Ife Crisis Panel Begins Sitting

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

The panel of inquiry on the  civil disturbance of public peace, set up by Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, to unravel the causes of crisis that ensued between the Hausa and Ife people on March 8, yesterday commenced sitting.

The panel, headed by Justice Moshood Adeigbe, during the sitting at Oba Okunade Sijuade Memorial Hall, Enuwa, Ile-Ife, urged the petitioners to assist the panel in discharging its duty within the stipulated time.

He recalled that the panel was given four weeks to submit its findings to the state government, promising that it would be fair to everybody.

Meanwhile, indigenes of Ile-Ife, yesterday inundated the panel with various affidavits, claiming lose of property worth millions of naira in the March 8 mayhem.

One of the petitioners, Reverend Rotimi Omisakin, told the panel that his church and shop were burnt by unknown Hausa boys, saying he would need N150,000 to repair the church.

“I was on the prayer mountain when my wife called me that some Hausa boys came to our house and burnt her shop and church.

“I want to appeal to the government to give me N150,000 to repair my church.

Also, one Rotimi Fabunmi who claimed to represent his stepmother, alleged that properies worth N480,000 were burnt in his stepmother’s shop.

Asked why his stepmother did not appear before the panel, Fabunmi said she was rushed out of the country due to the shock she had when she heard that her shops were burnt.

He said kolanut and palm oil worth N480,000 were burnt by the unidentified hoodlums during the crisis.

Also, the Secretary of the panel, Bisi Babalola, disclosed that 140 memoranda have been received by the commission.

He said the panel would be sitting everyday so as to meet up with the four-week deadline given to it by the state governor.