Exclusive Interview

Obafemi Awolowo University an embarrassment to learning and culture, says group whose Yoruba unity day was stopped

Comrade Adekunle Adesokan was the first Organising Secretary of Oodua Peoples Congress, (OPC). He worked selflessly,traversing the lenght and breath of Yorubaland at the formative stage of the Pan Yoruba group. Currently the President, Federation for Yoruba Consciousness and Culture, (FYCC), Adesokan led Yoruba groups to mark the anniversary of end of Kiriji War at the Obafemi Awolowo University,( OAU) on Monday September 23. He was disappointed when the OAU refused to allow usage of the hall even when the organisers had paid. He spoke in exclusive interview with Omolade Adegbuyi of Irohinoodua

Irohinoodua: What actually happend?

Adesokan: We applied to use the Africa Centre of Excellence Hall and the Open field at the Faculty of Technology, OAU for the activities of the 2024 YORUBA NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS.
We had paid. On the day of the event on Monday September 23,OAU stopped us from using the venue. What OAU did was an embarrassment to learning, culture and civilisation of Yoruba people. It is an assault on the philosophy of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and an assault on Yoruba civilisation. It shows that academic freedom and censorship of knowledge can be orchestrated by the University itself.

Irohinoodua: Please tell us about yourself?

Adesokan: I am Basorun Kunle Adeshokan Home land Chairman *YORUBA REGIONAL ALLIANCE (YRA).

We are a worldwide organisation with a large, active membership in the Americas, Europe, Australia and Oceania. Our goal is the propagation of peace and unity among all Yoruba groups and peoples; and the security of Yoruba peoples in Yorubaland and everywhere. We support Yoruba self determination as defined by the United Nations in Article 28 adopted by the UN on December 10, 1948. We support peaceful and non violent means to achieve this noble goal.

Irohinoodua: Why do you think the September 23 is significant?

Adesokan: We have to look at the context of THE HISTORY OF THE KIRIJI WAR AND THE YORUBA NATIONAL UNITY DAY CELEBRATION:*

September 23rd 1886 was the day that our Fathers agreed to stop internal war among all Yoruba.
And the treaty was signed that never would there be any war among the Yoruba in Yoruba land and this is why 23rd of every September is important to all Yoruba because 23rd September 1886, the Yoruba people on their own accepted peace as mediated by the British.

The Yoruba succeeded in bringing all parties together to end the war and all the hostilities and to sign a peace treaty.

The British wanted the war to end so that they could invade Yoruba land but the Yoruba wanted the war to end for peace and unity. If the war had continued, the British Army was nor strong enough to invade Yorubaland. They would have been defeated with some 500 000 Yoruba soldiers. They called for peace and pretended they wanted peace but it was a peace for their incursion into Yoruba that at that time had fought for 16 years.

This led to the adoption of that day, September 23rd, as the Yoruba National Unity day.

Following this concept and tradition, the IDANDE Organization and Yoruba Regional Alliance (YRA) planned to mark the 2024 Yoruba National Unity day at Ile-Ife, the city where all Yoruba originated and spread from, on Monday September 23, 2024.

Irohinoodua: Which group organised the September 23 Yoruba Day?

Adesokan: The IDANDE Organization and Yoruba Regional Alliance (YRA)*

Irohinoodua: How much did you pay?

Adesokan: To the AFRICA CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE, OAU- ICT DRIVEN KNOWLEDGE PARK, OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY
We paid N150,000

Irohonoodua: How many people were you expecting?

Adesokan: Approximately 1,000 people.

Irohinoodua: Did you think they got order from Abuja?

Adesokan:We do not know

Irohinoodua:What is the impact of the OAU action?

Adesokan: It has, more than ever, reinforced the belief that the Yoruba are a captive race in the Nigeria colonial enterprise. We must remember that the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) was built by the Yoruba, with Yoruba cocoa money, in Yorubaland, and for the advancement of Yoruba (and others’) “Learning and Culture”, which remains till today, the catchphrase of the school. The logo of the school bears the everlasting symbol of Yoruba technology and culture – the world acclaimed ORI-OLOKUN bronze moulded sculpture of the head of an Ooni of Ife.*

*In addition we must remember that this school was forcibly appropriated from Yoruba ownership and control via military fiat through coups. The purchase was never negotiated or paid for. OAU was forcefully taken in 1976 by the Federal Government.

It is a crying irony that such an iconic University built for the advancement of Yoruba learning and culture would be the one to deny a notable HARMLESS celebration of Yoruba peace and unity where we hoped to highlight Yoruba music, dance, food and other cultural activities.*

Irohinoodua: How much did you lose?

Adesokan: Money terms: N960,000

Logistics and other adjustments terms: unquantifiable.

Damage to Yoruba psyche terms os Immeasurable.

Irohinoodua: Have you sent complaints to the OAU?

Adesokan: Yet to

Irohinoodua: What are the lessons to be learnt?

Adesokan:That the Yoruba are not physically and mentaly free in Nigeria. If this had been staged by Northern Youths in a Northern institution like Ahmadu Bello University, it would have been allowed to hold unhindered!

OAU should be a centre of intellectual discourse and should not have opposed such a programme. It is an attack on intellectual property and knowledge driven political economy. It is a shame