YORUBA traditional rulers and leaders of thought, on Tuesday, in Ile-Ife, tasked President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that the proposed national conference gives Nigeria and its people the much needed stability and peace.The Yoruba leaders, leaders of thought and other socio-cultural groups, including Afenifere, Afenifere Renewal Group, Yoruba World Assembly, Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), Yoruba Council of Elders, Yoruba Unity Forum, among others, who converged on the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, submitted that the forthcoming national conference must provide strong platform which could guarantee peace and stability of the nation.After a closed door meeting, which lasted for almost five hours, the Yoruba obas in a 4-point communique signed by Yinka Odumakin, also appointed former Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief Olu Falae and General Alani Akinrinade respectively as the chairman and secretary of the Yoruba Obas and Leaders of Thought.According to the communique, “the meeting encouraged President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that he midwifes a proper conference that would give Nigeria a structure conducive to stability, peace, unity and progress of all sections of the country.”It reads in part: “We commend the President for initiating the process towards the convocation of a national conference to address various
challenges of nationhood facing Nigeria, which we have failed to fully address in the last 53 years of our existence as an independent country.“The meeting fully endorsed the proposed national conference and enjoins all Yoruba people in six South West states, parts of Kwara, Kogi, Edo, Delta and Niger states as well as Yoruba in the disapora to fully participate in all process leading to the conference and the conference itself in order to realise our aspiration for Yoruba autonomy within a truly Federal Republic of Nigeria.“We also express our profound gratitude to the Adimula Oodua, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuwade for the initiative of calling the meeting and pleads with Kabiyesi not to relent in reaching out to all necessary constituencies to fully solidify the House of Oduduwa.”
