Former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and ex-Head of Interim Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan; yesterday, met with the four traditional rulers in Egbaland following the lingering supremacy tussle among them.
The meeting, which lasted three hours, was held at Government House,Oke-Igbein, Abeokuta. Also in attendance at the parley were an industrialist, Chief Olatunde Abudu and Deputy Governor of the Central Bank (Operations), Mr. Tunde Lemo. The warring Obas are the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; the Olowu of Owu, Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu; the Agura of Gbagura, Oba Halidu Olaloko and the Osile of Oke-Ona,Oba Adedapo Tejuoso.
Addressing newsmen after the closed-door meeting, Obasanjo, who is the chairman of the reconciliation committee, described the truce brokered by Amosun as genuine.
According to the former president, wherever human beings co-exist,there is bound to be friction. “The most important thing is that the people must constantly work out solutions to such challenges through sincere dialogue, communication and discussion,”he stated.
“Where you make dialogue the oil reducing friction in human relationships,then you have gotten the solution to disagreement.”
He disclosed that the reconciliation was like the ones he had resolved between the late former governor of Ogun State , Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, and the Awujale of Ijebuland,Oba
Sikiru Adetona; the people of Ife and Modakeke in Osun State and others in foreign countries.
Obasanjo therefore expressed optimism that the step would engender lasting peace in Egbaland, saying the monarchs displayed sincerity and determination at various meetings held before the peace was brokered.
“I was with the Obas, and I read their lips and observed their body language and I can assure you that they are sincere and genuine,” he said.