A cross-section of Yoruba socio-cultural groups on Saturday in Ibadan emphasised the need for continuous peaceful co-existence among sub-ethnic groups in Nigeria and the diaspora.
The groups celebrated 137 years of the 1886 Yoruba Peace Treaty at the Ibadan House.
At the occasion, they noted that peace and unity in Yoruba land would ultimately extend to other regions in the country and bring rapid progress to the nation at large.
The Yoruba Peace Treaty of September 23, 1886 is the foremost and unique document deliberately designed to foster unity and peace among all groups of Yoruba land.
It was a treaty affirming peace, unity, brotherliness and commerce among all Yoruba people after nearly 100 years of wars which had pitched kingdoms against each other all over Yoruba land.
The document had something to say about almost all parts of Yoruba land with immediate purpose to bring to an end the Kiriji War.
The war had started between Ibadan and the Ekiti Parapo in 1878.
A former Secretary-General of “Ilana Omo Odua” and coordinator of “Idande Yoruba” Socio-cultural Group, Mr Opeoluwa Akinola, spoke on the significance of the event.
“The mandate to keep Yoruba land peaceful and united should be kept always,” he said.
Akinola charged all citizens from Yoruba land to support and ensure the success of President Bola Tinubu in office.
“We must pass the message to our generations unborn that Yoruba remains one tribe, one language, one culture and one origin,” he said.
Also, Mr Tunde Odunlade, an artist, urged Yoruba leaders to work together in consonance with other groups of people in Nigeria to ensure that peace spreads across all regions in Nigeria.
“The Yoruba people, in as much as we are still together as one country with other tribes, must learn to work and live peacefully among themselves.
“Cooperation within Yorubaland must be extended to other groups and tribes in Nigeria,” he said.
Commenting also, the Commander of Ekiti branch of Idande Yoruba socio-cultural group, Mr Ayobami Apata, cautioned that one Yoruba group should not lord itself over another.
He said this was necessary for peace to continue to reign in the region.
“It is a very positive development that we, today’s set of Yoruba people, have set aside the day of this Peace Treaty as a day to celebrate every year.
“In many locations in Yoruba land, this celebration is going on today and we must ensure that we extend the key message of peace to the yet-unreached location,” Apata said.
The annual celebration featured different cultural displays from different Yoruba socio-cultural groups within and outside the country.
