Posted by By OLAKUNLE AKINJO on
Former governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in Lagos State, Chief Olufemi Ojo, has cautioned the Yoruba nation against seeking its leaders from among members of the political class, asserting that politicians could not provide qualitative leadership for the race.
Former governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in Lagos State, Chief Olufemi Ojo, has cautioned the Yoruba nation against seeking its leaders from among members of the political class, asserting that politicians could not provide qualitative leadership for the race.
Ojo, who spoke with Daily Sun in Lagos, observed that politicians would be least qualified to provide directions for the Yoruba people since their leadership might not be acceptable to many of their proposed followers, who would naturally belong to opposing parties.
According to him, what obtains currently differs sharply from the circumstances prevalent in the days of Chief Obafemi Awolowo who, though a politician, was widely accepted, as the Yoruba leader.
Said he: 'In the days of Chief Awolowo, the situation was different. At that time, most people in the West belonged to Chief Awolowo's party.
Everyone knew what the man stood for and his passion for Yoruba interests was unquestionable. Nowadays, you can hardly vouch for any politician. There are over 50 parties in the country, with Yoruba people belonging to virtually all the parties.
So from which party will you pick the leader, AC, PDP, DPA or ANPP? That is the problem. For politicians these days, the interest is first and foremost for the party, not for any race. That is why we cannot afford to have a politician as Yoruba leader."
The politician, while ruling out the possibility of having a single individual as leader of the Yoruba people, suggested that a tested individual could be picked as cultural leader, while a notable but apolitical member of the race could be appointed Yoruba ambassador.
'The duty of the ambassador would be to go round the world and bring all Yoruba people together. We can also have a political leader, but he will have to be under the cultural leader. But we need a leader with no political affiliations who can settle quarrels between political opponents and between Yoruba communities," he said.