Yoruba Nation Has The Largest Population In Nigeria, Says Afenifere Chieftain

A Chieftain of Yoruba Socio-cultural group ’Afenifere’, Barrister Niyi Owolade has declared that Yoruba ethnic group was the most populous Nation among the all tribes in Nigeria with over forty million people, just as he said that Osun State was the centre and source of Yoruba race with the most urbanized towns among the comity of states in the federation .

The former Lawmaker also urged President Muhamamdu Buhari to implement the Report of 2014 National Conference which was the handiwork of Elder Statesmen, Professionals and men and women of timber and caliber, saying that the report of the National CONFAB was the key to the development and growth of this country where the issue of Resources Control had been dealt with and other sundry issues ,so as to solve all the mirage of problems facing the peaceful co-existence of the country since Political independent from Colonial Masters in October 1960.

Delivering a lecture entitled: “Osun State Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” at the 1st symposium organized by the State based Civil Society Organization (CSO),the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS) to mark a year brutal attack of the peaceful Protesters by the groomed political thugs of Governor Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, popularly called “State Boys”,during the Emancipation rally in support of a courageous Woman Judge of the State High Court, Justice Olamide Folahanmi Oloyede, over her 39pages Petition Letter to the State House of Assembly, calling for credible investigation into the alleged criminal mismanagement of Osun State public funds by Mr. Aregbesola and 18 years remembrance of the death of the acclaimed winner of June 12,1993 Presidential election, Late Chief MKO Abiola, held at the NUJ Press Centre, Osogbo, Osun State capital at the weekend

Barrister Owolade stated that Chief Abiola died mysteriously in the hand of Military ruler of General Abdulsalaam Abubakar when Abiola supposed to regain his freedom after General Sanni Abacha’s death and no government since then has been deemed it fit to officially explained how Late Abiola died in the government custody.

Former Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice in the State, stressed that Abiola would always be in a special place in Nigeria political history as a Nigerian who strived to ensure that the country was part of democratic space of the world, saying that the bane of problem facing Nigeria was genuine leadership, recalling that Afenifere was the largest group in NADECO that fought for the restoration of annul June 12, 1993 Presidential election by General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida .

In another development, Owolade who is the Legal Practitioner of note described the State Governor, Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola as maximum ruler and sole administrator working around like colossus without cabinet members and local government officials in the constitutionally recognized thirty Local Government areas of the State, noting that it was only Aregbesola expended the State and local government funds because no election has taken place in the council areas of the State since almost six years now.

Former Commissioner for Works and Transport in the State disclosed that Aregbesola came to the State through back door by the ruling of Justice Binta Ogunbiyi led Court of Appeal in Ibadan on Friday November 26th, 2010 and believed in himself alone as a person that knew all and detested criticism against his government, adding that all the concepts of democracy has been vanished in the State.

He recalled that Aregbesola came up with the six point agenda and the agenda was nothing to write home about today, explaining that Aregbesola had more resources at his government disposal than any of his predecessors in office, including loan of over N350billion, asking rhetorically, what Aregbesola did with all the resources at his administration’s disposal?, as no capital project has been commissioned in almost six years of the present administration in office.

Owolade added that: “Only Mr. Rauf Aregbesola knows the actual debt of the State after N350billion which the record is at our disposal. To our dismay, this debt will still be paying by our grand children in Osun State. N37billion was conserved for Aregbesola for capital development projects when he came on board as Governor of Osun State but within the twinkle of an eye, Aregbesola lavished the conserved funds on frivolities before starting collected loans from commercial banks and Capital Market. If you see what Aregbesola claimed to be spending on road rehabilitation in the State, you will see that it is mindboggling. On education, Osun State is now in number 29 out of 36 in the ranking of West African Examination Council (WAEC) upon all the spending claimed on education sector of the State”.

He therefore stressed that the present administration in the State under Aregbesola’s watch has lost direction, referring Aregbesola as initiator of strange concept of salaries into the administrative system of the country, calling on the good people of the State to shine their eyes very well in voting for the right choice during the 2018 governorship election, adding that the beauty of democracy was periodical election and it is fundamental right of the electorates. [Social Justice Equity]