Kwara communities lament influx of displaced persons

The Kwara State South Advancement Agenda (KSAA) has lamented the influx of internally displaced persons in the state.The Chairman of the body, Mr. Opeyemi Olabanji spoke yesterday at a press briefing in Ilorin, the state capital.He said about three per cent of the entire Nigerian land mass is currently utilised as either national parks or game reserves.

He canvassed that some of them should be converted for use of the displaced persons.Olabanji stressed that the country cannot to have such luxury in the face of the current threats to peace in the country.He added the reason for the group’s proposal arose from the influx of displaced persons to their communities each time there is a crisis in the adjoining states.

He said: “The present peace we are enjoying in the Kwara south communities is not by accident, but due to the ingenuity of our traditional rulers. Citing a Yoruba adage, ‘Igi Ganganran ma gun mi loju, okere lati nye e’ (a stitch in time saves nine), he said we need to take proactive measures that would prevent crisis in our land.“The situation is that if people who had fought in a place suddenly meet themselves in another place, the tendency to renew their hostilities is very high,” he said.