AFENIFERE REAFFIRMS LEADERSHIP, CALLS FOR TRUE FEDERALISM AND STATE POLICE
Communique Issued at the End of the Monthly General Meeting of Afenifere
Held at the Residence of Our Leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan at Ilesha, Osun State on Tuesday, 27th Day of May 2025
The Afenifere socio-cultural organization, a stalwart advocate for the rights and interests of the Yoruba people, has issued a communique at the end of its monthly general meeting held on May 27, 2025, at the residence of its leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan in Ilesha, Osun State. The meeting, which was attended by delegates from member states, deliberated on pressing national issues and the future direction of the organization. Below is the full text of the communique:
BEING THE COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE MONTHLY GENERAL MEETING OF THE AFENIFERE HELD AT THE RESIDENCE OF OUR LEADER, OBA OLADIPO OLAITAN AT ILESHA OSUN STATE ON TUESDAY 27TH DAY OF MAY 2025.
1. 00 PREAMBLE.
1.02 At the regular monthly General Meeting of AFENIFERE held today, 27th day of May 2025, at the residence of our Leader,Oba Oladipo Olaitan at Ilesha Osun State, the Meeting presided over by our Leader aforesaid and attended by delegates from all the member states of our Organisation observed and Resolved as follows:
1.03 That the General Meeting reaffirmed the appointment of Oba Oladipo Olaitan as the new Leader of Afenifere.
1.04 Meeting recalled that following his retirement as the Leader of Afenifere in April 2021, our revered Leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti handed over to Chief Ayo Adebanjo and appointed the then National Financial Secretary, Oba Oladipo Olaitan as the Deputy Leader, the position he held till the glorious demise of our iconic Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo on the 14th February 2025.
1.05 At the March 2025 General Meeting held at the residence of our late Leader at Isanya-Ogbo, it was Resolved that the Deputy Leader should serve as Leader in acting capacity and shall automatically assume office as the substantive Leader after the burial of our revered Chief Ayo Adebanjo which ended on the 4th April 2025.
1.06 Meeting recalled that Oba Oladipo Olaitan , a lawyer called to the Nigerian Bar in 1971, was Special Adviser of cabinet rank, (what is today called Chief of Staff) to Governor Lateef Jakande of Lagos State, later Chairman Alimosho Local Government of Lagos State ; Member House of Representatives and indeed the House Leader of the Afenifere party, Alliance For Democracy therein 1999 -2003.
1.07 Meeting appreciated the vision of Chief Reuben Fasoranti for appointing both a Leader and Deputy by which divisive race for a successor is now avoided.
1.08 The significance of this visionary appointment is that since inception in 1951 with our founder, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Michael Adekunle Ajasin, Abraham Adesanya, Reuben Fasoranti and Ayo Adebanjo, the leadership of Afenifere has now moved out of what looked like rotation between the Ondo/Ekiti and Ogun/Lagos zones to the Oyo/Osun axis.
1.09 Oba Oladipo Olaitan from Osun State with his cognitive experience in Afenifere, politics, business and royalty, has all it takes to move the Organisation forward and carrying everyone along.
1.10 MEETING paid tributes to our previous Leaders and particularly to the memory of Chief Ayo Adebanjo and expressed appreciation to the Afenifere members and all Nigerians for his befitting burial.
1.11 MEETING also recalled the death and glorious burial of Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark and the role of Afenifere as a member organisation of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum which he led.
ON THE STA
TE OF THE NATION:
Meeting restated the commitment of Afenifere to the restructuring of the Federation to ensure true federalism particularly the unbundling of the legislative list in the Constitution which is still essentially unitary.
1.12 Meeting expressed concerns over the frightening state of insecurity and called for the establishment of State Police in line with true federalism.
1.13 Meeting noted that in line with the overriding provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which give equal effect to the Land Use Act as part thereof, ownership, management and control of land including forests, forest and reserves are vested in the states of the federation.
1.14 Meeting opined that the Federal Ministry of Environment saddled with the implementation of the proposed Forest Guards has no control over forests while the office of the National Security Adviser as an appointee which tenure is subject to that of the appointing President cannot be vested with the duties and responsibilities of an enduring security outfit.
1.15 Meeting insisted that State Police will work better for our situation rather than the proposed Forest Guards with overriding Federal Command particularly in our federation where land matter is within exclusive constitutional jurisdiction of states and that the proposed Forest Guard is anti-federalism.
1.16 MEETING emphasised the need for return to agriculture with modern technology to feed our teeming population in an atmosphere of security to the farmers and condemns acts of terrorism in most parts of Nigeria, particularly in the Middle Belt region.
1.17 MEETING proposed the creation of vocational Centres for the empowerment of the youths which will soon be established by Afenifere in the member states, the training of which will be free of charge.
1.18 Among leaders representing the states at the well attended Meeting are Her Excellency, Senator Kofoworola Bucknor Akerele, Engineer Adenekan in charge of Diaspora Affairs, Alade Rotimi John, Chief Pekun Awobona, Commander Ade Banjo, Basorun Adesina, Dr. Gbola Olatunji, Honourable Leke Mabinuori, Madam Toyin Falade, Prince Elias Matiminu, Adenike Olujembola, Bola Doherty, Deacon Kunle Tayo, Engr. Daramola, Canon Omigbodun, Pastor Olajuyinu, Wale Balogun, Hon. Dauda Adams, Prince Adedokun.
Dated and issued at Ilesha Osun State, this 27th day of May 2025.
Chief Sola Ebiseni Secretary-General.
Prince Justice Faloye National Publicity Secretary