The heroic deeds of our various Yoruba leaders from time immemorial are great and indeed legacies of virtues. The likes of the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Adekunle Ajasin, Chief Abraham Adesanya of blessed memory and also those that are alive today have done the Yoruba nation proud. We are and will forever be grateful to them all.
But the simple question on the lips of Yoruba people here at home and in the Diaspora is why are we still having hitches and disunity in this noble race? The cankerworm of disunity is still rearing its ugly head and eating deep into the fabrics of our Yoruba societies. And this has also caused the Yoruba people a huge loss socially, culturally and economically.
For instance, the recent choice of Professor Banji Akintoye by some Yoruba organisations as the new Yoruba leader has been generating controversies in some Yoruba communities. Some people prefer the national leader of the All Progressives Congress Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu. And believe me, the smokes are gathering now.
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Thanks to our most esteemed leaders and our royal fathers, especially His Imperial Majesty, Oba Eniitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja, the Ooni of Ife, and His Imperial Majesty Oba Lamidi Layiwola Adeyemi, the Alaafin of Oyo and of course, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the vice president of Nigeria and Chief Mrs Olatokunbo Awolowo- Dosumu who have always made several clarion calls for unity among the Yoruba race.
Their giant strides towards promoting the Yoruba age-long virtues and the cultural heritages of Yoruba kingdom globally deserve great accolades. And surely, history will vindicate them.
But now, to further foster unity, justice, peace and progress among the Yoruba race, God ordained an arrangement on April 25, 2018 with the birth of the Yoruba General Assembly, the most recently registered socio- cultural gathering of the Yoruba people residing in the various states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and in the Diaspora.
It is the first ever fast growing Yoruba gathering with the estimated figure of (1,065,000) members presently highly determined to foster unity, justice, peace and progress among the Yoruba race.
This is the only acceptable voice of the Yoruba race, and the members have agreed to speak for the Yoruba race globally at all times without prejudice and fear. This noble assembly is currently taking frantic steps to liaise with other meaningful Yoruba leaders, groups, associations, organisations and socio-cultural gatherings in Nigeria and abroad.
However, it is imperative to state that the media awareness is on. The Federal Government, six southwest state governors, our highly esteemed royal fathers, some notable Yoruba leaders and great minds that have the burning desires to see the Yoruba race in unity and progress are aware and they have been duly informed.
Jagunmolu Oluwatosin Willoughby, Abuja
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