Osun monarch calls for Yoruba nation unity

Elerinmo of Erinmo-Ijesa, Osun State, HRM, Oba Odunayo Ajayi JP, Arowotawaya II has charged the Yoruba nation in the Southwest, Nigeria to see the need to come together as one to effect a common goal while advocating that Yoruba language should be adopted in all the Southwest States Assembly deliberations in the House.

The monarch made the call on Friday in Ibadan, Oyo State capital during the relaunch of a Yoruba forum called Council of Yoruba Elders (CYE).

Oba Ajayi in a bid to draw home his points, emphasised the need for Yoruba nation to come together for a common goal.

He said: “It may interest you to know that the Yoruba are the foremost close-knitted people in the world. We have had our system long before colonization; that is our traditional system including commerce and other cultural and social system of government before the emergence of colonial people. I am saying that we need unity irrespective of our differences, be it political or otherwise. There is a need for unity among the Yoruba nation.

“Talking about institutional organisation, there was no State government in the past. What we have is region, and this region extended as far as Edo State, Delta State, and some parts of Kogi State. And as far as that is concerned, we must begin to emphasize the use of our language within this region. I do not buy the idea of our language being called a vernacular. I personally propose that Yoruba language should be used in our primary and secondary schools throughout the Yoruba land. I will also emphasis that Yoruba language should be adopted by lawmakers in the State Assembly within the Southwestern States of Nigeria,” Oba Ajayi said.

The monarch also mentioned that the Yoruba nation has been in existence from the origin of mankind, noting that the Yoruba nation is not something they are trying to create anew.

Speaking with the press, the convener of the forum, Dr Victor Taiwo who is the National President of Oodua Redemption Alliance, as well as a pioneer member of Yoruba World Congress, said the central motive behind the birth of the new socio-cultural group is unity and oneness among the Yoruba race worldwide.

He said that the necessity for this is to fill up the disturbing lacuna in the life of Yoruba land currently whereby there is no central vibrant organisation speaking for and fighting home the interest of the Yoruba people within the context of Nigeria as against what operates in every other major nationality in Nigeria like Arewa Consultative Forum speaking for the North, Eze Ndigbo speaking for the East, Pan Niger-Delta Forum speaking for the South-South, Middle Belt Forum speaking for the North-Central among other smaller groups.

During the all important nomination of a leader to stir the affairs of the group, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde emerged as the new President of the association, while Yeye Oodua of the source, Erelu Abiola Dosumu was also elected as Vice President.

It was conducted by selected Yoruba elders across the six States of the Southwest comprising Oyo, Osun, Ondo Ekiti and Lagos State.

Distinguished guest of honour was His Excellency Engr. Oluseyi Makinde, the Executive Governor of Oyo-State represented, while the special guest was His Imperial Majesty, Oba Dr. Mahood Olalekan Balogun Okunmade II, the Olubadan of Ibadanland also represented alongside other dignitaries.