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Alaafin, Osun Monarch Caution Against Inciting Speeches



Paramount ruler of Oyo kingdom; the Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi and the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba AbdulRasheed Akanbi have advised preachers of ethnic and religious supremacy to desist from such war mongering acts.

The two kings gave this warning during the visit of Oba Akanbi to the Oyo palace of Alaafin of Oyo yesterday.

Emphasizing on the inimical aftermaths of ethno-religious centered war, the first class monarchs asked those stoking ethno-religious crisis to have a retrospective look at the past, the monarchs therefore advised that anything that could fan the ember of discord should be carefully avoided.

In their words, “Nigerians must exercise restraints; they must bear in mind Nigeria’s long history of ethno-religious conflicts, as people use this type of deep-seated animosity in their speech precisely because of the culture of impunity which reigns in the country.”

“What is more, hate speech is an agent provocateur and precursor to insecurity anywhere in the world. In a multi-cultural country like Nigeria with different diverse ethnic settings, inflammatory statements are very sensitive that if not contained, could lead to war”.

To the two traditional rulers, the government is saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives and property and should do everything in its power to apprehend and prosecute criminals and bandits who unleash terror on innocent and defenceless citizens.

“As citizens, let us bury our differences, embrace peace, live in harmony and shun hate comments which have been contributing to increased tension in Nigeria.”

Speaking on the state of affairs of Security in the country, they called on traditional rulers, security agencies and government to work together for the safety of their people, they noted, “as custodians of traditions and values, we are the ones who keep peace in our rural areas and in the various local governments that constitute our various states”.

“As Nigerians, we must respect our various religious and ethnic backgrounds, because it is God that brought us together under one country. Thus, when we understand one another, the security challenges bedevilling the country will be a thing of the past.”

They observed that the public space had been hijacked by a vocal minority of individuals who fan ethnocentric ideas injurious to the peace and well-being of the majority of citizens.
The kings hinted that they are aware the public space is recently forcibly overidden by some loud minority who stoke ethnic intolerance and spread harmful ideas aimed at disturbing public peace. They however disclosed that all efforts will be directed at ensuring peace in the Southwestern region.

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