The Guardian (Nigeria)

Royal Father Sues For Peace As Community Accepts His Obaship

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ITwas jubilation in the commercial community of OdoNla, Ikorodu, Lagos, as the committee on the selection of a new Oba formally presented the name of its Obaelect, Prince Olusoga Elias Odeyemi Olowolekom­oh, the Fuwugbade of Odo Nla ( Oyeneru Agbaku I) to the elders, youths and other indigenes, at the Townhall on Thursday.

This is coming as the Obaelect called on all Nigerians to embrace peace going forward, saying peace is the bedrock of developmen­t.

Head of the committee, Otunba ( Asiwaju) David Afolabi Ekiyoyo, AIWM, DCOI, ( Omo Oba Meta Odo Nla) the Olotu ( Head) of Odeyemi Ofiran Royal Family, who led other members to the community, narrated how the committee arrived at the choice of Prince Olowolekom­oh.

According to him, the gathering unanimousl­y accepted the candidatur­e of Olowolekom­oh, saying he emerged the Oba- elect of OdoNla town in December among other five contestant­s.

Six candidates, Princes Kazeem Benson, Olusoji Daudu, Adesegun Ogunkoya, Ademoritan Adeyemi, Adewale Balogun from the Ogbodo and Raselu ruling houses contested for the royal crown as revealed by Otunba Ekiyoyo.

However, the Oba- elect, in his New Year message titled, ‘ Peace As Bedrock Of Developmen­t,’ said no society could make any meaningful progress without peace.

He said, “I am of the firm belief that the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo Olu and President Muhammadu Buhari are poised to tackle the insecurity challenges we are facing in the state and across the country at the moment.

“We cannot pretend that the nation is presently plagued with a lot of challenges. Chief among them is insecurity, but we can see that there is a concerted effort by both the state and federal government­s to end the insecurity problem this year.”

The royal father said he was optimistic that the country’s armed forces will totally decimate bandits and Boko Haram terrorists as well as other violent criminals disturbing the peace of the country and her citizens.

“It gladdens my heart anytime I hear of the success being recorded by our security operatives against bandits, Boko Haram and kidnappers. I pray for our armed forces daily because they lay down their lives for us to sleep at night.

“On the part of government, I pray that it continues to give them the necessary support required to make the nation a peaceful one because without peace, no society can achieve any meaningful develop

ment. Peace is the bedrock of developmen­t,” he said.

He prayed for peace and developmen­t in Odo- Nla Kingdom and Nigeria at large, saying, “My reign will pursue peace and developmen­t. So, this New Year, I pray for peace in our land.

“I pray for prosperity for the people of Odo- Nla and Nigerians, and above all, I call on all Nigerians to embrace peace even as we love one another,” he said.

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