Thursday, May 10, 2012

Bishop of Lagos-West Anglican Diocese, Rev. Peter Adebiyi, has lamented that 25 years after the death of the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Yoruba nation is yet to agree on a true leader.

Adebiyi, who also solicited support for former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to lead the Yoruba, said the duo had the capacity.
Adebiyi made the declaration yesterday during the 25th Remebrance and Patronal Anniversary of the late sage, held at Our Saviour’s Anglican Church, Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State.

While lamenting the leadership vacuum in the region, Adebiyi said that the Yoruba nation had failed to be unanimous over who should lead them in the last 25 years, adding that political bitterness had overshadowed the welfare of the people.
The cleric noted that the Yoruba nation is still weak and lacks co-operation that could make it strong as the late sage left it then, while adding that other regions had been benefitting from the disunity among the Yoruba.

His words: “Politicians have ceased to see the good of the people and are now concerned with the politics of the stomach. The Yoruba nation is one big family. If a house is divided against itself, that house can never stand. Who shall we call upon to re-unite the Yoruba family? We have had 25years of wastage, back-biting, acrimony,bitterness and self-deceit. Even our natural (traditional) rulers have taken sides.

“There is nothing wrong for Yoruba political leaders to belong to different political parties. Why do we want to destabilize the Yoruba nation? Who shall we call upon to lead the Yoruba nation? Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is a formidable leader of the Yoruba. Asiwaju Bola Ahmend Tinubu can also lead the Yoruba nation. You may not agree with me,” he added.

While calling for unity among Yoruba leaders, he urged them to emulate Awolowo, “We need one another to make Yoruba a true nation. We must prepare for any eventuality that could happen in this country. Although I do not wish that Nigeria will disintegrate, if this happens and the Yoruba are still in disarray, then we are done for.” While eulogizing the late sage, Bishop Adebiyi recalled how he benefitted from the free education programme initiated by Awo. He said, “were it not for the free education programme of Awolowo then, I would not have been an educated person by now.”


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2012/may/10/newsbreak-10-05-2012-001.html