Nigeria: Indigenes Laud Ife-Modakeke Peace Pact

By Gbenga Faturoti, 11 February 2009

Osogbo — Indigenes of Ife and Modakeke in Osun State, have lauded Friday’s peace pact between the two communities, which culminated in the elevation of the Ogunsua of Modakeke as an Oba.

The accord was consummated among Osun State Government, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II and Ogunsua of Modakeke, Francis Adedoyin.

This was the relief sought by some Modakeke indigenes, who have farmlands in Ifeland.

People were seen exchanging banters on the streets of Modakeke over the development.

The communal war between the two communities had brought untold hardships on the people of Modakeke, who are predominantly farmers.

It was gathered that the bulk of the stable and cash crops planted in the area are carried out by Modakeke indigenes.

Following the communal clash between the two, which lasted more than a decade, the Ife people, who claimed ownership of the land, drove the people of Modakeke out of their farmland.

Since then, majority of them have had nowhere to go for farming.

Speaking with daily Independent in a telephone chat, Chairman of Ife Development Board, Adeyemo Adeyera said the entire people of Ife supported the latest development, adding that the two communities had interacted and married each other before the crisis broke.

According to him, “Honestly we are one. There is no family in Ile-Ife that does not have relations in Modakeke, because we have interwoven and married each. The crisis did not, at the end, do anybody any good. It has further drawn backward, the speed of progress and development in the two towns.”

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