by Adesoji OMOSEBI
Former governor of the State of Osun, Chief Adebisi Akande on Thursday, at the prestigious Western Sun International Hotel, Ede with other Yorubas in Nigeria and diaspora unveiled the first ever KARELE OODUA LOGO to specially welcome all the Yorubas across the globe to Annual Pilgrimage in Osun.
The real event according to the organizer, Supervisor, Ministry of Home Affairs, Culture, Tourism, Environment and Sanitation, Dr Obawale Adebisi said KARELE OODUA will hold in Osun from August 11-21, 2019.
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The hall which was full to capacity signified that the concept enjoyed the full support of the Yorubas in Nigeria and diaspora to make KARELE OODUA first of its kind in Nigeria and indeed, Africa.
The governor of the state, Mr Gboyega Oyetola who had other engagement in Abuja was represented by his Deputy, Benedict Gboyega Alabi and other government officials.
Two distinguished Yoruba son and daughter were nominated as the KARELE OODUA AMBASSADORS, they are, Mrs Rotiba Funmi and Mr Oluwafemi Gideon Daramola.
KARELE OODUA – A CULTURE OF PILGRIMAGE BACK HOME FROM DIASPORA
A speech delivered by Chief Bisi Akande at the occasion of the unveiling of The Logo and the Investiture of the Ambassadors at Ede in Osun state on Thursday, 6th June 2019.
Let me appreciate the organizers of this emerging culture otherwise called religious immersion. Religion is the most important part of people’s culture next to people’s language which is the foundation of any culture. You cannot worship without language so also you cannot intelligibly sing into music without language. The music of war that can lead to ethnic or religious wars must be totally rejected – no matter whatever the political advantage being envisaged.
Before the advent of History, our leaders hunted us about the bush, kidnapped us and sold us into slavery abroad to establish the first layers of Yoruba in the diaspora. Before the advent of Nigeria, our leaders split themselves into warring factions to fight one another in the intertribal wars as a reaction to the Fulani Jihads of the early 19th century when Islamisation and Fulanisation began in this part of West Africa.
That preceded the British expeditions that led to the colonization of Nigeria. The Native Authorities thereafter became the agents of colonial exploitations of our people and our resources. After the independence, for reasons of rank promotions, our leaders in military uniforms collaborated with the north to destabilize our political strength, to marginalize our people, to expropriate our patrimonies like the University of Ife, the western Nigerian television, the Liberty Stadium etc. and to hound our elites and youths into graves and into exile for another layers of Yoruba in diaspora.
And they assisted in annulling Abiola’s election out of the Presidency of Nigeria. Since the beginning of this Republic, the same leaders, for reasons of greed and self-aggrandizement, cringed to the north and the East for political influence to continue to depress and degrade the authentic aspirations of the Yoruba people with a sermon that the Yoruba should join the mainstream politics of Nigeria.
The consequences of all these corrupt actions of our Yoruba leaders in collaboration with other greedy and corrupt Nigerian leaders is the total crash of the Nigerian economy which gave rise to the present urban and rural slums and infrastructural decay together with its accompanied various criminals ravaging our society today. The emphasis of the economic destructions has resulted in more migration of most Nigerian Youths into most ugly exile to the diaspora since the beginning of this century. Each community has its criminals.
It is a fraudulent and ungodly tradition to join the corrupt North and East of Nigeria in throwing Nigeria into economic perdition and begin to call on those of us who are innocent to give chorus to your songs in blaming the criminal consequences on a particular religion or ethnicity. The result of using politics to generate religious wars will send numerous other Yoruba Youths into the diaspora in a most undignified fashion.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am happy to participate in Osun state efforts to encourage pilgrimage of Yoruba in the diasporas back home. May God bless the efforts.
www.sojworld.com (c) June 8, 2019
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