In his efforts at ensuring that the over 300 diasporan Yoruba from 89 countries who are converging on Ado-Ekiti under the aegis of Oodua Progressive Union, IPO, for its 6th Congress tagged OPU Ekiti 2020, have the best of time, the global convener, Aare Gani Adams has engaged an Ekiti intellectual, Dr Jadesola Tai Babatola, to deliver a speech on “The formation of Yoruba Nation and the Challenge of Leadership since the Pre-Colonial Era.”
The event would hold at Adetiloye Hall, Fountain Hotel, Trade Fair Complex, Ado Ekiti on Monday 27, January 2020.
According to a release from the office of Aare Onakankanfo, “The 6th Oodua Progressive Union Congress, which will be held in Ekiti in a perfect year 2020 will be a milestone in the activities of OPU which has members in 89 countries and with the mission of spreading the cultural -tourism of Yoruba all over the world.
“In our quest at ensuring that Yoruba who live outside the country keep in touch with their root , we make it a task of holding OPU congress in Nigeria.
“We utilize the period to showcase to members the unique cultural values, assets and interact with the people of the state.
“We are holding this in Ekiti this year primarily because Ekiti is a paragon of rich Yoruba heritage and mostly because of being the state where the Governor has made value orientation and cultural rebranding a state policy.”
He disclosed that about 300 members of the Union have signified their interest and love to be in Ekiti and eat pounded yam, visits the cultural sites and share their experiences with the people of Ekiti.
Aare Gani Adams disclosed that “We are domesticating everything about OPU 2020 Congress in Ekiti. All of us will stay in Ekiti hotel, we shall eat Ekiti food and that is one of the reasons why we sought and got a vibrant and sound Ekiti man, a young intellectual who has a PhD in History and a versatile Historical analyst, Dr Jadesola Tai Babatola, Registrar and Secretary to Council, Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa State to deliver this year’s lecture.”
