Information reaching the National Insight late on Wednesday indicated that a closed door meeting held at the instance of the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, Ayodele Shonubi has resolved the feud involving the Soun of Ogbomosoland and the Chief Imam of Of Ogbomoso, over the Imamship crisis in the ancient town.
It was revealed that CP Ayodele Shonubi, who was desirous of maintaining peace in the town invited the Soun, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, Orumogege III, and the Chief Imam of Ogbomoso, Yunus Teliat Olushina Ayilara for the peace parley.
This newspaper was told that the two parties resolved to maintain the peace.
A source said that some of the issues in contention included the alleged breach of Oath of Office by the chief Imam, alleged interference in the day-to-day running of the office of the Chief Imam, and the need to resolve the petition against the Chief Imam by the Ayilara family in Ogbomoso, among others
It was also learnt that after the Imam had narrated his side of the story and after the Police have heard from the Soun, the Chief Imam was asked to apologise to the Soun for failing to abide by the said oath of office which mandated him to inform the palace anytime he was traveling out of base or needed to appoint a surrogate. Sources said that the meeting was unhappy that some reports in the traditional and social media were capable of orchestrating the situation and that they were asked to be brought down.
“The meeting asked the Chief Imam to apologise to the Soun for failing to observe a section of his oath of office, which mandates him to inform the palace before traveling out of base or appointing a surrogate,” sources said.
It was also gathered that when the Soun was asked what he wanted for peace to reign, he gave no condition but stated that he was out to ensure peace and development in the ancient city.
A source, however, said that the meeting resolved that the Chief Imam should withdraw all cases instituted at the court.
“Having listened to both sides, the meeting resolved that the Chief Imam should apologise to the Soun for apparent breach of the oath of office, while he was also mandated to withdraw all cases he instituted,” a source said.
The Soun was also said to have agreed to the withdrawal of the cases but he was said to have objected to the withdrawal of the case in which the Chief Imam was seeking to prove that he was not a Chief of the palace.
“He( the Soun) said that the court should be allowed to adjudicate on the case because he owes it to the throne to defend the tradition of the town,” the source said
It was also confirmed that the Imam was mandated to make efforts to resolve his differences with the Ayilara family, which was the genesis of the crisis.
The Commissioner of Police was said to have as reliably appealed to the two parties to maintain the peace and continue to promote the peace in Ogbomosoland.
“The Chief Imam was asked to tender an unreserved apology to the Palace of Soun while the pending cases in the Court are to be withdrawn,” it was gathered.
