Ogbomoso Sustainable Peace Defenders, a socio-cultural organization is set to broker peace in the crisis rocking the leadership of Islam in Ogbomosoland.
The non-religious group has remained hell-bent on wading into the crisis which, according to it, is capable of truncating the hitherto peace and tranquility of the land.
There have been heated abuses and tantrums between a group loyal to the Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland, Sheikh Dr Tahliat Olushina Ayilara and the group calling for his removal, based on some reasons.
Beyond the verbal abuses between the two groups, there are also videos of the Chief Imam throwing tantrums at the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, over his alleged involvement in the saga.
Notable Islamic leaders around Yorubaland have been verbally intervening in the matter, with passionate appeals to the warring groups to sheathe their swords.
Another credence to the severity of the crisis was played out on Wednesday at Eid-Fitr prayer grounds as those loyal to Dr Yunus Ayilara observed the Eid prayer at the Ogbomoso Eid Ground, Onipaanu, along Iresa-Pupa road while those loyal to the opposing group held theirs at Old Eid Grand, opposite LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.
The socio-cultural group, arising from its emergency meeting held on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, made clarion call for caution and restraint on the issue, emphasising that the issue should be nip in the bud lest it snowball into a full fledged crisis that might lead to destruction and lack of unity in the ancient city.
In a communique issued at the end of emergency meeting of the group, a cartel of seasoned professionals of Ogbomoso origin, in conjunction with Ogbomoso Agenda Roadmap (RAO) with the mandate of preserving the cultural sanctity of the stool of Soun of Ogbomosoland, came together to express its position and suggest a wayout of the current Ayilara family feud regarding the position of the Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland.
Titled “The Festering Crisis Between Muslim Members of Ayilara Family and its Extension to the Muslim Community in Ogbomoso”, the communique read in part: “Emerging from our joint emergency meeting yesternight which held several hours into the late night urged the members of the Ayilara family of the Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland, Alhaji Dr Yunusa Taliat Ayilara, to stop washing their family linen in the public, an act which seems to have brought the Ayilara family to great disrepute, desecrated the post of the Grand Khadi of Ogbomosoland and public ridicule as well as disgrace to members of the Islamic faith in the city.
“The group noted that Ogbomoso Muslims who, in history, were well respected everywhere, have never had it so bad as in recent years before the coming to the throne of the new Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye who is being careful with his fatherly intervention out of respect for the feuding family as well as respect for Ogbomoso Grand Umma whose authority he conceded to in settling the crisis so as not to be seen as interfering with the opposite religious issues.”
The group’s meeting presided over by the duo of Omoba Sola Opone-Adejumo and Prof Giwa as co-conveners, has, therefore, suggested a petite committee to meet with the key personalities on the festering crisis with a view to resolving the seeming impasse among members of the Ayilara family.
According to the statement jointly signed by members of the group, they explained that the emergency meeting was convened in response to clarion calls of illustrious Ogbomoso sons and daughters, embarrassed by the unprecedented sore and tumultuous crisis threatening to tear apart Ogbomosoland and misrepresent the collective interest of the Soun who is a father of all and who has, overtime, not withheld his wise counsels to the Chief Imam on how best to sell himself to members of the Ayilara family who didn’t want him ( Chief Imam) even before his (Soun’s) installation.
The meeting of the peace group, according to the communique, resolved thus, “That the video evidences granted by key personalities in the crisis which have gone viral are in bad taste and suggested a quick resolution of the crisis.
“That all key players should exercise caution and restraint during the trying period by not allowing agents of discord and confusion to meddle in the highly respected Ayilara family.
“That Ogbomoso elders, both at home and abroad, must rise up as one to put an end to the crisis which threatens to disrupt the unity and peace of the Ogbomoso community. The meeting called on Major General Oladayo Popoola, Justice Afolabi Adeniran, Bishop Moradeyo, Chief Toye Idowu, Alhaji MonsuruMonsur, Dr Samson Adegoke, Iyalode of Ogbomosolamd, Abese, Areago not to leave Oba Ghandi alone to settle a case that predated his ascension to the Ogbomoso stool but to rally him to settle the case.
“That all Ogbomoso indigenes should disengage from discussing all issues relating to this imbroglio on social media because an insult to Ogbomoso religious institution or to the Soun or to Ogbomoso collective communities is an insult to all.
“That all key actors and other stakeholders should refrain from making inflammatory statements that may fan the embers of disunity or heat the polity to negate the centuries’ long peaceful co- existence among the various cultural and religious tendencies that make up Ogbomosoland.”
That meeting also noted that the liberty taken by a few of the major actors in making certain unguarded statements and unconfirmed allegations against the Chief Imam and the retaliatory insulting statements against His Imperial Majesty, the Soun and opines that no true Muslims would denigrate a popularly appointed Chief Imam and no true Ogbomoso son or daughter would ignore the Ogbomoso culture and traditions to insult a Soun.
Finally, the group urged all Muslim faithful in Ogbomosoland to imbue the lessons of the Quran and the penitence of the Ramadan period to embrace love, unity and tolerance for the sake of the socio-economic and political future of Ogbomosoland.
It could be recalled that the group came together in the immediate post-Oba Jimoh Oladunni Oyewumi glorious era to ensure that the late Soun’s legacies in preserving the secularity of the Ogbomoso community, which is a quickest and surest way to Ogbomoso’s socio-economic and political progress and development is kept and to support a smooth sailing transition and worthy successor for the overall progress of Ogbomosoland.
The communique was signed by
Mr Sola Opone-Adejumo (co-convener), Prof. AbdulRaheem Adebisi Giwa (o-convener), Oloye Omowumi Oladokun (Iyalode Masifa) Co-convener,, Alagba Sayo Alagbe (member), Mr Sunday Olaosebikan (member), Pastor Ms Joke Olasoko (member), among others.
