Soun of Ogbomosho, Oba Ghandi Olaoye, on Thursday said for Nigeria to attain peaceful co-existence leaders should ensure justice, equity.
Olaoye made this disclosure in Gombe at the Government House executive chamber during a courtesy visit to Governor Muhammadu Yahaya with Yoruba sons and daughters residing in the state.
He said, “I learnt alot from the Emir of Gombe as to why there is peace in the stat, he said we don’t see people in terms of who they are. We are all one big family whether you are Yoruba, Hausa.
“We should see everybody like the way we will see ourselves so that we can treat everyone the same way, that is how to avoid conflict. We have a lot to learn in Nigeria not only in Gombe, North-East but Nigeria as a whole.”
He lauded the governor’s development efforts, saying “I was told that all that is seen here is a product of the leadership of this place. What is going on here is one of the best kept secret and it needs to be said that Gombe is a peaceful place; the streets are neat, we don’t have these streetlights in Ogbomosho.”
While explaining that his visit would yield more developments, disclosing that following false tales about the state his contract with Federal Inland Revenue Service was stalled, “I have a contract to do a training for FIRS. We couldn’t get people who want to come to Gombe to facilitate the programme they said no they are not going to Gombe but I said but I’m going to Gombe but they said when I go and come back then they will go. I called one of the persons that I felt safe in Gombe. One of our challenges in Ogbomosho is that we don’t have light at night, so it’s dangerous to walk at night but for state I have never been I walked at night at 11pm,” he added.
Responding, Governor of Gombe Yahaya, described the monarch’s comments as morale booster assuring that he would work to preserve the peace.
Yahaya who doubles as Chairman Northern States Governors’ Forum harped that the location of the state as nerve centre has made it commercially relevant saying, “No tribe that is not found here; we are one big family, maybe with different rooms sharing one compound, with different mothers with one father which Nigeria. We are one Nigeria. If all the states were like Gombe Nigeria would have been a different country.”
Speaking earlier, Emir of Gombe Alhaji Shehu Abubakar, noted that the cordial relationship between Gombe and Yoruba people especially those from Ogbomosho dates back to more than a century.
Abubakar said, “This visit is in order to reaffirm the bond of friendship that existed between Yoruba people from Ogbomosho kingdom and people of Gombe State. They have been integral part in the early 21 century in reign of my grandfather Emir of Gombe, Emir Haruna which makes mutual benefitting relationship that stood the test of time over the years.”
