Post Election Violence: Osun NOA Urges Politicians, Residents To Embrace Peace

By Ayobami Agboola, Osogbo

The State Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Osun, Mrs Yomi Olasinde, has called on politicians and candidates who lost in the last general elections to embrace peace so as to move the state forward.

Olasinde who made the call during a one day sensitization campaign organised by the agency to curb post-election violence and promote discipline, unity and patriotism on Tuesday in Osogbo,

The sensitisation programme was organised to foster a society devoid of enmity, division and violence.

She said though, there were no cases of violence in Osun state during the last general elections, it was important for the residents of the state to maintain peace being enjoyed

The state Director noted that there were many ways through which the citizens can reject whoever they consider to have assumed the position of leadership through the back door, instead of resorting into violence.

” We all know as a fact that electoral contest, almost like religion bring about a lot of passion on people. It is imperative for everyone to imbibe the position virtues of integrity, maturity, patience, feelings for fellow man.

“In some cases, it may be come to a point that the populace may legally recall some erring leaders through constitutional process either of recall or impeachment as the circumstances demand. The rationale for having such constitutional process such as elections, recalls and impeachment is to ensure orderliness in the running of the affairs of society

Describing Osun as a peaceful state, Mrs Olasinde admonished all the stakeholders to embrace peace in their immediate environments in order to pave way for social and economic development.

She urged parents to always counsel their children on the need to eschew any act capable of causing crises, saying it would be difficult to have development in a place where violence or conflict is occur.

The director commended the immediate past Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for the peace he made between Fulani cow breeders and farmers in the state during his tenure in office.

She urged the present administration under the watch of Mr Gboyega Oyetola to work towards the sustainability of the committee on peace and conflict management that was inaugurated to curb violence between cow breeders and residents.

Urging residents to be security conscious, Olasinde charged citizens to take note of any suspicious substance either enclosed in a bag or wrapped in polythene to the nearest police station and strange faces walking aimlessly within the community

She however, appreciated the efforts of policemen and other security operatives who she said had been keeping Osun state a violence free environment which the residents have been enjoying for years past.

She noted that Osun state, courtesy the combined efforts of the state government and the security agencies has be experiencing relative peace unlike other state of the federation where cases of insurgence , kidnapping , rape , ritual killing and other social vices have become the issue of the day.

Speaking, Commissioner of Police , Mrs Abiodun IGE who was represented by CSP Suleiman Kadri urged residents to be patriotic and do everything within thier reach to ensure peaceful coexistence.

She enjoined residents to be security conscious, saying they should always report any suspicious cases of violence to the security operatives.

In her contribution, Chief (Mrs) Betty Adelewo , Coordinator, National Council of Women’s Societies (ACWS) Osun state, urged residents to continue to live in harmony saying in any violent environment women always fall as victim.