Ooni, Alaafin, Aare Onakakanfo task FG on insecurity

Ife monarch to chair Afe Babalola’s lecture in Ekiti

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III and Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, have urged the Federal Government to take decisive actions against the state of insecurity in the country.

The trio, who spoke at the 51st birthday anniversary of the Aare Onakakanfo at the weekend, expressed displeasure over the spate of killing, banditry and other related crimes across the country, saying: “The country can no longer afford to continue to lose its citizens on daily basis while government is not taking drastic actions to contain the situation.”

They specifically urged the government to wade in and stop the killings in the South-West region. Oba Adeyemi, who expressed displeasure over the dimension insecurity had taken in Nigeria, lamented that bandits and kidnappers now have a monopoly of violence.

He also commended the celebrant, saying: “Adam’s courage, steadfastness and doggedness have proven his selection as the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland.”

The Ooni, who was represented by the Onifegunwa of Ifegunwa in Ile-Ife, Oba Adewole Adedire, also condemned killings across the country, saying it has never been this bad. He expressed hope that the country would overcome its present trial. He also urged the Federal Government to be proactive and ensure that unemployment is drastically reduced, especially among youths.

The monarch, who also extolled the virtues of the Aare Onakakanfo, said the traditional institution in South-West would continue to support those ensuring safety of the region.

Adams, in his remark, said the rate of insecurity in Nigeria deserves that all hands must be on deck to stop the menace. He said: “We cannot afford to allow what is happening go beyond what it is at present, otherwise Nigeria’s corporate existence could be seriously endangered.

“In commemoration of my 51st birthday today, I am giving scholarship to four indigent students from four different universities, namely, University of Lagos, University of Ife, University of Ibadan and Lagos State University to encourage them to take the study of our Yoruba language serious so that it will not go into extinction,” he said.

He urged the Federal Government to make sure that the South-West is safe for people, saying that the Federal Government has all it takes to enhance the quality of education through enduring programmes that can help brilliant and indigent students in the country.

IN another development, the Ooni of Ife is to honour legal luminary, Aare Afe Babalola, with his presence as chairman at the 10th Afe Babalola yearly public lecture organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ado Ekiti Branch.

Director, Corporate Affairs of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, (ABUAD), Mr. Tunde Olofintila, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen yesterday in Ado-Ekiti. Olofintila said this was coming at a time Babalola had recorded approximately 60 years of consistent practice in the legal profession.