The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, has urged Nigerians to unite against those behind the killing of innocent persons across the country.
This, he said, would reinforce the collective will to take the country from those he said were obsessed with insanity and barbarism.
The frontline monarch said the socio-cultural orientations that uphold the sanctity of life and the intrinsic dignity in the human person must not be surrendered to the ungodly.
Oba Adeyemi spoke at the turbaning of 12 Fulani leaders in his palace in Oyo town.
The ceremony followed violent clashes between nomadic herders from the North and sedentary agrarian communities in the Southwest.
The Alaafin and other traditional rulers in the North had invited some Fulani for a peace meeting.
The 12 Fulani were chosen as representatives of their people and conferred with chieftaincy titles.
At the ceremony, Oba Adeyemi urged the Federal Government to ensure that those found culpable in the mindless killings in Benue and other states are brought to justice to serve as a deterrent to others.
He said: “There can be no national development without relative peace and stability. There have been greater challenges of security in recent times than at any other point in our history, thus rendering our political stability fragile, democratic institutions and processes fluid and our economy debilitated.
“The 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.”
On security in his domain, the Alaafin said: “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 10 acres of land were made available for convenience of the herdsmen free of charge to ensure harmonious relationship and peaceful co-existence among all ethnic groups residing in the metropolis.
“Whenever there are skirmishes between farmers and the herdsmen, 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.”
Hailing the Muhammadu Buhari administration for its steadfastness, commitment and determination to checkmate insurgency, Oba Adeyemi also stressed the need for the Federal and state governments to work together as well as take immediate steps to shore up security for herders and farmers.
The National President of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Alhaji Abdul Muhammadu Pirowa, hailed the Alaafin for his visionary leadership qualities and unflinching commitment for unity, peace and national development.
He said: “I have never seen any community or state where the Fulani are accorded honour and recognition in the course of peace and mutual co-existence like here.
“Your Imperial Majesty, as the Permanent Chairman of Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, you have set the pace in Yoruba land and indeed the country. I am indeed excited by this.”