The Ondo State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, has commended the warring factions in communities in the Ilaje Local Government Area for embracing peace after a four-year rift.
It was gathered that the leaders of the affected communities had been engaging in a series of crises over many issues in the area, which had led to bloody clashes at one time or the other.
The peace deal was sealed with the inauguration of a 56-member Ugbo Development Congress headed by Mr. Benson Obayelu and the Ugboland Council of Obas and Council of Chiefs.
Akeredolu, who spoke during the inauguration at Ugbonla in Ilaje LGA on Saturday, noted that meaningful development would be absent in any community with disunity.
Represented at the event by his deputy, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the governor, who expressed delight over the development, said following the agreement of the warring factions to unite, the entire area would begin to experience rapid development.
He said, “Ugboland is so richly blessed. The people cannot afford not to come together to achieve meaningful development.
“The bringing together of traditional rulers in Ugboland will contribute to ease of administration. We will continue to support you where necessary to ensure the noble move is sustained and improved upon”.
Leaders of Ugboland who spoke at the inauguration ceremony admitted that their age-long crisis hindered development in the community despite being endowed with huge oil and gas deposits.
In his remarks, the monarch of Ugboland, the Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom, Oba Fedrick Akinruntan, said he was happy that the crisis ended, noting that the matter was so serious that kings in the area did not see eye to eye.
“I can sleep well tonight. I never expected to see some people here. I never knew they could settle this dispute,” the first-class monarch stated.
The Chairman of the UDC Inauguration Committee, Chief Olusola Oke, who declared that peace had returned to Ugboland , said the UDC would serve as a voice for the land and ensure all things due for it were delivered.
