Date Published: 09/04/09

Seek peace and unity: Mimiko urges politicians

The Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko has tasked politicians to always seek the progress, peace and unity of their communities rather than promoting violence for any selfish interest.

The governor stated this at Iju in Akure North local Government area of the state on Wednesday while on a visit to the Okiti of Iju, Oba Amos Farunkanmi, who has just returned to his palace after three years in exile. The monarch was forced out of the community following a political tussle that ravaged the town in the immediate past administration.

Dr. Mimiko, who attributed the monarch’s return to the divine love of God for the people, appealed to the monarch not to avenge past misdeeds but to forgive the perpetrators of the heinous act in the interest of peace and unity of the people.

Iju Community, in an address read on its behalf by Mr. Solomon Ogunbuyide, appreciated God for using Dr. Mimiko as an instrument for peace and positive change in the community drawing comparison between the governor’s two years of legal battle and their monarch’s three years of institutional denial.

His words: “People say and we agree that your victory was actually liberation of Iju from the brinks of internecine feuds. We teetered dangerously on the cliff of self motivated destruction.”

Ogunbuyide, who regretted that some state security apparatus and youths were used as undisguised back-up to unleash terror on the people of the town, said “Iju enjoyed peace until recently when some low grade unpatriotic and clownish politicians emerged from the ranks of irregular children of controversial lineage to occupy political positions. Idle and misinformed youths were financially hired, lavishly maintained and trained to operate firearms for maximum mischief against society and posterity”.

Governor Mimiko said “the Iju case is a clear manifestation of the fact that power belongs to God. Any power that does not bring joy and happiness to the people is not from God.” He also thanked the people for their love for him, especially during his campaign period but they were denied the opportunity of physical expression of their love by some powerful elements in the town.

Mimiko promised to assist in the rehabilitation of the monarch’s palace and the town’s market for business activities to commence fully, advising the idle youths, who were used to unleash terror on the people to channel their energy to productive ventures.

Speaking at another forum organized by the people of the town for the governor, the head of Interim Committee of the Local Government, Mr. Olasumbo Obe, thanked the governor for the appointments given to indigenes of the area, on-going rehabilitation of the failed portion of the Akure-Owo Road at Ogbese and the plan to upgrade the status of Ogbese market to an international standard.