Newsbreak: Prof Akintoye’s Deputy, Adeniran quits Ilana Omo Oodua
By Samuel Ogunsona
The Deputy Chairman of Ilana Omo Oodua, Professor Wale Adeniran has resigned.
Ilana Omo Oodua has been afflicted with lack of experience, lack of ideological clarity and complete isolation of all the groups that came together to form its parent body, the Yoruba World Congress, (YWC).
His resignation letter made available to Irohinoodua said the resignation takes immediate effect from February 1st.
He said “With effect from today, Wednesday, 1 February, 2023, I cease to be a member and an officer of Ilana Omo Oduduwa*.
My decision to exit the organization is irrevocable and irreversible*.
However, I remain firmly committed to the Yoruba Nation struggle for self-determination.
He wrote in the resignation letter “I hereby, with effect from today, Wednesday, 1 February, 2023, sever all connections and relationship with Professor Stephen Adebanji Akintoye, the Alana and Chairman of Ilana Omo Oduduwa*.
On behalf of my family and myself, I hereby express sincere gratitude to friends, colleagues, Yoruba social media presenters and individuals, known and unknown who stood by me and my family during these trying times, and who continually expressed confidence in my integrity. This has been a source of strength to us.
To all Yoruba sons and daughters, I say, do not despair. It is not the time to be despondent. It is the time to come together to do a review, to engage in serious brainstorming, and to re-strategize, within the context of a new, well- structured organization that will be all-inclusive, and focused on Yoruba self-determination.
Yoruba Lives Matter!
Oduduwa a gbe wa o. Ase!
May God bless all Yoruba people at home and in the Diaspora”
Adeniran said his resignation was informed by spurious allegations made against him by some members of Ilana Omo Oodua including Prof Banji Akintoye
He said Sometime late December 2022, Professor Banji Akintoye’s Personal Assistant put out a 35 – minute video in which he accused him of all imaginable crimes under the sun, the most serious being an allegation of financial impropriety.
Adeniran said others who made similar allegations against me included some members of Ilana Omo Oduduwa and one Mr. Mayegun (of Mayegun’s Diary).
He said consequently, he reacted by calling on relevant and interested Yoruba self-determination stakeholders to institute an investigative probe panel to determine the veracity of the weighty allegations against him.
In the meantime he stepped aside from the Chairmanship and membership of Ilana Omo Oduduwa so as not to be seen to be using my office to influence the work and findings of the probe panel.
Prof Adeniran said a couple of weeks later, that is, on 10 January, 2023, he repeated his call for an investigative probe panel to be set up and to make its findings known to the public within 21 (twenty-one) days.
“I offered to make all necessary relevant documents available to the probe panel to facilitate its work. However, today, Wednesday, 1 February 2023, at the expiration of the 21 days, I have yet to be invited to appear and defend myself before any probe panel.”
He said further that being the case, he came to the conclusion that neither his accusers nor the generality of the Yoruba public has found the allegations against me worthy of any further attention.
“Therefore, by implication, I have been absolved of any GUILT in the court of the public. The onus is not on me to investigate myself in order to establish my innocence. Rather, those who make egregious accusations against me in the public arena must establish their claims irrefutably by organizing such a Panel. He who accuses must offer proof of Guilt”
Adeniran said “In somuch as no Panel has been constituted where I can contest any evidence and defend my Honor and integrity, I consider myself absolved of all accusations in the Court of Public Opinion.”
He said he maintained a deliberate and studied silence on the matter after more than twenty-one days of notice, by those who made scurrilous accusations against me is proof of ill intentions and mischief.