The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja has said that the time for Nigerians to jointly fight terrorism to a standstill and placate the aggrieved has come.
Oba Ladoja stated this while receiving the President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Bishop Francis Wale Oke at the Olubadan Palace, Oke Aremo, Ibadan over the weekend.
According to the royal father, it is over a decade ago, specifically, since the twilight of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in 2014 that Nigeria has been battling with the scourge of terrorism.
“Many people have been killed and property worth inestimable amount of money destroyed. Multitudes of families, particularly women and children, have been displaced. Kidnappings have taken place. Successive administrations have spent trillions to fight insecurity. When you look at this scenario over the past ten years, people are bound to feel aggrieved and resort to self-help. Former President Jonathan has tried.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari has tried. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is trying. But I want to caution that terrorists don’t know the difference between Muslims and Christians. They see everybody as a prey, while they are the predator. This is why as the President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, a constituent part of CAN, we are appealing to you to please help us to placate our Christian brethren who are understandably aggrieved that these times will pass.”
Oba Ladoja stated that in the South Western Nigeria, where he is more familiar with, people from different religious backgrounds enjoy harmonious relationships, wondering why such display of love is hard to come by in other parts of the country. According to him, while majority of Nigerians want the scourge of terrorism to be fought to a standstill, Oba Ladoja was not excited about the prospect of United States involvement in the internal affairs of Nigeria, except through collaboration.
Earlier, the PFN President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke had congratulated Oba Ladoja on his emergence as the 44th Olubadan. He prayed to God to give him wisdom, knowledge and understanding to discharge his obligations as Olubadan to the satisfaction of God and humanity.
E-signed
Adeola Oloko
Media Aide,
Olubadan of Ibadanland.
