Hundreds of Nigerians domiciled in Turkey stormed the Ataturk Airport, Istanbul on Saturday, January 31, 2015 to welcome the convener of Oodua Progressive Union (OPU), Otunba Gani Adams to the country with pomp and ceremony.
The Nigerians who were led by Mr Abiodun Adeoye were at the airport as early as 4:00 am waiting for the Turkish Airline bird conveying Otunba Adams and his entourage to Istanbul and were happy as the Oduduwa cultural heritage promoter’s delegate passed the immigration and emerged at the arrival hall.
International passengers at the arrival hall were impressed and fascinated by the warm reception lavished on Otunba Adams who was accompanied by two first class traditional rulers, Oba Yisa Olanipekun, the Zaki of Arigidi-Akoko, Ondo State and Oba Adeogun Ogunjobi Ogunbona, Oba Of Igboore, Ogun State with Captain Adetokunbo Adesina, President, International School of Aviation, and Prince Segun Akanni Segun, a member of the OPU.
The travellers at the arrival hall were thrilled not only by the manners of greeting, with the male members of Egbe Omo Yoruba in Turkey prostrating while the ladies knelt, but also excited as the two traditional rulers showered blessings bleon them while Otunba Adams pronounced “Oodua a gbeyin (Oodua bless you) and the Yoruba shouted Ase (Amen).
This generated a wave of warmth and love towards Nigerians and led to mad rush by the some of the travellers having shots with the OPU’s delegate headed by Otunba Adams .
The introduction of the Yoruba group was conducted at the Novotel, located at Zeytinburnu, Keneddy Cadastral, Istanbul where Otunba Adams hosted the officials to a breakfast and where the programme of the meeting of the general house scheduled for the evening was properly ironed out.
Members of the Yoruba community in Turkey are not only well organised and responsible in conduct, but also united by acquiring a house in Central Istanbul named Yoruba Toplulugu, Kulture Dernegi where they regularly meet, socialise, educate and interact daily sharing common beliefs and networking information about Nigeria, Yorubaland and home news.
By 8:00pm, the function hall of the Yoruba Cultural Centre was filled to the brim as over 250 Yoruba from all over Turkey excitedly waited for Otunba Adam’s cultural message.
The President, Yoruba Community in Turkey, Mr Adeoye expressed the delight of all Yoruba in Turkey at having Otunba Adams and his entourage as their guest of the day.
“The entire members of Egbe Omo Yoruba in Turkey is humbly honoured today to have you, Otunba Gani Adams, the National coordinator, Oodua Peoples ‘Congress (OPC) and Convener, OPU and our kabiyesi and other members of the delegate to Istanbul.
“Our main point of happiness stemmed from the fact some of us never believed that you would honour our invitation which we passed through your personal assistant, Mr Segun Akanni Segun. We were of the opinion that your tight schedule would not permit you to look at what we are doing here until last week when you sent words to us that you would be with us. We are grateful and we are proud of you.
“Our invitation to you is basically on three fronts, first, to associate with and commend you for your untiring efforts at ensuring the visibility, survival , revival and sustenance of the pristine Yoruba culture on the international forum.
“We believed that Olodumare, the creator of heaven and earth who raised Moses to lead the Israelites out of Pharaohic slavery and oppression has raised you, (Gani Adams) up among all the Yoruba to liberate, emancipate, salvage and save Yoruba culture from the gnawing death and powerfully destructive western civilization and indoctrination in the name of modernism and vogue particularly among us who are living outside the shore of Nigeria .
“Secondly, we want to intimate you of what we are doing here as the scion of Oduduwa, the man whose spirit has entered into you, drifting you from Nigeria and ensuring you rove all over the world reviving the dying Yoruba culture among the sons and daughters of Oduduwa who have been scattered off their native origin by the necessity of survival to a culturally alien community fiercely opposing to theirs.
“And thirdly to seek clarification on the difference between Oodua Peoples ‘Congress and Oodua Progressive Union, so as to know where we are heading for here.”
Prince Aladeloye Akinloye Hakeem, France Coordinator, OPU, who came from Paris to join the OPU delegation in Istanbul commended the Egbe Omo Yoruba in Turkey for seeing the light which we the Yoruba in France saw when we invited Otunba Gani Adams in the same vein to Paris last year . We are happy that we did and I must thank Otunba for prompt inauguration of the France Chapter.”
Prince Aladeloye said “the essence of OPU is to set up a concrete, credible and permanent platform for promoting and spreading of the pristine Yoruba culture, values, heritage and mores among the culturally minded Yoruba in Diaspora.”
He commended Otunba Adams for rising up at “this point in time to defend the cultural integrity and identity of the Yoruba when some of our children and even some of us are being submerged and drowned by the heavy torrents of western culture which we are daily subjected to in these foreign countries.
“Since the inauguration of OPU in France, we the Yoruba have been enveloped by a new bag of cohesion, unity of purpose and enviable harmonious relationship which is being envied by other ethnic groups from Nigeria in France. “
The Zaki of Arigidi, Oba Olanipekun pointed out “OPU is being inaugurated all over the world by Otunba Adams to ensure a cultural rebirth which endears our people to good conduct, lawful existence, responsible living and promotion of Yoruba cultural values and assets within their homes, communities and neighbours. It is about proper behaviour and manners of interrelation with people of diverse tongues in accordance to the concept of Omoluabi as preached by Oduduwa, the progenitor of Yoruba race. ”
The Olugbore of Igbore, Oba Ogunbona tasked the Yoruba to always live above board and “behave well in Turkey. Tell them by your behaviour that you are a bunch of thoroughly trained people with fine culture and value from the noble Yoruba race.”
All these clarifications and words of wisdom stoked enthusiastic response from the members of Yoruba community in Turkey.
Otunba Adams commended members of Yoruba community for “an inspirational welcome and reception accorded our delegate at the airport this morning. I was elated, happy and proud to be a Yoruba and you too can see that our culture, custom, values and mores are the best. Can’t you see how the non-Nigerians were scrambling to associate with us at the airport. Just because we flaunt our value by the way we dress, the manner of greeting and the royal conduct of our kabiyesis.
“This is exactly what OPU is all about. It is about Yoruba cultural enhancement, promotion and revival for development and growth.”
He revealed ‘there is a clear difference between OPC, which is a sect to protect the territorial integrity of Yoruba race and protect all Yoruba all over the world from victimisation, molestation and oppression in the comity of races and nations. It is a Nigerian affair.
“While the OPU is a cultural revival organisation founded outside Nigeria for the promotion, sustenance and spreading of cultural values of Oduduwa outside Nigeria. We found out that many of you are losing touch with the pristine value, which the Yoruba are known for and I am pulled out by only God’s knows passion to ensure the resuscitation and rejuvenation of these values among the Diaspora. In addition, I have no choice than to respond positively to this call. In addition, here, I am spreading the message and I am happy that you are not only listening, but embracing this with all your strength, energy and wherewithal. ”
Otunba Adams took the Yoruba down the memory lane on the emergence of OPC man, which he said was a child of necessity in 1993 after the annulment of June 12 election, which a Yoruba Late Chief M K O. Abiola won.
“Chief Abiola’s incarceration by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the transformation of the OPC from the public negative perception as reckless and destructive group, a name tag attached to it by the military to a developmental group promoting the Yoruba territorial integrity.
According to Mr Adeoye “Otunba Adams, in fact, we thank God that you are here. We are very pleased with your speech, which is highly educating, enlightening and revealing.
“Your words have inspired us to rededicate ourselves to the cause of Yoruba nation and its vision. You are truly Oduduwa reincarnate.
“We use this opportunity to tell you that we, the Yoruba in Turkey are glad to join the league of OPU. Your coming today is a privilege and a forum to gain insight into the union.
“We are going to communicate to you the day which OPU Turkey will be formally inaugurated. We thank you, thank members of your delegate and we are proud of you and proud to be Yoruba.”
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