The Yoruba News
A Publication of The Alliance of Yoruba Organizations & Club

Volume 3, Issue 1

April 1999
Snr. Evang. Iremiren Blesses New Alliance Executives

The Yoruba Alliance inauguration for 1999 officers was done during the general meeting held on February 12, 1999. The moderator for this special event was Dr. Dapo Adenekan, the planning officer for Egba-Egbado Descendants Union.

Dr. Adenekan introduced our guests to the occasion, which included senior Evangelist Iremiren of the Celestial Church, Pastor Igbenoba and Rev. Bunmi Fakeye, the secretary of the Nigeria Council of Churches. The moderator called each officer – elect to take the oath of office. The oath of office for the Christian Executive was administered by Rev. Fakeye, while the oath of office for the Muslim executives was administered by A Moslem representative. Two officers were not at the inauguration event as a result of traveling schedule conflicts. Mr. Dapo Amusan and Chief Joseph Ajala were later sworn in on the 13th of March by the chairman.

Prayer was said by Snr. Evang. Iremiren. He appealed to the newly elected officers to perform their duties for the good name of the organization that they are elected to represent. He also thanked the Alliance for the opportunity and the honor to be able to attend this occasion despite his other commitment for the day. In conclusion, the chairman, Mr. Franklin Akinkoye thanked our guests for honoring our invitation. He also used this opportunity to announce some of the agenda he would like Alliance to consider this calendar year.

A Yoruba Nurse Killed in Accident

The Yoruba community mourned the passing of Mrs. Adediwura Odutayo-Okanlawon, the 38-year-old wife of Mr. Koye Okanlawon. She was killed in a car accident on Saturday, February 6 on her way to a baby shower. Fortunately, her four small children were spared with minor injuries.

The accident occurred about 6:30 p.m. when a Pontiac Grand Am failed to yield the right of way and traveled into the path of Mrs. Okanlawon's Mitsubishi van. Her van hit the Grand Am on the right side, and the van turned over on its left side.

The Alliance of Yoruba Organizations and Clubs sent a delegation to the Okanlawon family to offer their condolences and to offer some emotional and financial support. Mrs. Okanlawon was educated in Nigeria. She emigrated to the United States in the mid-1980s and obtained a job at D.C. General Hospital, where she worked as a nurse in the unit that handles inmates for more than a decade. Many of the inmates she used to take care of donated money to buy sympathy cards that were presented at her funeral. She was the chief usher and the treasurer of her church--Redeemed Christian Church of God, a Pentecostal congregation in Laurel.

"She was an inspiration to all of the church members," said Rev. Bayo Adeyokunnu.

A trust fund has been established at Chevy Chase Bank in Bowie for the children. If you wish to donate into the trust fund, please call the Yoruba Alliance.

  

 

 

        Gen. Obasanjo             Mrs. Stella Obasanjo

Obasanjo Visits Washington

Many Nigerians gathered together on March 30, 1999 to welcome the President–elect, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo (Rtd) at the Park Hyatt hotel in Washington D.C. This gathering was hosted by the Nigerian Ambassador to the United States of America, the honorable, Dr. Hassan Adamu. Dr. Adamu could hardly hold back his enthusiasm for this event. He acknowledged that he had promised many people in the U.S. government and many Nigerians abroad that Democracy in Nigeria is just a moment away. He said his audiences always without exception laughed at the thought of Nigeria embracing democracy.

The president-elect and his entourage were about two hours late. Patrick Ayendi, Head of Nigeria Information Service and also the M.C. for the occasion, when being interviewed by Yoruba News Editorial staffs, ran out of excuses for why Mr. Obasanjo was late. It was unfortunate that when he had the opportunity to address the people, he never spared a minute to acknowledge and apologize for being late.

The audience, nevertheless, was very receptive and Mr. Obasanjo was applauded many times during his half-hour speech where he repeated many of the same themes he had during his campaign in Nigeria.

The chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Solomon Lar, who was one of the president-elect's entourage to Washington was given time to address the audience. It was then that he nervously presented the president-elect as the "Governor elect". The audience quickly corrected this mistake.

Highlights of the President-elect's remarks in Washington

He promised neither bitterness nor rancor. He said that he would find out what has gone wrong and try to correct them. He believed that this is the right time to forgive what had happened in the past, but not to forget those mistakes that were made. He stressed that he was not elected to witch-hunt, but to do a job for the country. His priority would be to look into some of the things that went wrong, to give us a gauge of where we are, in order to know where we are going. He acknowledged that all sections of Nigeria have been marginalised and devalued. However, some are more maginalised than others are. He encouraged those Nigerians who believe that Nigeria is worth saving to help in building bridges of hope and prosperity across all sections of the country.

The president- elect said that his trip to Washington is to request for equal partnership in trade, not aid, and to inform the international community about the good news. He said that Nigeria is now a full member of the International community. He reaffirmed that Nigeria needs a massive interjection of foreign investment and that we cannot improve economically if Nigerians remain corrupt. The work ahead of us is monumental he said, but we must have faith and confidence in ourselves and in Nigeria. The whole transition is an act of God and he believed that the Lord who started the job would finish it. Finally, he called on all Nigerians abroad to come home now and help in the nation building and not let others do the job for them. He concluded his remarks by pledging that he will give Nigeria a committed, dedicated and honest leadership, after which the audience confirmed their support with an overwhelming applause.