From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
An Islamic organization, Council of Islamic Preachers has identified good moral and religious teachings as solution to the incessant communal clash amongst Ifon, Ilobu and Erin-Osun communities in Osun State.
The organization came out with the solution at the end of a Communal Conflict Resolution Dialogue organized in conjunction with the State Amir and National Deputy Amir, Imam Abdullahi Olohunlomerue.
In a communique issued at the end of the dialogue, the organization stressed the need to foster mutual understanding, rebuild fractured relationships and chart a sustainable path to peace.
The dialogue attended by Islamic scholars, community leaders, representatives of the affected communities, political stakeholders and government officials also proffered ways to ensure harmony and peaceful coexistence among the people of the three communities.
Stakeholders at the dialogue also expressed their willingness to do everything in their capacities to bring an end to the crisis, as the state Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke had vowed to identify and prosecute the perpetrators of the clash.
Olohunlomerue reiterated the collective responsibility of Islamic preachers to promote peace, stressing that there are enormous moral duties on religious leaders to promote peace through their teachings.
The keynote speaker, Sheikh Muhammad Jamiu Oloko emphasized the need for Islamic scholars to embody patience, fairness and wisdom.
Oloko warned against silence in the face of injustice and urged clerics to preach peace consistently, just as he called for intra-faith cooperation, urging scholars to bury personal egos and do everything to promote unity.
Governor Adeleke who was represented by one of his Special Advisers, Alhaji Munirudeen Raji, confirmed the administration’s earlier mediation efforts and expressed renewed commitment to peace in the affected communities.
The Governor pledged to identify and prosecute perpetrators as he reiterated that restoring peace in the three communities is a non-negotiable goal of his government.