BANJI Akintoye, leader of the apex body of the Yoruba self-determination struggle, Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, also known as Yoruba Nation, has resigned from his position.
He cited old age and health concerns as reasons for the development.
Akintoye‘s resignation was first made known in a statement released by the group’s secretary, Tunde Amusat, in the early hours of Thursday, December 22.
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He said that the group’s former leader handed in his resignation to his deputy, Wale Adeniran, at a worldwide congress of Ilana Omo Oodua held at an undisclosed location on December 17.
Amusat added that the group’s Constitution would be amended to affirm Adeniran as Akintoye’s successor at the next worldwide congress before the end of the year.
According to Amusat, Akintoye commended Adeniran for his consistent patience against all forms of blackmail, slanders and defamatory affirmations which had been unleashed against him in the past by those he (Akintoye) described as disgruntled elements.
Adeniran is a retired Assistant Professor of African Studies and the pioneer Commissioner for Education in Osun State. He hails from Ile-Ife.
Confirming his resignation, Akintoye, in a letter addressed to Adeniran, said the development was not a consequence of recent difficulties in the group.
Akintoye said he had been seeking to resign from the leadership of the group for the past year because combining the duties of Ilana with the duties of the greatly elevated demands of the self-determination struggle has been too heavy for his age.
“I am greatly honoured that you as the closest person to me in Ilana, most Ilana members, and all Ilana committees, have for months been urging me not to leave Ilana because, according to you all, Ilana is my special ‘baby’ in the whole self-determination struggle,” he said.
“But you would remember that in a special meeting of leaders of the self-determination struggle from all over the world about a month ago, you and all the other meeting participants agreed graciously that I should give up my duties in Ilana because of my heavy accumulation of duties to the higher levels of the whole struggle.
“Still, I must ask you to forgive me for leaving Ilana to you in its current condition. I had wanted to leave Ilana immediately after the special meeting of worldwide leaders about a month ago, but I decided to help you to iron out some of the ongoing difficulties before leaving.
“Unfortunately, things have not improved as quickly as I expected, and you now have to face a situation in which some of our extremists are still compounding the difficulties. However, I have much confidence in you – including confidence that you will find ways to steer our Ilana back to the path of compromise, unity and strength.”
While assuring that the group would prevail in its quest to “liberate” the Yoruba people from the Nigerian state, he promised to always make himself available for the service of the group each time he was called upon.
“Of course, you know that I shall always be available to you – to you personally as a friend and close associate in the higher levels of the delf-determination struggle and to Ilana as Patron and Mentor in the way that I am Patron and Mentor to other Self-determination Organizations.
“I thank God for His leadership qualities in you and thank you for giving yourself so unstintingly to our struggle for our nation. Accept my best wishes for you and your family.”
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