We must be tactful with herdsmen menace in Yorubaland — Ooni

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has called for tact in the handling of the threat posed by some herdsmen across the country especially in the South West region of the country.

Oba Ogunwusi stated this in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital on Thursday, while on a visit to the state.

The Ooni, who was hosted at the amphitheater at the palace of the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, said we all could do with beef and therefore called for a careful handling of the threat and the reported cases of the destruction visited on some communities in Yorubaland.

According to him, the law was welcome because Nigeria is a federation and Ekiti State was in a federation, but called for care in the handling of the issue because it could degenerate.

He said he was thrilled by the thousands of people that had trooped out to receive him at Aramoko, at the palace of the Alara, and at Ijero, at the palace of the Ajero and thanked the people for their cooperation and peace.

The packed arena was filled with people from all walks of life, including Governor Ayodele Fayose, his deputy, Dr. Kolapo Olubunmi Olusola, Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, Pastor Kola Oluwawole, among many other top government functionaries.

Oba Adejugbe expressed joy at the visit, and recalled that in 1937, Oba Adesoji Aderemi visited the Ewi; in 1980, Oba Olubuse II visited the Ewi and thanked God that in 2016, Oba Ogunwusi has visited.

“I am happy because the visits are not at close intervals and prayed for long life, unity and cooperation among the people of Yorubaland.

He particularly commended the Ooni for the meeting of traditional rulers he attended in Osogbo, which he said was a precursor for the unity among Yoruba communities of the South West.

He charged him to continue in that stead so as to sustain the growing unity among Yoruba people.

Fayose expressed joy at the visit and said the visit was a celebration of life, “an event that so many people will live with for a very long time.”

He said “every palace you go to, you will find the same crowd because we are homogenous and unique.”

He said: “You are in a good position to unite us, it is not by accident, not by age but by the grace of God. We want you to remember that it is not politicians that are our buffer but the people. That is why I insist that an action against Tinubu is an action against the Yoruba nation.”

He said “they are encroaching, they are threatening. Nothing must happen to Tinubu, nothing must happen to Falaye. This is how they killed our leaders in the past. This must not be allowed to continue.”