By Kemi Olaitan
The Assembly of Yoruba Groups Worldwide yesterday announced new leadership for the Yoruba World Congress (YWC) following the exit of Prof. Banji Akintoye.
The Assembly, in a communique issued at the end of its second convergence held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, yesterday, said Akintoye ceased to be the leader of the Yoruba ethnic nationality with his recent exit from YWC for another group, Ilana Oduduwa.
The communique was signed by Dr. Taye Ayorinde, Sheikh Abdulraheem Aduramigba, Victor Taiwo, George Akinola, Bishop George Adegbolagun and Prince Eric Oluwole.
Others are Papa Olalere Ayalu, Comrade
Abereoran, Mr. Bayo Sangotikun, and Taiwo Otitolaye.
The Assembly in the six-point communique also announced that the YWC would now be known as Yoruba World Congress International under 11-man Interim Governing Council members with Dr. Ayorinde, as Chairman.
Other members are Dr. Amos Akingba, Chief Tola Adeniyi, Dr. Tunde Amusat,
Sheikh Abdul-Raheem Aduranigba, Prof. Oluwakayode Ogundoro, Otunba Deji Osibogun, Mrs. Dupe Ajayi-Gbadebo, Laoye Sanda, Mr. Tajudeen Raimi (ProTem Diaspora Central Coordinator) and Victor Taiwo.
It added that several necessary committees would be constituted, stating that all the leaders of the various organisations would be carried along to form the General Assembly such that everybody would have a sense of belonging.
The communique read in part: “It has been proposed that the members of the General Assembly shall have to institute a body to make the constitution and structures available for the body.”
“It has also been proposed that a Board of Trustees (BoT), comprising eminent personalities in the society, shall be instituted.
“It has been proposed also that a body that will embrace all our traditional rulers shall be instituted, and that there will be a body comprising the youth representatives of Yoruba land where all issues of the youths shall be discussed.
“It has also been proposed that a body of 17-man vice-presidents to be generated from across the 17 sub-ethnic groups in Yoruba land will be instituted as part of the General Assembly. These sub-ethnic groups are as follows: Ibadan/Ibarapa, Egba/Egbado, Ijebu/Remo, Oyo, Ekiti, Ijesaland, Ikale/Ilaje, Ife/Origbo, Igbomina/Ila, Awori, Itsekiri, Egun/Sabe/Popo/Oyi, Akoko, Edo/Ibini, Okun, Ondo/Akure/Owo and Ilorin/Ibolo/Ofa.”
