From Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Ayodele Fayose yesterday visited his Osun State counterpart, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and stressed the need for Yoruba unity with a view to strengthening the nation’s socio-political and economic development.
At the meeting, which was the first visit to any All Progressives Congress (APC) governor, Fayose said the development of the South-West region should be uppermost in the minds of the leaders, adding that politics of bitterness, bickering and political acrimony among leaders would not help the race.
“With the stark economic reality of the present time in Nigeria and the dwindling price of crude oil in the world markets, how to develop our region should be uppermost in our minds.
“Yoruba race development comes before politics. We must remember what will happen to our children in the nearest future, for they will ask us questions. We must maintain unity in the region,” he added.
“The visit of Oni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi to Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi in Oyo town after 87 years of such visit should be a lesson to us in Yoruba land. We must jealously help our race and make sure that nothing happens to our leaders.
“Politics will come and go, but our race must be intact. Let us discourage politics of bitterness and address our major problems that have retarded our progress over the years. We can belong to either Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or APC or any other party, but, we must see ourselves as sons and daughters of Oduduwa and develop our race.”
Fayose also called on the leaders of the race to come together to address the present economic misfortune bedevilling the Yoruba nation.
Governor Aregbesola in his response commended Fayose for his maturity, saying only a mature mind could pay a visit to a governor that is not in his party.
He added that the present dwindling economy due to oil price drop should motivate South-West governors to synergise on how to rescue the region from economic hardship.
Aregbesola added that Yoruba must not only be united in their language and culture, but must use them to fight for emancipation.
According to him, the Yoruba race shared the same culture and urged the people to tap greatly from it to improve the economic posterity of the people in the region.
“Oodua conglomerates are the engine room of Yoruba race, we must come together to revamp them. The world economy is already in trouble, prices of oil are dwindling on daily basis, and time has come for us to look inward,” he said.