The former deputy leader of Ilana Omo Oduduwa, Professor Wale Adeniran, has returned to Nigeria from exile.
Adeniran left the country in May 2021 alongside Professor Banji Akintoye at the peak of the Yoruba Nation’s struggle for self-determination and settled in the Republic of Benin.
In a statement he issued at the weekend in Ile-Ife, Osun State, the elder statesmen called on President Bola Tinubu to return the nation to its former glory.
Adeniran recalled the “pivotal role” Tinubu played in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) during the Abacha era, “even going into exile.”
“Some of us have been at the forefront of the struggle for Yoruba self-determination in recent times, when we felt our people were confronted with an existential threat,” he noted.
Adeniran reminded the President of the issues highlighted in his inauguration address, such as security, poverty, jobs, and electricity, among others.
The Yoruba leader expressed optimism that the new administration “will right the wrongs of the past and make Nigeria safe and habitable once again for all.”
He drew Tinubu’s attention “to the parlous state of the education system”, saying “universities have been battered and made to fall into disrepute” under previous administrations.
Noting that the university workforce is “now thoroughly demoralised,” Adeniran said, “the current depressing situation of our universities must be redressed very urgently.”
“Facilities in our universities must be upgraded and expanded so that many more qualified candidates can be offered admission into these institutions.
“There should be a massive injection of funds to boost the morale of staff and students to enable them to churn out innovative ideas that would propel technological development,” he added.
