Yoruba is relegated because of division - Falae

By Mudiaga Affe

What is your perception of the newly formed Afenifere Renewal Group, which many believe was a subtle rejection of the Chief Reuben Fasoranti leadership of Afenifere by the younger element?



Olu Falae





These are no frivolous issues. The Yoruba people are suffering, we are deteriorating, we are being relegated, yet some people are worried over chairmanship and leadership of a group. However, there are no substantive issues that should separate us, it is just a matter of interpersonal friction or disagreement.

What are the complaints of the other group?

No, the beginning was that Senator Ayo Fasanmi wanted to be chairman of Alliance for Democracy, Chief Bisi Akande and Chief Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa also wanted the same position, that was where the disagreement came from, that was what polarized and went down to Afenifere. That should not permanently divide us, chairmanship or no chairmanship, how does that improve the lot of the Yoruba people. Let us discuss the issues that affect our people and forget all these differences. They are not policy differences neither are they ideological differences. In one occasion, we locked up Fasanmi and Fasoranti at Adesanya's room and said please come out and give us one of you. When they came out they said they could not agree.

With that scenario, do you think the other camp will ever see Fasoranti as leader of Afenifere?

With the fullness of time, I do not think anybody has any objection to that. They were all present the day late Papa Adesanya nominated Fasoranti to act for him. They accepted that they will work with him, Adesanya then went on to issue a press statement, saying he had appointed him to act for him and there was no objection at that point in time. So if they had objected to it they would have said it then. However, I pray we can work together and give the Yoruba people a sense of purpose. We are relegated today; the most important position given to the Yoruba is in the ministry of culture and tourism, which means that we are not reckoned with anymore.

But, what about the call by the ARG that youth should take over leadership of the group?

They want young people to become leaders, quite a legitimate aspiration, but in the culture of the Yoruba, it is the father who is the head of the family. However, if everybody comes on board, we would be happy.

It is true that Awolowo started building up as a very young man, but he continued to lead us until he was 79 years, he died in the leadership, why did they not ask him to resign when he was 70. Papa Adekunle Ajasin took over the leadership at 79, he died in the leadership, why did they not ask him to resign when he was 85. Adesanya died at 85, did you hear any of them say papa, step down, you are too old. Why now?

So what is the future of Afenifere?

Afenifere has a very bright future now that we have thrown open the membership to all adults in Yoruba land who care about the welfare of the people. People have been saying we want to join Afenifere but we do not know how to join, now the opportunity is here. When they have done so, we will group them to work on committees that will produce the blueprint for the development of the Yoruba and Nigeria as a whole. So, with the incoming of fresh blood and ideas, and with a committed leadership, the sky is the limit.

What is happening to Afenifere is not different from what is happening in other regional organisations, but we hope that when we develop our development model, others will be able to adapt it and use it. What we hope we will do here is to produce a document which will reveal the details of what needs to be done, and can be done and should be done, to revive life in Yoruba land. If you go to many of our cities they are huge slums, which are not acceptable. Many of our children are unemployed, some of them turn to crime in order to survive, drug trafficking and other vices, and we do not want our children to continue to do this. So there must be a programme for sustainable employment, for industrialisation, for revamping the road network. The roads are horrible and it is the same everywhere in Nigeria, we hope that others will gather as we are doing in Afenifere, to begin to do something in the country, so that if Abuja will not move, the rest of the country can move. That is why we are advocating regional government, so that in your region, you can begin to move. The priorities however cannot be the same, but it is imperative we move in accordance with your priority. Our priorities are not going to be the same. Whereas in the far north, the priority may be water supply for people and agriculture, in the east it may not be water. So if we have this regional arrangement which we had before, there will be serious competition. In the parliamentary system, it is cheaper to run, and parliamentarians only get sitting allowances, no constituency allowance and others. And a commissioner or minister is a member of the legislature; the governor cannot trifle with him or sack him because he expressed an independent opinion. So we want to produce a blueprint for our development in the Yoruba land, and we hope that the other geo-political zones will do same for their development because there is nothing coming from Abuja. There is a vacuum in leadership, and we do not want to fold our arms and continue in stagnation.

What is your take on the recent ministerial list submitted by President Umaru Yar'Adua to the Senate for screening?

I think he is trying to bring in some credible people like Dr. Rilwan Lukman, Prof. Dora Akunyili, I guess he wants to make a difference. But appointing one or two credible people in a cabinet of 30 to 40 people is no substitute for the president himself being able to provide a clear sense of direction and purpose. He should be able to put in the hand of his ministers a programme in each areas as education, agriculture, others and not a slogan; seven-point agenda, what does that mean? You spell out the things you want to do in those areas so that it can guide your programme- that was what Awolowo had. You do not start singing seven-point agenda as your programme- that is no programme at all.

But the general complaints are that they are recycling the same people that had been in government since the 70s?

What is wrong if they are recycling the same people? I do not like the saying that they are being recycled. If they are good and they are being recycled, why not. I am not saying we should keep recycling, but if the man is good, squeeze out the last bit of goodness in him for this nation.

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