The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams, on Saturday said the restructuring of Nigeria was important for the country to rise above its challenges and stay on the path of progress.
Adams made the statement in Lagos at the installation of 21 Aare Onakakanfo chiefs –in-council.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some dignitaries who attended the elaborate ceremony are Mrs Titi Atiku-Abubakar, Wife of the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Gbenga Daniel, Director-General of the Atiku Campaign Organisation and a former governor of Ogun, and Abiola, Wife of Mr Jimi Agbaje, the PDP Governorship Candidate in Lagos.
Adams said that restructuring to strengthen all the federating units would accelerate development of Nigeria.
‘’Solution to the problems bedeviling Nigeria is for the country to adopt restructuring.
“We are living with these problems because we are relunctant to retrace our steps and adopt the system that suits us,” he said.
Adams added that strengthening the federation units would help the country to realise its development goals.
He said that the appointment and installation of the 21 chiefs was to assist him in his assignment as the Aare Onakakanfo, for success.
He said that Yorubaland was vast and that he needed to delegate responsibilities to people across all the Yoruba speaking states since he could not be everywhere at the same time.
Adams said that appointment of chiefs by Aare Onakakanfo had precedence and that his action was sanctioned by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.
‘’I appointed these 21 chiefs to help me to succeed. As the Aare Onakakanfo, my job covers the entire Yorubaland, but I cannot be everywhere at the same time.
‘’The people I am installing today as chiefs from everywhere we have indigenous Yoruba people, including Kogi and Kwara, will act for me in their respective domains and handle issues.
‘’They will interface with their local Obas and traditional chiefs to ensure peace and development in Yorubaland.
‘’I am not the first Aare to have appointed chiefs. In fact, I am the 13th Aare to have done that.
“The only two who did not appoint chiefs were Aare Abiola and Akintola, and that was because they were seriously engaged in politics and had limited time,” he said
Adams that the appointment was to ensure effective service in the interest of the Yoruba race.
He said thst he would soon appoint a 70-member advisory council to advise him and his chiefs on ways to further move the Yoruba race forward.
He urged the 21 chiefs who, he said, were selected based on their pedigrees, to justify the confidence reposed on them, by serving the people diligently.
Daniel hailed Adams at the event for his efforts to move the Yoruba race forward.
He urged the Yorubas to always speak in one voice as unity was important for progress.
NAN reports that some of the installed chiefs are a Labour Party chieftain, Dr Kayode Ajulo (Maiyegun Aare), Mr Ademola Ige (Baameto Aare), Mr Shola Oshunkeye (Baaroyin Aare) and Prof.Taofeek Raheem (Parakoyi Aare). (NAN)