The people of Ilogbo Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State have pardoned their monarch, the Owalogbo, Oba Edward Ajayi, after chasing him out of his kingdom for six months.
This followed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the supervision of the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, after series of peace meetings to reconcile the embattled traditional ruler with his estranged subjects.Apart from Oba Ajayi, other signatories to the peace accord are the representative of Ido/Osi monarch and the Alayetoro of Ayetoro Ekiti, Oba Olufisan Ajayi; the Coordinating Director of Ido/Osi Local Government, Mr. Akinola Adebayo; a prominent Ilogbo indigene and former Ekiti State House of Assembly Deputy Speaker, Chief Adetunji Orisalade; leader of Egbe Ilosiwaju Ilogbo, Chief Gabriel Fasuyi and officials of the Ministry of Justice and Bureau of Chieftaincy Affairs.
According to a statement on Sunday signed by his Special Assistant (Media), Odunayo Ogunmola, the Deputy Governor said the Owalogbo is now free to return to the throne and assume his royal duties.
Egbeyemi said the traditional ruler has learnt his lesson after spending six months in exile, and urged indigenes still aggrieved with him to bury the hatchet and allow peace to reign in the town.
The monarch was evicted from the palace and chased away from the town during a violent protest by indigenes on 21st October, 2018 during which one person was killed and properties worth millions of Naira destroyed.
Oba Ajayi was accused by his subjects of highhandedness, autocratic tendencies, withholding of monthly allowances of his chiefs, failure to control his children whom they accused of involvement in cultism and bringing suspected cultists to their community to unleash terror.
Egbeyemi, who described the six months spent by the royal father in exile as a “harrowing and unpalatable experience”, urged all parties to fulfill the terms of the MoU and work together to lift the town to greater heights.
He explained that Governor Kayode Fayemi is interested in peace and development of all communities in the state and would not want to be distracted by one crisis or the other in his desire to better the lots of the people.
The Deputy Governor said: “Our government is a government of peace, we don’t want crisis or breakdown of law and order in any part of the state. Kabiyesi, you can now go back to your domain anytime you wish.
“Let us all agree that the crisis is over because we have all signed the MoU, and that you will all allow peace to reign and everybody will go about his normal business.”
Responding, the Owalogbo, Oba Ajayi, commended the Deputy Governor for the intervention and successful resolution of the crisis. He expressed joy that peace has finally returned.
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