VP Osinbajo, Afe Babalola, Pastor Bakare, Gani Adams to grace Yoruba summit Thursday
By Akinwale Olayinka
The Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo will lead prominent Yoruba leaders on Thursday at a summit at Ibadan aimed at addressing the various challenges facing the people
Irohinoodua was informed that the gathering scheduled for Ibadan will draw various traditional rulers from across the Yoruba States.
Our correspondent heard that the summit may have been put together by political interests to scuttle an earlier Pan Yoruba summit which had former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nobel Laureate icon, Prof Wole Soyinka and philanthropist Aare Afe Babalola at the conveners. The meeting had been slated for Ibadan on the same day.
The Thursday summit will be hosted by the Pan Yoruba Group, Youth Patriots Movement
The group said the summit will navigate the future of the Yorubas amidst the agitation for self determination by several groups in the region.
In a statement signed by Adekunle Olayinka the Secretary Planning Committee for the PAN Yoruba Summit convener and received by Irohinoodua stated that the summit is been conveyed under the aegis of Yoruba Patriots Movement with the theme “Yoruba Nation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”
The summit will hold at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, with major deliberation on prevailing and future socio-political challenges as well as prospects of Yoruba nation with emphasis on issues that bother on the welfare, security and mutual coexistence of Yoruba people within a peaceful, stable and united Nigeria.
Irohinoodua gathered that the Summit is to be co-chaired by General Alani Akinrinade, former Chief of Defence Staff and High Chief Rashidi Ladoja, former Governor of Oyo State will have in attendance present and former governors as well as notable past and present political office holders in the six southwest States of Lagos, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo. The Summit will receive royal blessings from custodians of Yoruba Traditional institutions: Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), Ooni of Ife; Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi (II), Alaafin of Oyo.
Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo (II), Alake of Egba Land; Oba Rilwan Akiolu, Oba of Lagos; Oba Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan; Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom; Oba Rufus Aladesanmi (II), Ewi of Ado Ekiti; Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji (Aje Oguguniso I), Olubadan of Ibadan Land; Oba Sikiru Adetona, The Awujale of Ijebu Land; Oba Adebanji Ajibade Alabi (Afuntade I), Alawe of Ilawe; Oba (Dr.) Aderemi Alayemore, the Olujudo of Ido-Osun.
Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Professor Yemi Osinbajo will declare the Summit open. Prominent Yoruba political chieftains and opinion leaders expected at the Summit include Afenifere patriarch, Chief Reuben Fasoranti; Senator Biyi Durojaiye, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, Otunba Subomi Balogun, Chief Afe Babalola, Aare Gani Adams amongst others.
Key resource persons for the Summit include Pastor Tunde Bakare, Latter Rain Assembly; Dr. Yemi Farounbi, Former Nigeria Ambassador to Phillipines; Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, Obafemi Awolowo Foundation; Professor Ayoade Oduola, Director, University of Ibadan Research Foundation; Professor Siyan Oyefeso, Director General, Centre of African Culture, Osogbo; Professor Adegbenga Onabamiro, Dr. Azeez Adeduntan and Senator Smart Adeyemi representing Kogi West.
A communiqué on the way forward that approximates the concerns and expectations of Yoruba nation in Nigeria will emanate from deliberations at the Summit.