Shasha crisis: Yoruba Welfare Group initiates peace talks between communities

A socio-cultural organisation,  the Yoruba Welfare Group, YWG has met with leaders of the Yoruba and Hausa Communities in Ibadan, Oyo State to broker peace and forestall further loss of lives and properties.

YWG preached peace and unity between both tribes who have lived together for centuries and known for being accommodating and hospitable, need each other to survive.

A week ago, a disagreement between a Yoruba woman and Hausa-speaking Nigerien man triggered ethnic clash between the Yorubas and the Hausa settlers, resulting in loss of lives, razing of market and houses, leading to massive looting.

The popular Shasha food and vegetable market which was situated in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, has been disserted since the incidence occurred.

Addressing both the Baale (the traditional ruler) of Shasha and the Seriki (head) of the Hausas in their respective palaces, the National President of the Group, Mr Abdulhakeem Adegoke-Alawuje, said the Hausas and the Yorubas have become intertwined through intermarriages and interactions. 

Not to allow politicians
He said the interaction between the two cultures have spanned centuries, urging Nigerians not to allow politicians to use them against one another.

He noted that politicians couldn’t survive without crises, and warned the citizens, particularly the Yorubas not to allow their territory to be used as a battle ground.

He said; “We are on a peace mission and our intervention is pure reconciliation. When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. In fact, the grass might not even survive after all. 

“In Nigeria, when you move out of the North, the only place you see Northerners living comfortably, settled en masse and in large number is in Yoruba land. Correspondingly, when you move out of Yorubaland, the only place you see Yorubas living comfortably, settled en masse and in large number is the North. Definitely, we must not keep quiet when something like this is happening between the Northerners and Westerners. We must come in and seek for peace.”

Mr Adegoke-Alawuje who explained that the main objective of the YWG was the overall well-being of all the Yorubas as he condemned elders who supported killings and insurrection in the land.

He said such disposition showed shortsightedness that puts the Yorubas living in other regions in danger.

“As a Yoruba Welfare Group, we are concerned because this crisis is taking place in Yoruba land. We believe Nigeria must remain one and we must live as Brothers. We must ensure we prevent future occurrence by finding lasting solution to the misunderstanding. It is politics that divides us into groups. Our relationship should resume and be better than before. Reconciliation, peace and tranquility in our land is essential. Without them, there cannot be any meaningful development.”

The President who is less than 60 said he had spent 35 years of his life in the North, noting that the number of Yorubas living the North is more than the population of Ondo, Ekiti and Osun put together, hence, the need for caution.

Sheathe their sword
Speaking at the Seriki palace, Adegoke-Alawuje, on behalf of the entire Yoruba race, commiserated with the Hausa community regarding the avoidable loss of lives and property. He promised that the YWG would do all within its reach to appeal to all the aggrieved to sheathe their sword.

He said no Yoruba has the right to eject any Hausa or even Igbo, as witnessed in Lagos sometimes ago explaining that what the Yorubas are saying is that criminals, bandits and kidnappers should leave their lands.

“We should rather live together as one and jointly battle the criminals to a standstill, without harming the innocent or shedding the blood of the innocent,” he said.

Also speaking at the Baale’s palace, another member of the Group, Sheikh AbdulFatai Thanni, noted that some forces from within and outside the country are interested in breaking the country and Nigerians must not play into their hands.

Thanni said; “They tried it with Boko Haram in the North East, they failed, and they are presently trying it with banditry and kidnapping in the North West. They tried it in the East with IPOB, they are falling. They tried it with EndSARS in Lagos, their wish was to burn down Lagos in October, they failed. And going by the experience of the First Republic, these forces are aware that Ibadan is the most sensitive city in the Southwest, once we allow their evil experiment to succeed and flourish in Ibadan, that will be the end of Nigeria. We should therefore not allow this to happen to us in Yoruba land. 

“Yorubas are arguably the most civilized nation before the advent of the colonial masters. It is not by error that the colonial masters preferred to settle in Yoruba land, ahead of other regions. It is because they found civilization and civility here. Subsequently, all other tribes strives to get civilization here. 

“So, Yoruba is like sugar that attracts ants. Sugar should not get angry because it is natural for it to attract the ants. Only the recalcitrant ants should be gently removed without destroying the sugar. Therefore, the Yorubas should not allow it’s land to be a battle ground by the destructive enemies.” 

While addressing the Seriki, Sheikh Thanni who explained that one of his wives is from Sokoto and the solution to the plots of Shaytan (the Devil) is unity as depicted in a statement: La ilaha illa Llahu (there is no god but Allah) – this is a statement of unity that unify all mankind.

He thus prayed that the market would not become history so that means of livelihood of the residents of the community would not be hampered.

Baale’s response
The Baale of Shasha Community, Chief Hamza Ajani Akinade said the two tribes have agreed to sheathe their swords and was ready to reopen the market.

He blamed the crisis which engulfed the market on greed, saying some mischief makers within both tribes were bent on destroying the market in order to get it relocated.

“The government and the leadership of both communities are on top of the situation and we are ready to embrace peace and live peacefully with our brothers from the North. We do not want the government to nurse the idea of relocating this market. We don’t want them to play politics with the market,” he said.

Addressing the delegation of the YWG, the Seriki of the Hausa community in Shasha, Mallam Haruna Mai Yasin went down the memory lane, narrating how the site of the market was allocated to the Hausa community since 1979, a development that was meant to prevent frequent clashes between the two tribes at Oja Oba market in Ibadan.

“With the approval of the relevant authorities – the federal government, state government, state House of Assembly and the local government authority, we were presented with two choices, between Ojoo and Shasa, but we chose Shasa for security reasons and because Ojoo was too close to the highway. We then visited the late Baale Fijabi who also gave his blessings,” he said. 

Cautioning their youths
He said while the leadership tussle might have contributed to fueling the crisis, Mai Yasin called on the Yoruba leaders to assist in cautioning their youths, who often transgress on the rights of the Northeners in the markets.

He said Yoruba youths hardly listen to their elders as they consistently harassed the Hausa youths who sell wares in the markets and on the streets.

Both the Baale and the Seriki are however united in asking the government not to relocate the market as this would affect the livelihood of the  people, but demanded that the market be cleaned up and reopened for business, even if government would later assist in rebuilding it.

 

Lateefah Ibrahim