At the event, held at Government Technical College, Ifewara Road, Ile Ife, the chairman of the occasion, Mallam Yusuf Ali harped on the need for Yoruba leaders to embrace unity for the growth of the race.
Describing Yorubaland as the most homogenous tribal group in Nigeria, the lawyer said “there is need for leaders of the Yorubas to preach, promote and practice inclusive regional integration, which can further advance the cause and collective interest of the race”.
According to him, “state creation was only meant for administrative convenience and not to divide the people. It is undoubted that there is strength in unity. Sadly, Yorubaland is the most divided. Situation where Yorubas are expected to put forward names of people for national programmes and responsibilities and only names from one group are forwarded will further polarise the people.
“This kind of development will not be in the interest of the descendants of Oduduwa because a group is only as strong as it is united, as weak as it is divided”, Ali asserted.
Earlier in his remark, the President of Ife Development Board (IDB) Professor Muibi Opeloye, stated that Ife Day was designed to promote community self help projects, believing that no government could cater for all the basic needs of the communities alone.
He added that “with the theme of this year celebration, “Industrialization For Youth Development”, IDB intended to encourage small and medium scale industries purposely to tackle unemployment challenges, which have forced youths to take to perilous commercial motorcycle business otherwise known as Okada riders.
Prof Opeloye, urged the federal government to ensure resumption of work at Ife Dam project as well as dualisation of Mayfair-Iremo-Ilesa road.
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