The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, and four traditional rulers on Monday intervened in the boundary crisis between Igbemo-Ekiti and Orun-Ekiti communities.
Egbeyemi at a peace meeting held in his office in Ado-Ekiti warned the two communities against erecting new structures on the disputed boundary between them.
A bus stop shed, constructed by the Orun-Ekiti youths, was allegedly set ablaze sometimes in December 2018 by Igbemo youths.
The Igbemo youths claimed the land on which the project was sited belonged to their community.
The Deputy Governor in a statement by his Special Assistant (Media), Odunayo Ogunmola, said the directive became necessary to prevent reoccurrence of violence and ensure a lasting peace among the two neighbouring towns.
Among the Monarchs that attended the peace meeting were the Oloye of Oye-Ekiti, Oba Oluwole Ademolaju, who is also the Chairman of the Council of Obas; the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe; the Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti, Oba Ademola Ajakaye; and the Onigede of Igede-Ekiti, Oba James Aladesuru.
Also, the traditional rulers of the two communities in dispute, the Onigbemo of Igbemo-Ekiti, Oba Adewumi Daramola, and the Olorun of Orun-Ekiti, Oba Joshua Osalusi, led their chiefs to the meeting.
Egbeyemi, who appealed to the two communities to live in harmony, said government was not happy with the violence sparked by the burning down of the bus stop shed.
He noted that peace was needed to facilitate development and attract investment to the state.
He maintained that government would only be committed to bringing dividends of democracy to communities when the locals embraced peace.
Egbeyemi further disclosed that officials of the State Boundary Commission would carry out investigation on the boundary between the two communities.
He said: “In law, Igbemo is distinct from Orun, even though in the past they were one entity but now, they are different entities
“I will ask officers of the Boundary Commission to investigate the boundary that is causing the problem.
“Kabiyesi Onigbemo should keep to all he heard from the earlier Obas that have spoken and maintain peace.
“I want to come and commission projects in your communities and not to settle conflicts.”
Earlier, Oba Ademolaju warned that communities should not engage in issues that would prevent government from progressing in implementing projects that could contribute to socio-economic development of the state.
Oba Ajakaye, a former Chief Judge of the state, emphasised that it was only a competent court of law that could act on executive order which granted autonomy to the community.
Oba Adejugbe and Oba Aladesuru in their separate comments appealed to both communities to give peace a chance for the sake of posterity and development.
The monarchs of the two feuding communities, Oba Daramola and Oba Osalusi, promised to resolve their differences and work out modalities on how peace would finally return to their domains.
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