Ekiti Council of Elders has appealed Governor Kayode Fayemi and the 16 aggrieved prominent monarchs, otherwise called Pelupelu, to sheathe their sword for the state’s rapid socio-economic growth.
The senior citizens said development could only be achieved in an atmosphere when people put aside their differences and embrace peace.
They appealed to Fayemi to find a way of resolving the logjam with the traditional rulers to prevent the state from unnecessary crisis and prevent the situation from being hijacked by miscreants.
The governor and the monarchs have been at loggerhead over the appointment of Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, Oba Adebanji Alabi, as chairman of the Ekiti State council of traditional rulers.
The governor, a couple of weeks ago, appointed Alawe, who was promoted to Pelupelu by government as chairman of the council.
The 16 aggrieved aboriginal Pelupelu Obas opposed the action and filed a suit against the step at the Ado-Ekiti High Court, saying Alawe was not eligible to superintend the council, since he was promoted to the rank.
They urged the court to nullify the appointment, saying only the aboriginal Pelupelu Obas, who pioneered the council in 1887, are eligible to be chairman.
The elders at a news conference addressed by the chairman, Prof. Joseph Oluwasanmi and Chief Deji Fasuan yesterday, appealed to the two warring factions to eschew acts capable of truncating the state’s peaceful co-existence.
“We, as senior citizens had had the opportunity of discussing with the governor once and the Obas twice. Each side, we must admit quoted relevant portions of documents, ancient and recent, to support the chairmanship being extended beyond the 16.
“The problem we now face as a state is that the situation, which has assumed proportions beyond anyone’s estimation must be brought down for Ekiti to be in peace and harmony.
“We refuse to visualise a situation, whereby the government and traditional rulers are at loggerheads, a situation which can be exploited by miscreants.”
They said the two sides must be willing to dialogue at this stage, saying confrontational approach should not an option to resolve the differences.