By DAPO FALADE
The Yoruba World Congress (YWC) has, again, reaffirmed Professor ‘Banji Akintoye as its president and leader, just as it restated that the group remains one indivisible entity.
The group, in a statement issued on Tuesday, further said there is no crisis within the YWC, adding: “We are not in contention with anyone or group. This is a family issue which is being resolved within the clan.
“We are unequivocally committed to the ideals of the YWC as eloquently expressed by Professor ‘Banji Akintoye, which are to liberate the Yoruba race from the oppression and persecution which Nigeria represents, to establish a better, more promising future for our teeming youths and to ensure the peaceful achievement of the self-determination goals of the Yoruba nation.
“You will recall that on the 22nd of August, 2019, the leaders of almost 50 pan-Yoruba self-determination organisations assembled in Ibadan to unanimously elect Professor Banji Akintoye as the Leader of the Yoruba Nation.
“Subsequently, the Yoruba World Congress (YWC) came to be the umbrella organisation of the group with Professor Banji Akintoye as the President. Since that time, over 100 Yoruba organisations, both in Nigeria and in the diaspora, have been admitted into the YWC (and still counting) as members.
“While celebrating the one year anniversary of YWC, we also want to reaffirm our unalloyed confidence in the leadership of Emeritus Professor Banji Akintoye.
“We wish to salute his uncommon courage and uncompromising doggedness in translating the Yoruba redemption agenda and vision into action within the context of the finest Omoluabi ethos and traditions.
“Further to the above, our admission into the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO) within a year of our existence, is novel and commendable. The Oodua Nation project is on course.
“We appreciate the efforts of Prof. Banji Akintoye and other leaders in this respect. The protection of lives and properties of the Yoruba and other ethnic nationalities domiciled in the South-West geo political zone is of paramount importance to YWC leadership.
Signatories to the statement authenticating Akinyoye’s leadership of the group were the leaders of the various groups which gathered in Ibadan on August 22, 2019 to elect him as the Yoruba leader.
“This is a gathering of all the groups which elected Professor Banji Akintoye as Yoruba leader a year ago. They are the various groups which came together to form the Yoruba World Congress.
“These groups are gathered here in Ibadan, one year after that momentous event, to re-establish a vote of absolute confidence in the leadership of Professor Banji Akintoye.”
The 19 leaders of the various groups who signed the statement affirming the leadership of Akintoye included Chief Taiye Ayorinde, Comrade Victor Taiwo, Professor Kayode Ogundoro, Sheik Abdulraheem Aduanigba, Chief Imam Yoruba land, Dr Tunde Amusat and Sina Akinpelu.
Others included Evangelist Kunle Adesokan, Princess Oyeronke Akinlolu, Dr Juwon Akinsola, Engineer Muda Ogunsola, Architect George Akinola, Professor Wale Adeniran and Princess Tanimowo Okusaga.
Still among the signatories are Prince Kola Bamigbade, Comrade Okunola Kolawole, Mrs Patricia Abiodun, Alhaji Ali Dodo Oyedeji, Honourable Babatunde Tolase and Prince Lawal Onikeke Quassim.
The group commended the courage exhibited by the South-West governors in the establishment of Amotekun, even in the midst of hostility and intimidation by the powers-that-be.
It also condemned the controversial National Water Bill before the National Assembly, saying it “represents a backdoor manoeuvre to bring back RUGA and further appropriate more of the resources of Yorubaland. It therefore stands totally rejected by the YWC.
“In equal effect, the CAMA Bill cannot stand because it puts the control of one religious group under another. It represents the ruthless deployment of power by the Muslim North to further continue the Islamisation and Fulanisation of Nigeria.”
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