directorate of State Security, and other security agencies.
In his address, Oba Adeyemi called on Nigerians to stand together against blood guzzlers and enemies of state, nature, and sound reasoning, who take solace in mindless killings of innocent souls.  
This, he said would reinforce collective will, to completely snatch the country and destiny from the jaws of insanity and barbarism, just as socio-cultural orientations that uphold the sanctity of life and the intrinsic dignity in the human person must never be surrendered to the ungodly.
Alaafin, who lamented the mindless killings masterminded by suspected Fulani herdsmen in some parts of the country, wondered why the herdsmen became threats to peace and security, adding they had for long been in existence without serious criminal records as is presently the case.
Oba Adeyemi enjoined the Federal Government to ensure that all those found culpable in the mindless killings in Benue and other affected States are brought to justice and to serve as a credible deterrence.
According to the Alaafin, ‘’there can be no national development without relative peace and stability.  There have been greater challenges of security in recent times than at any point in time in our history, thus rendering our political stability fragile, democratic institutions and processes fluid, and our economy debilitated. Government, political leaders and followers, and all of us, must have the courage and honesty to get to the root causes of our current state of insecurity, underpinned by criminality, insurgency and of recent terrorism by herdsmen’’.
  ‘’Our leaders and followers have taken the issues of security for granted, yet urgent and immediate steps  must be taken to consciously respond to current threats by architectonically designing and building a security system which would create a stable and relatively peaceful environment, conducive for national development. We must accept the reality that while it is necessary to create unity in diversity, we must identify and respect our differences, which is diversity in unity’’.
While eulogizing officers and men of the Police for their steadfastness and commitment to duties, Alaafin who warned against acts that are detrimental to peace, orderliness and unity of the country,  assured all ethnic groups living in the metropolis of adequate protection of lives and properties.
He stressed the need for the President and state governments to work together, taking immediate steps  to shore up  security  for herders  and farmers, strengthening conflict  resolution mechanisms  and initiating longer  term efforts  to reform livestock management  practices, as well as address negative environmental  trends and curb cross-border  movements of both cattle rustlers and armed herders.
In his response, representative of the farmers’ forum, Alhaji Gani Alagbon, said most crises that erupted between farmers and Fulani herdsmen middlemen were precipitated by the middlemen, who he noted take solace in fanning embers of discord and violence through dubious antics. 
Speaking on behalf the Fulani community, Alhaji Umaru Usman, the Miyetti Allah Association, Oyo branch, eulogised the Alaafin for his visionary leadership qualities in ensuring peaceful co-existence among all ethnic groups residing in the metropolis.
According to him, ‘’what is happening up North is worrisome and disheartening to us. We, the Hausa and Fulani, have been living in the ancient town peacefully for several years and without any fear or threats, as go about our works without conflict with other ethnic people. Besides, ranches, and ten acres of land were also donated free of charge to us by the Alaafin for ease of our occupation. We are indeed very grateful’’.
At the end of the meeting, a peace agreement was signed by the Fulani not to carry guns or other dangerous weapons in the course of grazing their cattle, and also to be of good behaviours at all times.