*Says mandate is to ensure Unity of Yoruba Race, unveils nucleus working executive
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
President of Council of Yoruba Elders (CYE), Chief Adegboye Onigbinde on Saturday, said CYE was formed with the aim of uniting all the Yoruba sons and daughters both at home and in diaspora for the interest of national development
Chief Onigbinde made this known while speaking on the mandate of the newly launched social cultural organisation during his maiden press conference at Oduduwa House, in Ibadan.
According to Chief Onigbinde, the objectives of the CYE is to ensure that the Yorubas remains in good position playing their roles as nation builders as well as to ensure that the Yorubas remains in good position playing their roles as nation builders.
“The core mandate of CYE is to ensure that we are in best position to play our roles for the interest of our race and our country at large, and for us to achieve this, we must be united, all hands must be on deck, we must forget all our differences”, he said.
Chief Onigbinde added, ” for now,. we don’t have a one voice as a race, we must all come together, put our resources, knowledge and wisdom together, it is through this that we can have a one strong voice, it has to be collective efforts”.
“This organisation is open to all Yoruba sons and daughters both at home and abroad for ideas and support of any kind, we formed this organization with the good intention of moving our country forward, the interest of our race is paramount on our agenda and for us to achieve this, our unity is non negotiable.”
CYE Secretary General , Dr Victor Taiwo while speaking said most of the Yoruba groups have been polarized with either by politics or personal interest, saying, ” we
cannot continue to be fooling ourselves, most of Yoruba groups that we all known have been polarized with either by politics or personal interest.”
“We cannot continue to pretend as if we don’t know what is going on, Hausa people have a formidable group that champion their interest, which is Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), they speak with one voice irrespective of their political differences, Igbo people also have their own which is called Ohaneze Ndigbo, but here in Yorubaland our Afenifere group have been polarized”, he said.
Dr Taiwo added, “We now have Afenifere Renewal Group, and so many other factions, even the Yoruba Council Of Elders (YCE) has also been factionalized, there is Pa Rueben Fasonrati group, and there is Pa Ayo Adebanjo group so we are no longer speaking with one voice and it is so sad”.
” We cannot move forward with all these mess, we need a strong and formidable group that will be championing our interest at the national level too, this is what gave birth to this Council of Yoruba Elders (CYE) that was officially launched on Thursday 31st August, 2023 at the House of Chiefs here in Ibadan, the event was a successful one, as it was attended by illustrious sons and daughters of Yoruba race from different parts of the world, enough is enough, we must move forward.”
He stressed further, “We Yorubas are so brilliant, we are known for our brilliance, but it is so sad because when it comes to wisdom to speak with one voice we are lacking behind, politics has divided us, personal interest has divided us, we need to forget all these and come together for the betterment of our race and for the interest of our nation at large”
Some of the protem exco of the Council of Yoruba Elders, as unveiled at the Press conference are Dr Victor Taiwo, Secretary General; Hakeem Danmole, National Treasurer; Erelu Tijani, National Financial Secretary; Mr Lanre Ogundipe, Publicity Secretary; Elder Taiye Ayorinde, Chairman Mediation and Reconciliation committee; Prince Bowofade Aderemi, Legal Adviser; Rtd AIG Bola Alonge, Security Adviser; Chief (Mrs) Simisade Kuku, Chairman Women Affairs; Princess Dorcas Amusan-Fagborun, Chairman Diaspora; Mr Muhammed Babatunde Aliyu, Chairman Public Awareness; Prof. Olukayode Ogundoro, Administrative Secretary; Others include states Chairmen, and committee Chairmen.
