The Pan Yoruba Socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere on Tuesday dissociated itself from report that it berated the Chairman, Council of Elders of the Igbo apex socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, for allegedly calling the Yoruba people as “political rascals”.
It was reported that Iwuanyanwu had while speaking in Awka, Anambra State capital on Saturday at the event to mark the one year in office of Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, condemned individuals fuelling ethnic baiting in Lagos State.
However, in a Commuinique issued after it’s monthly General Meeting held at the country home of its Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo at Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State, Afenifere aid Iwuanyanwu’s speech at the occasion was twisted out of context.
The Commuinique made available to Journalists in Akure by the Secretary General of Afenifere, Sola Ebiseni reads: Afenifere received a message credited to Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu in a viral video alleging indictment of the Yoruba as political rascals on account of ethnic violence deployed by politicians of the ruling party in Lagos State. On the analysis of the video and information at the disposal of Afenifere by people at the Anambra State gathering, we are convinced that Chief Iwuanyanwu rightly asserted that the Yoruba and Igbo were not at war and truly condemned the shenanigans of some political rascals.
“Flowing from the above, Afenifere state that it never issued any statement and dissociate the Organisation from any such statement against Chief Iwuanyanwu”.
The Yoruba group said it observed the uncouth activities and unauthorised statements in its name and the constant denigration of the organisation, by Jare Ajayi, the National Publicity Secretary and Abagun Kole Omololu the National Organising Committee.
“After due consideration of the unending embarrassing conduct of the two officers, the Meeting resolved that they be and are hereby removed immediately from their respective offices and their membership be suspended sine die pending further decisions after their appearance before and recommendations by the Disciplinary Committee. Restate our position that in accordance with the hallowed Yoruba culture of civilised conduct, Afenifere assure all persons resident in Yorubaland, indigenes and non-indegenes, of protection in the conduct of their lawful duties and thus warn all threats mongers and merchants of violence to desist therefrom”.
Credit: This Day