Our interest is to protect southwest region – Gani Adams

Fri, Aug 30, 2019
By publisher
3 MIN READ

Featured, Politics

By Anayo Ezugwu

THE Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, has said that it is working with the southwest governors on how best to secure the region. Gani Adams, the Aare Ona Kakafo of Yorubaland and national coordinator, OPC, noted that the group has what it takes to protect the zone from kidnapping and bandits’ attacks.

Speaking at the 25th anniversary of OPC in Lagos on Thursday, August 29, Adams said 60 to 70 percent of private security in most urban areas, streets and communities in southwest are OPC members. He said the group is doing this in partnership with the police.

“In the last two months, the police hierarchy has engaged OPC in talks. Several things are cooking. They will unfold in the next six weeks. I must also state that we are in the plan of the six southwest governors in their move to secure the zone. Let it be restated here that our interest is to defend the Yoruba interest. And we are fanatical about that,” he said.

According to Adams, the progress the group has recorded so far has shown in the number of recognitions it received. He said the high point of it was his emergence as the Aare Ona Kakakafo of Yorubaland.  “In the letter of award by Iku Baba Yeye, Alaafin of Oyo, it was stated that my involvement in the OPC, Olokun Festical Foundation and Oodua Progressive Union, OPU, earned me the highest honour and title in Yorubaland, the Aare Ona Kakanfo.”

The Aare Ona Kakanfo hinted that the next few months will determine whether the group will remain politically neutral or partisan. Adams noted that the failure of successive governments to restructure the country would force the group to become political party. “Do not forget that what gave birth to the OPC was the struggle for the revalidation of the June 12, 1993 presidential mandate of the late Bashorun MKO Abiola.

“From there, we went on to demand for a total restructuring of the country. Till date, that has not been achieved. And, unfortunately, we have not seen any tangible evidence or sign that we are moving in that direction, with all of us knowing that the way the country is presently structured can only bring nothing but disaster.

“The most recent minimum irreducible for those who have followed this agitation on restructuring is for the government to implement the recommendations of the national Conference convoked by the administration of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. It is in this light that I say that if in the next few months there is no tangible evidence that the country will be restructured, then OPC will become partisan,” he said.

– Aug. 30, 2019 @ 13:15 GMT |

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