THE South-West geo-political zone on Friday restated its demand for regional autonomy, true federalism and resource control as its leaders gathered in Ishara-Remo, in Ogun State, to take a common position on what to present as agenda at the forthcoming national conference holding in Abuja.
The meeting, tagged ‘A National Conference Preliminary Meeting on Yoruba Position’, which was held at the residence of chieftain of Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, had in attendance prominent Yoruba leaders, including Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State; former governor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel; former Secretary to the Federal Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Olu Falae; Chief Ayo Adebanjo; Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu and Dr. Tunji Braithwaite.
Others include Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi; Pa Reuben Fasoranti; Gen. Alani Akinrinade; the Secretary-General, Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF), Dr. Kunle Olajide; Bishop Ayo Ladigbolu; Chief Supo Shonibare; Mr. Bisi Adebuyi; Spokesman of Afenifere, Mr.Yinka Odumakin; Mr. Shina Kawonise; Prof. Wale Are Olaitan; Dr. Akin Onigbinde; former Minister of Mines, Alhaji Sharafa Ishola; Senior Pastor, Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare; former Chairman, Punch Newspapers Limited, Chief Ajibola Ogunsola, and the National Coordinator, Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, among others.
It was disclosed that the group did everything within its capacity to reach out to the National Leader, All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but were allegedly shunned by him on two occasions he fixed appointments with them.
Addressing newsmen after the meeting, which lasted several hours, Odumakin described the meeting as successful, saying it was called by the leaders to agree on the position to be pursued by the Yoruba at the forthcoming national dialogue.
“This is an assembly of people who are political; people who are non-political and from various cadres of life. Nobody should see it as a political thing. It is about the Yoruba nation. We are here to take a position,” he said.
Also speaking with newsmen at the venue, the leader of YUF, Dr. Olajide, said, “We are going to demand regional autonomy. We are going to take a second look at the issue of resource control and revenue allocation and a lot of other issues.”
He, however, confirmed that a final decision would be taken on all issues by the time the leaders meet again on the 17th of February.
Speaking on the efforts made on Tinubu, another leader, Chief Adebanjo, said the Yoruba leaders tried their best to ensure that the Leader of APC was part of Friday’s meeting, pointing out that Tinubu even allegedly failed to honour the two meetings he fixed with the delegation sent to him.
Chief Adebanjo said, “We have done everything to bring APC. Go and ask General Alani Akinrinade. We have done everything to bring in Tinubu. Some people wanted to meet him two days ago; he gave them an appointment, twice, he didn’t keep.
“Before we came here, that was the battle we first had; that we wanted to get everybody; that this is not a political matter, but he wouldn’t respond. What are we discussing that he (Tinubu) shouldn’t be there?
“We are talking of federalism; is that for our selfish interest? We talk of resource control and these are the things we have been agitating for ever before he became the governor of Lagos State in 1999. I was the chairman of the party that made him the governor. These are the agitations we have been doing 20 years ago, and you now have the opportunity to achieve that now.”
Source: Tribune
