Press Release – Nigerian Tribune | April 12, 2016 | Written by Kunle Oderemi
YORUBA resident in the United States and Canada, on Tuesday, insisted on the restructuring of Nigeria so as to unlock the greatness of the country.
Agba-Akin Bolu Omodele
Rising from a meeting in Newark, New Jersey, the compatriots said the time to carry out such critical change was now when the country was battling with severe economic challenges.
The restructuring, they explained, should be aimed at having a weaker centre and more powerful federation units similar to other federations, to allow for healthy growth, competition and development.
Their position on the state of the Nigerian nation was contained in a communiqué issued after a meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Egbé Omo Yorùbá (National Association of Yoruba descendants in North America, USA and Canada).
The National President, Chief Akin Bolu-Omodele, and the national secretary for public affairs, Princess Sola Yusuf Aiwinnilomo, signed the communiqué emailed to the Nigerian Tribune.
“As Nigeria continues to struggle with economic challenges, we reiterate our position on the need to unlock the greatness of the country through the restructuring of the country to ensure the practice of a federal system of government with a weak centre and strong federating units,” the leaders stated.
They decried the negative effects arising from the existing defective federal structure, and commended the current efforts of the administration of President Mohammed Buhari, in fighting the scourge of corruption in particular.
While urging the government to be resolute in the war, they said all corrupt public officials and their private sector collaborators found culpable should face the full wrath of the law.
“The Egbe Omo Yoruba of North America is appalled at the names of a few prominent Yoruba leaders, who were mentioned as beneficiaries of graft by the prosecuting agency. We affirm that no political interest is greater than the need to ensure a culture of public probity and accountability,” they declared.
They, however, praised the new Ooni of Ife, Oba Babatunde Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwunsi (Ojaja ll) for “his inclusive philosophy and unity tour to other traditional rulers and leaders in the South-West.”
As a way of complementing his effort, they announced a plan to host a Yoruba World Summit (YWS) from October 17 to 21, 2016 at the University of Ibadan, with the theme: Yoruba Renaissance: Understanding our past for a better future.
According to them, “The summit will be a platform to match our ideas and ideals and reposition the Yoruba land as envisioned by our founding fathers, as well as launch it into the vista of the 21st century cutting-edge technological approaches and strategies.
“It will provide a strong basis to initiate and set-up an agricultural project in a state in the South-West to unleash the limitless potentials of this sector as a foreign exchange earner and employment generating venture for the Yoruba.”
They also disclosed that the Organisation was being structured to ensure economic empowerment of its members similar to successes recorded by immigrant groups in North America such as the Indians, Pakistanis, Jews, Chinese, among others, through investment initiatives.
(Signed)
Agba-Akin Bolu Omodele, BS, MBA, CPA, ACA
President EOYNA
A great move