The Dein of Agbor Kingdom Delta State, His Royal Majesty Benjamin Ikenchuku (Keagborekuzi I) on Thursday visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Ogun state to discuss issues bordering on fostering greater peace between Kano State Governor Abdulahi Ganduje and Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
Dein Ikenchuku, who arrived Abeokuta from Republic Benin where he was conferred with the title of a Chancellor of a University, told reporters in Abeokuta Nigerians needed peace and harmony now than ever before.
The highly revered traditional ruler hinted a similar visit would be paid to President Muhammadu Buhari, commending him for re- appointing his subject and Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emeifele, for another tenure.
He said: “I am not trying to gain anything from these visits but to help our great country. We want peace, unity and be a fruitful country. We must get back to the good times of this country. I will also try to get to the governors too, we must just get back that is my concern now. Things are not just going right.
“Let me use this opportunity to commend and thank Mr. President for giving us back for the very first time, a two-term CBN governor, Godwin Emeifele, a worthy son of Agbor. I felt it would have been very dangerous if he had been changed at this sensitive time of our economy situation. So, I have to thank Mr. President for that.”
He noted that Obasanjo is sensitive to the wishes and pains of Nigerians, including the northerners and called for dialogue between President Muhammad Buhari and the elder statesman.
Both of them, he said, the competence and qualities to achieve peace and overcome the socio-economic challenges of the country.
He said: “Obasanjo remained an elder statesman that is committed to the progress, peace and unity of this country, irrespective of positions in certain quarters. His views have not changed about Nigeria even as at today that I met him.
“I have known Baba now for almost 20 years. He’s the President I came to know when I came back to Nigeria in 2000. He’s the President that I admire.
“Some people say so many things about this old man, which I found to be very untrue. All the negative things they say about him, even before I met him, I found out they were lies.
“Obasanjo is somebody that is very sure of his position. He’s somebody that is confident of who he is and where he is going. But at the same time, Obasanjo is somebody that is very humble. So we should not be abusing our elders.
“Whether anybody likes it or not, Obasanjo is an elder and a statesman, who has served as Head of this country and led in different capacities. This is somebody that is well respected by the international communities too.
“So, if somebody with this kind of experience and knowledge is saying something, the Nation should listen. We have a problem in this country and that is how we dialogue, which is sometimes abrasive and disrespectful and that is not how brothers and sisters should be living because we are brothers and sisters. Obasanjo, is very sensitive to both the wishes and pains of the North as well as we here in the South.
“These two portions of the country neither can do without each other. We are one people. God put us together in this country and we need to sit down and solve this problem together.
“The two could still continue a dialogue that those around them would not cause any kind of freezing in their relationship. They both need each other to be able to help steer this country forward.”
