Sam Philip
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Olu of Ilu-Abo in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Olu Falae has been appointed as the Chairman, National Executive Committee of the Pan Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere.
His appointment was disclosed after the end of the Caucus meeting of the organization at the residence of the Leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti in Akure, the Ondo State capital on Tuesday.
According to a communique signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the organization, Comrade Jare Ajayi, “After comprehensive deliberations, the meeting resolved as follow: In order to reposition the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, properly, the Leader, Pa Reuben Famuyide Fasoranti, OFR, appointed Oba Olu Falae, CFR, GCON, as Chairman of the National Executive Committee of Afenifere.
“His appointment is meant to reinvigorate the organization with a view to ensure that the House of Oduduwa is back on track to project the Yoruba Mandate.
“The new Chairman, Oba Falae, is former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) among other important offices he has held.”
Reacting to the appointment, Oba Olu Falae said his appointment by the Leader of the organization, Pa Reuben Fasoranti was due to the trust he had in him.
He said: “My life has been a life of service all my life. From the time I was a teacher, the time I was in the civil service, the time I was chief executive of a bank, the time I was Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Minister of Finance, the time I ran for president, and the time I was elected Yoruba leader at the national conference. And even as a Yoruba, it’s a continuation of service.
“So, I want to thank Papa for appointing me to be the chairman of the National Executive Committee of Afenifere. It’s a continuation of service.
“Papa knows me very well. He knows whatever I’m giving to you. I do it to the best of my ability. It’s a service to my nation, a service to the Yoruba nation.”
Oba Olu Falae stated that his appointment would not undermine his responsibilities to his subjects as Olu of Ilu-Abo in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State.
According to him, “Afenifere is a socio-political organisation, not a socio-partisan organisation. Afenifere is not a party. We don’t have a party.
“Members of all parties are welcome in Afenifere, just as they are welcome in my palace. So, there’s no conflict at all. In any case, the Yoruba name for government is Ijo Oba.
“So, Yoruba is the very core and essence of politics. What is politics? Ensuring that social sources are fairly distributed at all levels, which is what Yoruba fights for on a daily basis. So, there can be no conflict at all, because Afenifere is not a partisan organisation.”
Assuring the people of uniting all parties within the organization, Oba Olu Falae said: “Well, that is the major challenge that I’m giving to you. And by the grace of God and with the support of Afenifere and the Yoruba nation, we’ll succeed in bringing the other groups, everybody together.
“It has been my fortune that to have brought together the two factions in the Yoruba ruling house in Akure dynasty. I was able to bring the two together, and that was why we were able to produce the percentage of Akure.
“So, with that experience, I intend to do all I can to bring all factions of Afenifere together in Papa’s lifetime.”
Meanwhile, the communique reads in parts: “The meeting, as indicated earlier on, considered various challenges confronting the nation currently. Since we have subjected these issues to rigorous interrogations severally, we have come to the conclusion that the most potent means of tackling the challenges is Restructuring.
“We are therefore calling on the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to set the machinery in motion to restructure the country as a matter of urgency.
As we congratulate the present administration for clocking two years in office, we urge it to make Restructuring one of the major policies in its third year in office.
“The security situation in the country is getting more worrisome. Bandits are, in certain situations, so emboldened that they even go into people’s homes to abduct them as happened to Oba James Ogunyanda Ilufemiloye, the Obalohun of Okoloke in Kogi State. Mr. Nelson Adegboyigi was similarly abducted right in front of his house in Ifon, Ose local government area of Ondo State earlier this month. He was eventually killed even after ransom was collected.
“Reports of violent attacks on communities and settlements continue to occur especially in the Benue, Plateau, Nassarawa States and in some other parts of the North.
“In the light of the foregoing, Afenifere is reiterating its longstanding advocacy for the immediate take-off of State Police.
Here, note is taken of various insinuations that insecurity is becoming endemic because of the complicity at the political, military and community levels.
“Afenifere, at the meeting, heartily congratulated President Bola Tinubu as his administration clocks two years in office. It expressed the hope that the administration will use the remaining period of its tenure to more effectively address issues that are bothering Nigerians.
“While we take note of the reports by the the National Bureauof Statistics, NBS, on inflation, we wish to emphasize that food inflation and transport costs are still very burdensome. We therefore implore the federal government to take urgent actions to ease the situation.
“Afenifere took note of the good intention of the Federal Government on the initiative for the National Forestry Guards, but the organization is of the opinion that the implementation should be by the States as part of the decentralization of security architecture.
Afenifere thanked the President for releasing fund for the rehabilitation of Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Expressway.
The meeting also congratulated Chief Reuben Famuyide Fasoranti, the
Leader, on his 99th Birthday that took place on May 11, 2025.”