As Chief Gani Adams begins his journey as the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo today, many prominent Yoruba leaders and political leaders have taken turns to eulogise his virtues and suitability for the position. Many of these Yoruba leaders, in separate interviews with Saturday Tribune, agreed that the man is a round peg in a round hole. These leaders, including Senator Ayo Fasanmi (Afenifere leader), Chief Sehinde Arogbofa (Secretary General of Afenifere), Dr Omololu Olunloyo, former governor of the old Oyo State, former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun State and his Ogun State counterpart, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Dr Kunle Olajide, Secretary General of the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), Dr Ore Falomo and Dr Olu Alabi, unanimously congratulated the Aare Ona Kakanfo and wished him successful life tenure.
He should foster unity, tackle corruption among youths —Senator Ayo Fasanmi
Senator Ayo Fasanmi, a respected Yoruba leader and one of the leaders of Afenifere, on Thursday, tasked the newly-installed Aare Ona Kakanfo to explore his position to tackle growing corruption among the youth, not only in the South West, but also in the country as a whole.
Speaking during a telephone chat with Saturday Tribune in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, he also charged him to utilise his new title as a veritable tool to foster unity and cohesion among the Yoruba race.
Fasanmi, who described Adams as possessing the zeal and passion to excel in the traditional office of the generalissimo of Yorubaland pointed out that “youthful Nigerians should be encouraged by relevant stakeholders to take over leadership positions in the country”, just as he cited the emergence of young individuals as president of western countries, such as France and Canada.
He is very qualified —Olunloyo
Dr Omololu Olunloyo, a former civilian governor of the old Oyo State during the defunct Second Republic, has declared that the Aare Ona Kakanfo, Dr Gani Adams, is qualified to occupy his new position.
In a short telephone interview with Saturday Tribune, the former governor said, “Gani is qualified and not unqualified as lawyers would say. There is nothing anyone can say about him by way of disqualification. I wish him well.”
Gani has uncommon loyalty to Yoruba cause —Oyinlola
Former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, in his own comments described the new Aare Ona Kakanfo as a man of absolute loyalty to the Yoruba cause, adding, “Gani Adams is a courageous, respectful person with uncommon loyalty to the cause of the Yoruba nation. I strongly believe he will be a success as Aare Ona Kakanfo.”
Gani Adams, a divine choice —Gbenga Daniel
Former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, said the choice of Gani Adams as the new Generalissimo of the Yoruba nation, after two decades of waiting, is divine and a sacredly delayed act in order to choose the anointed one.
“I am yet to see a greater Yoruba man of his generation in his resolve to move the Yoruba nation to higher levels. He is such a determined personality ready to change the course of history. He is a phenomenon,” he said.
With this appointment, it is my belief that the Yoruba race is in pole position to take its rightful place in the comity of regions that made up our nation, Nigeria.
Gani must think outside the box —Kunle Olajide
The secretary of the Yoruba Council of Elders, Dr Kunle Olajide, has admonished the Aare Ona Kakanfo to think out of the box and facilitate means to ensure the safety and security of the Yoruba race and its people.
Speaking in atelephone interview with Saturday Tribune, Olajide said the coming of Gani Adams was at a fairly difficult time and “at the most auspicious moment in the life of the country under the threat of invasion by the herdsmen.
“As the generalissimo of the Yoruba race, he should sit down, design a plan against the event of an attack because it is often said that prevention is better than cure and the best form of defence is attack. We must be well prepared; the rampaging Fulani herdsmen all over the country must not be handled with levity.
“Our governors, as the Chief Security Officers of their states, have become toothless bulldogs as the heads of the various security agencies in the states take directives from Abuja and our governors go cap-in-hand to seek for protection and security from the Federal Government.
“I must commend our forefathers for creating the office of the Aare Ona Kakanfo. Gani Adams should constitute cabinet across Yorubaland and work with this cabinet to protect the territorial integrity of the race and its people,”he said.
He will promote unity of Yoruba race —Arogbofa
The Secretary General of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Bashorun Sehinde Arogbofa, has expressed optimism that the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, would use his new office to promote the unity of the Yoruba nation, adding that he will also promote the culture and tradition of Yorubaland.
He said “this young man has been very dynamic, highly focused and I think this is part of the attributes that made Alaafin to appoint him.”
Speaking on the expectations of the people from the new war lord, he said “as to the personality of Gani Adams, he has been trying to cut across the Yoruba race, even if you look at the OPC, despite whatever structural weakness anybody may have about it.
“Gani had made sure that the OPC is made up of some Yoruba from different parts and not just a state but from all over the federation. He has also established rapport with traditional rulers and enlightened members of the Yoruba race.
“He has exhibited some confidence and shown to us that he is truly an apostle of Yoruba culture and these are some of the things that recommended him strongly to Alaafin of Oyo before his appointment as the Aare Ona Kakanfo.
“I think his being installed today as the Aare Ona Kakanfo will have a leverage on being a rallying point for Yorubas within and outside the country. He is a cultural ambassador and in time like this when we need somebody like him, who is young and who has the kind of organisation made up of young men, I think his coming on board at this time will give the Yoruba a kind of image that will make others outside the Yoruba race have respect for us.
“He is young, courageous and his antecedents are there for us to see and know that he will work towards the unity and progress of Yorubaland. He will bring unity among his people and I am sure he will be able to navigate among the various contending issues.
“I will only advise him to find time to study the history of his predecessors in the office; he should study them to find out their strength and their weaknesses and should know why some of them did well and why some did not. He should draw his own philosophy from this and this will enable him to know how to handle issues when they arise. It is not going to be an easy task for him but I am sure he is prepared for it.
“He can’t get out of rough waters; there is no way he can get out of rough waters, especially now that the country is in crisis and people will look up to him. The people of Yoruba nation will look up to him as a leader.
“Though he may not go to war, carry gun, bow and arrows, but he will be expected to fight the course of the Yoruba race culturally, not with bow and arrows like his predecessors did. He can’t run away from things like this. He must always stay courageous, listen to advice because it is not going to be an easy assignment but we must all rise up to support him to succeed,” he said.
Gani, the right person to fight Yoruba cause —Ore Falomo
Dr Ore Falomo, the personal physician to the late Chief MKO Abiola and a prominent Yoruba leader, has described Gani Adams as the right person to fight for the Yoruba race and to ensure its rightful place in the country.
Falomo, who said he was a strong supporter and beneficiary of the Odu’a People’s Congress (OPC), said he expected the new Aare Ona Kakanfo to succeed in his office, adding, “I expect him to live up to the expectations of the Yoruba people and Nigerians at large. I have no doubt about him and his ability to fight for the Yoruba cause. We are together in the struggle”.
I don’t believe in Aare Ona Kakanfo title —Dr Olu Alabi
Dr Olu Aalabi, a former Commissioner for Health in the old Oyo State, while congratulating Adams on his installation as the Aare Ona Kakanfo, said he cannot make much comment.
“The worth of the title and Adams’installation will have some psychological effect on Yorubaland and its people”.
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