A man of many parts

William Shakespeare’s drama “As You Like It”, succinctly depicts the 47-year life sojourn of the Aare Ona Kakanfo, Otunba Gani Adams. Here is a man of many parts: a social activist, notable leader of a faction of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), pro-democracy activist, member of the Campaign for Democracy in 1992; crusader of Yoruba interests, promoter of Yoruba culture, a traditionalist to the core but also believes in Christianity and Islam. One would think Gani Adams were a 70-year old man going by his exploits as OPC leader. He was inadvertently launched into limelight when, in 2000, former President Olusegun Obasanjo declared him wanted for alleged murder and for being behind series of attacks allegedly carried out by members of the OPC in Lagos and other states of the South West.

Adams fits into Shakespeare’s description of one man in his time, playing many parts, a soldier, full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard, full of wise saws enmeshed in Yoruba tradition and modern instances, jealous in honor, a whining schoolboy, who later bagged a Diploma in Tourism Management and another Diploma in International Affairs and Strategic Studies.

Otunba Gani Adams was born on 30th April, 1970 at Arigidi-Akoko in the present Akoko North-West Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria. He attended many primary schools due to the nature of his father’s job. He started at the Army Children’s School, Oturkpo until primary three before his father was again transferred to Lagos, where he completed his Primary School Education at Municipal Primary School, Surulere, Lagos in 1980.

He attended Ansar-Ud-deen Secondary School, Randle Avenue, Surulere before he went for furniture making and interior decorating training which he successfully completed in 1987. He was later employed by Italian Construction Company, Visinoni Stabilini, Apapa, Lagos and voluntarily resigned after some spell to establish his own furniture making/Interior decoration business. He is married to Mojisola.

Adams presents an interesting character with his crusade of selfless commitment to protecting Yoruba interest not minding whatever happens to him in the course of his struggle. As a strong believer in the attributes of the Yoruba culture, he has promoted several festivals, including Osun Osogbo and Oke Ibadan festivals. He has carried his cultural crusade across the Nigerian borders, speaking at several fora in Brazil, Ghana, Ethiopia and recently Namibia.

Gani Adams is resolute in his position that Nigeria cannot survive as unless the union is decentralized and the federating units granted self-determination status and self autonomy. He has also lent his voice to the need for Nigeria to be restructuring while also calling for implementation of the recommendations of the 2014 National Confab as solutions to the nation’s problems.

“I believe that without restructuring, Nigeria cannot move forward. I have been listening to some people talking about constitutional review, what kind of review are they talking about? The constitution that was written by 26 army officers! When you see that constitution, you will know that it is a fraud from the beginning.

“Also, we recommended 633 contexts to move this country forward but I don’t know the body language of Mr. President that he has refused to implement the outcome of that conference. We are giving them two options. We are not saying that it is a must for them to implement the 2014 National Conference recommendations. We said let us go back to the basis, how we got this independence on the basis of federation in 1960.

“We have the option of merging the 1960 with 1963 constitution, so that we can have true federation that can easily solve the problems of the country. Now, more than 15 states cannot pay the salary of their workers. How long shall we continue to be borrowing money to pay salary not to talk of infrastructure development? I know that we are in trouble if this country is not restructured. I will continue to be agitating for restructuring until it is done,” Gani Adams said.

More than before, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, now has a bigger platform to advance his long term objectives of promoting the interest of the Yoruba race, fighting for justice for oppressed Nigerians and agitating for genuine federalism. Some observers maintain that the new Aare Ona Kakanfo has been set atop the world stage, not merely as a player, but an active one meant to showcase being a visionary leader, a charismatic political activist, a reliable champion of rights of the masses, an embodiment of political morality and an epitome of humility.

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