The President, Council of Yoruba Elders (CYE), Chief Adegboyega Onigbinde has on Saturday cleared the air about the mandate of the newly launched social cultural organisation by saying that the group 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 in his maiden press conference while reacting to some insinuations that emerged from various groups shortly after he was appointed as the President of Council of Yoruba Elders at the House of Chiefs, Parliament Buildings, Agodi Secretariat Ibadan on Thursday 31st August, 2023 maintained that CYE as a social cultural group is not in any loggerhead with any other yoruba group.
Onigbinde who addressed the conference at Oduduwa House, along Iwo-Road – Idi Ape axis of Ibadan, the Capital City of Oyo state noted that the objectives of the CYE is to ensure that the Yorubas remains in good position playing their roles as nation builders.
In his words, Chief Onigbinde said, “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, 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.” He said.
Some of the pro tem exco of the Council of Yoruba Elders, as unveiled by the former Super Eagles National Coach, Chief Onigbinde include, Dr Victor Taiwo, Secretary General; Hakeem Danmola,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; Retire 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.
In his welcome address, the Secretary General of CYE, who also doubles as the President General of Oodua Redemption Alliance, Dr Victor Taiwo said “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.”
He said, “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.
“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.”
“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. Victor Taiwo said.
In his speech, Chief Onigbinde however maintained that the Chief Mrs Erelu Dosumu Abiola, the Yeye Oodua of the has been upgraded from her status as the Vice President of the group to grand- patroness.
He said, “I want to specially thank our dear mother, Her Royal Highness Erelu Abiola Dosumu the Erelu Kuti I of Lagos and Yeye Oodua of the Source for agreeing to work with us on this mission of Yoruba renaissance in her capacity as the Grand-Patroness of this organisation, it will be recall that on the day of.yhe event she was appointed as the Vice President of the council, but we later considered her for elevation to the status of the Grand-Patroness of the council conserving her position as the official mother of the Yoruba race.”
Also in attendance at the press conference are Prof. Kayode Ogundoro, Chief Olu Alege Olaseyi, Mogaji Ogunsola Anisere, Alhaja Bisola Quadri, Chief Dara Odunjo, Comrade Wale Alabi, Dr. Tope Taiwo, Mr Rahaman Adebayo, Mrs Bose Oni, among others.
