Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun has inaugurated a 100-member committee to investigate the long-standing land disputes between Ifon, Ilobu, and Erin-Osun towns in the state.

The committee’s establishment is a response to the bloody clashes that have resulted in loss of life and destruction of property in the affected communities.

Speaking during the inauguration on Monday, Mr Adeleke, who was represented by his deputy, Kola Adewusi, tasked the committee with finding a lasting solution to the crisis.

He emphasised that peace is essential for growth and development.

“It is, therefore, imperative to urgently nurture peace in the affected communities with a view to permanently exhuming the toxic seeds of animosity sown over the years.

“There is also the need to transform differences into dialogue, not enmity,” the governor stressed.

The committee comprises 25 representatives from each of the affected communities and 25 members from the state government.

The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, will serve as the chairman.

A retired judge and chairman of the state Boundary Commission, Justice Moshood Adeigbe, will be the co-chairman.

Four other traditional rulers and government-appointed individuals will also be part of the committee.

The members have been given two weeks to conduct their findings and submit a report to the state government.

“No doubt, it is through reasoned discourse that the fabric of peace can be woven, which will, in turn, propel the prosperity of the state,” he said.

The governor also urged the committee members to deploy their wealth of experience to bear on the critical assignment.

He urged them to bear in mind that peace is essential in any society for social harmony, security, and economic stability.

The committee’s terms of reference include investigating the remote and immediate causes of the dispute.

The committee is also expected to determine and mark the exact boundaries among the three communities, and other related matters.

(NAN)