Alaafin identifies peace as antidote for Nigeria’s growth

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, on Saturday, said that the search for national growth and development in all aspects of human endeavour would remain a mirage unless therewas guaranteed peace and security in the land.
The traditional ruler, while speaking when the Controller of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) Oyo State Command, Joseph Olasunkanmi Olaitan, paid him a courtesy visit during his tour of the command's offices in the four local government areas in Oyo Division, recalled that the Oyo Empire was the longest, as it lastedfor over 600 years as against 106 years which the Roman Empire lasted, saying that it was possible then for the empire because of its maintenance of peace and security.
He promised that he would mobilise his subjects to cooperate with the agency to identify illegal immigrants within his domain, noting that he was particularly worried over child trafficking and the employment of aliens as housemaids because of the evil theyrepresented.
"We in Oyo have condemned child trafficking and the employment of foreigners as house maids because of the menace constituted to our people, some of whom either kill or steal their belongings after which they run away.
"Before your arrival, I have ordered the Oyo-Mesi to go round the villages to educate the farmers on the need for them not to harbour foreigners and I want to urge all the local government chairmen in the state to include security agents' expenditure in their yearly budget to be able to render quality assistance to the various agencies," the Alaafin said.
Earlie, Olaitan, who described the visit as home-coming applauded Oba Adeyemi for his supportive role for his agency stressing that the monarch had in the past given the agency both financial and logistics support to enhance its effective and efficient performance.
He said the gesture of the monarch had created a conducive environment for his officers and men to carry out their job without let or hindrance, adding that the concern of Oba Adeyemion illegal immigrants was another booster for his agency and urged that the monarch should be emulated by all.
Olaitan, who also thanked the local government chairmen in the area for their support and cooperation, asked the residents to ensure they have knowledge of their neighbours' identities and race alarm the moment they identify the presence of any foreigner in their neighbourhood.
He remarked that the e-passport recently introduced by the Federal Government had come to stay, having phased out the oldand manual passport, a development he said had earned the country a lot of respect among the comity of nations as the first country in Africa and the 50th to adopt the new technology acrossthe globe.