Kehinde Ayanboade,
Ibadan
Traditional Rulers, Chiefs and Prominent Indigene of the Yoruba community on Thursday converged in Ibadan to deliberate on the issue of insecurity in the western region, and remember the virtues and qualities of the late ‘sage’ Obafemi Awolowo where his unpublished Autobiography was launched.
The meeting that was attended by the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba, Iba Gani Adams, Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji and other Yoruba kings, held at the international conference centre, University of Ibadan.
The event brought Yoruba people together to analyse a way of curbing the alarming crisis of banditry, kidnapping, and Fulani herdsmen’s attacks in the Southwest zone for long and also to revive the administrative blueprint of Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo who was the premier of the defunct Western Region between 1959 and 1962, and political demigod and mentor to many.
The publisher of the Alaroye Magazine, Mr. Alao Adebayo while delivering his welcome remark, encourages a tribally bond unification among Yoruba indigenes so as to arrive at a lasting solution on the issue of security threat facing the southwest region of Nigeria.
While giving his view about the way of ending the security crisis, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba Land, Aare Gani Ige Adams implore all governors of the southwest and Yoruba states at large not to nod in acceptance to the request of granting lands for cattle rearing and grazing as objected by the southeast zone.
“No governor of southwest States which are Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti and two other Yorubas which are Kwara and Kogi who values the heritage and history and names of their family will like to give land to the Miyetti Allah.
We don’t want anybody to constitute nuisance in our land, revolt and traditional army groups should be organized in affiliation and support with our kings and rulers.” He said.
The Generalissimo further preaches unity and collaboration of the Yorubas towards the fight for safety in their region.
Also speaking at the gathering, The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi refers the virtues of late Chief obafemi Awolowo as second to none in the history of political administration in Nigeria.
Alaafin Adeyemi highlighted Awolowo Epoch – Making effort towards the actualization of many remarkable benefit Nigerians are gaining from him especially in the educational, housing and economic sector of the country.
He then promised the gathering that the traditional rulers which are key agent of community policing will synergize with security operatives and the government both in the state and federal level in making sure the southwest return to a crisis free and safety zone.
In an interview, Professor of Linguistics, Prof. Kola Owolabi qualified the sage as an “exemplary character” in the history of political administration in Nigeria, the professor who said he is a beneficiary of the Awo established free education boasted that since his death, his qualities are still in use as the landmark and measures for weighing a progressive, and a productive governance in Nigeria.
Late Chief Obafemi Oyeniyi Awolowo was born in Ikenne, Remo Division of Ogun state on March 6, 1909, he was once the premier of the defunct western region between 1959 and 1962, he was also the federal finance minister to the Military Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Contested for presidency in the 1979 and 1983 election and died on May 9, 1987.
He was first described a ‘sage’ by Gen. Yakubu Gowon in his letter of accepting Late Awolowo’s resignation letter as vice chairman of the federal executive council in 1917.
