Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwoland has volunteered to broker peace between the Indigenous People of Biafra and the Federal Government to avoid further loss of lives and properties in the southeast region of the country.
The monarch made the declaration on Friday at a public lecture and conferment of the Distinguished Service Award on the Chairman of the Oyo State Chapter, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Wunmi Faniran, and others.
Oluwo said he would soon meet with the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, to address agitation by the group and prevent the likely loss of lives of the people.
The monarch also said he would meet with some notable traditional rulers in the South-East towards proffering solutions to the crisis in the region.
He, however, condemned the spate of violence in the South-East as a result of IPOB agitation, saying that it was vital for parties involved to put the lives of the people and the nation first.
The Oluwo described as untimely the secession threat by IPOB, saying it came at a time the country was blessed with a “competent President (Muhammadu Buhari)” who was ready to fight corruption that had placed the country backward for many years.
However, the monarch said traditional institutions needed to rise up and sustain the unity of Nigeria.
He said, “As a father of all Nigerians, I’m visiting the Southeast soon to mediate for the sustenance of ‘one Nigeria’ because when elders are in the market, a child’s head shouldn’t drop. I will personally meet the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and some notable traditional rulers and I’m optimistic it (the meeting) will yield peace. It is unfortunate the (IPOB) threat came at a time we have a serious government ready to fight the genocidal disease (corruption) killing this nation. It must be addressed.”
“The best the agitators should be doing is praying for this government and (making) not secession threat. The country has been in mess owing to maladministration. Such has promoted the proliferation of militant syndicates in Nigeria. If the government is responsible, the spate of insurgencies will be decimated.”
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