As the plot to remove the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi thickens, the Asiwaju Musulumi of Iwoland, Alhaji Liad Tela has appealed to kingmakers and all indigenes of Iwo to remain calm and allow peace to reign.
In a chat with Daily Trust, Tela said the negative consequence of removing the monarch forcefully would be disastrous and called on well-meaning indigenes of Iwo to step-in and save the town from impending calamities.
His words “I want to appeal to all sides to sheathe their sword and allow peace to reign. Alternative dispute resolution is better than crisis. There is progress in Iwo now and people should look in the direction of progress. I plead with those calling for the removal of Oba Akanbi as Oluwo to calm down.
“I also want to appeal to Oluwo to realign forces and settle with the aggrieved chiefs. What is happening in Iwo now is better that what we have ever had before. The personality of the king as an individual should be clearly separate from the stool of Oluwo.
“Nobody should degrade the stool of Oluwo in the name of personal vendetta or group interest. For me as Asiwaju Musulumi of Iwoland, I have had discussion with Oluwo and some of the chiefs. God makes kings. You can never be sure what will happen when a king is forcefully removed. The consequences may be bigger.
“We should not write negative history about Iwo at this point in time. No Oluwo has been removed in the history. I called on the princes of Iwo to step-in. I appeal to well-meaning individuals to ensure amicable settlement of this dispute.
“Iwo had witnessed backwardness for almost 60 years. Some people from Iwo who wine and dine with the power that be in the past never used their connection to advance the development of Iwoland. They should not pretend to be more catholic than the Pope.
“The government should look at the side of the indigenes of Iwo. Not few individuals who have constituted themselves into army of warriors in the past one year to get Oba Akanbi removed as Oluwo at all cost.
“I’m an advocate of peace. Not an advocate of Oluwo. I’m an advocate of peace and development. Some of us have been involved in this for the past 40 years. I appeal to the Ekerin of Iwoland, I appeal to the Asiwaju of Iwo land, I appeal to well-meaning individuals to save Iwo from impending calamities”, Tela said.
