Former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Senator Dr. Iyiola Omisore, on Thursday, expressed disbelief at the level of destruction and deaths that resulted from the communal clashes in Ile-Ife, on Wednesday, appealing to the communities and groups involved in the crisis to embrace peace and let brotherly love, which had existed in Ile-Ife for over a decade now, to continue.
Omisore, who represented Osun East Senatorial District between 2003 and 2011, in a press statement from his media office, noted that Ife had been a very peaceful community and that for over a decade, “we have not witnessed this kind of communal feud that would result in unwarranted deaths and destruction. We have learnt to live in peace and harmony with our neighbours in Ife.”
Noting that though the real reason for the feud, which reportedly claimed 50 lives, was not yet clear to him, he commended the state government and the law enforcement agents for their quick intervention but advised that they must “ensure that peace and harmony are fully restored to Ile-Ife.”
The former lawmaker maintained that there was a lot to gain in living in peace and love rather than in disharmony, saying: “There is no alternative to peace; we must collectively live in an atmosphere of peace for mutual prosperity, which has been the long standing practice among our people. I sympathise with everyone affected by the crisis and begged those involved to embrace one another by being your brother’s keeper.”
