As part of the ways to restore peace to Itapa Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State, the state government has reversed the removal of Chief Kehinde Osanyingbemi as the Chief Priest of the town.
The government appealed to Owatapa of Itapa Ekiti, Oba David Ajaja, who deposed the chief following irreconcilable differences, to reabsorb him in the cabinet to restore peace and unity to the town.
The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, gave the directive on Tuesday while presiding over a meeting on the chieftaincy crisis between Owatapa and Elemo of Itapa Ekiti, High Chief Isaac Ojo-Ajaja, and the town’s Chief Priest, Chief Kehinde Osanyingbemi.
The monarch accused the two chiefs of disrespecting Owatapa stool in a manner that desecrated the traditional institution.
Mrs Afuye, in a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, reversed the sanction slammed on the Chief Priest as a reprieve, and commanded him to tender open apology to the monarch.
The deputy governor said, “Peace is very paramount to Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration, because it is the bedrock of development and everybody must key into this peace- building agenda.
“There is no town where people are frequently removed as traditional chiefs that can witness peace. It is not always the right way to settle scores. I appeal to Owatapa to forgive whatever the Chief must have done and allow him to continue to function as the Chief Priest.
“This government won’t allow any town to boil over chieftaincy crisis and the dimension your case is assuming could be worse than we expected, if the people can’t forgive each other.
“This action doesn’t mean that Owatapa is not in charge. He is firmly in charge of his town and he should be respected as the head of .It is our opinion that it is wrong for any Chief to disrespect his monarch and this current government won’t tolerate such conduct.”