Yoruba Council Worldwide Seeks Unity Among Southwest Traditional Institutions With Maiden Obas Summit - President

The President, Yoruba Coucil Worldwide(YCW), the global umbrella body of Yoruba sons and daughters home and in the diaspora, Aare(Barr) Oladotun Hassan has said that its scheduled First Yoruba Obas Summit will primarily focus on the cause of establishing a stronger accord among Yoruba traditional rulers.

Aare Hassan stated this in Ile-Ife on Saturday at a press conference held at the palace of the Ooni of Ife as part of the awareness and sensitisation activities preceeding the all-important event.

According to him, it is imperative for all Yoruba Obas at this time to shun all socio-political or religious affiliations and come under one voice with a single aiming of charting a new course for the common progress of the Oodua race worldwide.

The event scheduled to hold at the Monarch Hall, Oba Elegushi Royal Palace, Ikate, Lekki, Eti-Osa, Lagos on Thursday 7th of November, 2024, he noted, will have the presence of relevant stakeholders, royal fathers and prominent Yoruba leaders.

"We are thrilled to invite you to the FIRST YORUBA OBAS SUMMIT, an epochal event set to gather a diverse array of stakeholders dedicated to the progress and unity of Yoruba land. 

"This is more than an event; it is a movement towards a stronger, more united, and prosperous Yoruba land. Ensuring Every 1st of May is celebrated globally as Yoruba National Unity Day(World Omoluabi Day Festival).

"This landmark summit will see the congregation of all Yoruba Kings, traditional institutions, policymakers, Governors, Legislators, Captains of Industries, eminent Yoruba sons and daughters, academia, and other great leaders of our time.", he said.

The summit, which he said has secured full backings of relevant authorities and figures including the Ooni of Ife, Arole Oduduwa Olofin Adimula, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II, the Lagos State Government as well as the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, will among other cardinal objectives, address some challenges facing the Yoruba heritage, foster unity among traditional institutions and provide a solid foundation for socio-economic integration.

The group further seeks for the independence and autonomy of traditional institutions in terms of their relationship with local government while also making a request for an increment in derivative allocations from the Federation account to traditional institutions from 5% to 15%.

"Yoruba traditional Obas shall be an independent arm of Government with absolute immunity and protective powers over their respective lands and provide adequate welfare for their people.

"We call for dequate provision of homeland security through all traditional institutions and Socio-cultural groups; 15% Derivatives Allocation for the Traditional Institutions as well as 25% Derivatives Allocation for Youth Development in Yorubaland.", the statement added.

"Advancement of Yoruba Information Technology Center while also calling for the establishment of the Yoruba Council of Obas Worldwide as well as Southwest Council of Obas and Chiefs with a Central Secretariat in Lagos, Ibadan, and Ile-ife.

"Establishment of the Southwest (Yoruba) Agricultural Economic Development Zone scheme under the watchful eyes of the Obas in each domain, expected to deliver mass agricultural mechanised farming (All Cows, Ram, Goats, Fowl, Fish, Pepper, Tomato, Onions, Ginger, Cassava, Coacoa to mention a few are all produced in Yorubaland for the exclusive consumption of our people), food security and human resource development throughout Yoruba land.", Aare Oladotun noted.

The group further called for the provision of a Southwest regional constitution laws in the nation's constitution to address peculiar issues native to the region.

"Reintegration of Yoruba LAWS [IWE OFIN]/ the Enactment of the Old 1952-1953 Constitution/Western Region Laws (postulated by Chief Obafemi Awolowo) into the new People's Nigeria Constitution or a separate Southwest Independent Laws passed by all Southwestern States viz: just like the Islamic sharia laws of the Northern Nigeria is given a pride of place in the 1999 Constitution.", he stated.

Also present at the conference included the Secretary General, Yoruba Council Worldwide, Akowe Oodua Siyanbade Adekanmbi; the Global Publicity Secretary, Aderemi Ajibola; the Publicity Secretary, Oodua Peoples Congress (New Era), Comrade Akinpelu Adesiyan, among others.