It was a gathering of who is who in the media world and Yoruba extraction on Tuesday in Brivtain during the inauguration of Oodua Voice Radio and Newsmagazine.
Venue was Durning Hall, Forest Gate, London.
It was the first in the series of Yoruba radio stations to be launched across Europe.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the station, Otunba Gani Adams, described the event as historical.
He also called for a minute silence in honour of Yeye Oodua Hannah Idowu Dideolu (HID) Awolowo.
The matriarch of the Awolowo family will be buried in Ikenne, Ogun State on Wednesday.
At the Oodua Radio launch were the Managing Director of Freedom Online, Gabriel Akinadewo; Tourism Editor of Nigerian Tribune, Wale Ojo Lanre; Coordinator of Oodua Progressive Union (OPU) in Europe, Akogun Banji Ojo; OPU Coordinator in Britain, Chief Olawale Harrison; OPU Coordinator in Ireland, Coordinator of the radio station and President of Europe chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Lashley Ladigbolu; Alhaji Ibrahim Saheed; Aare Shina Akanni, Barrister Bello Adeyemi, Alhaji Semiu Ayantola, Yeye Kikelomo Alexandra, Mrs. Lola Aliu, Mr. Don Troy Cole, Alhaji Semiu Ayantola, Mrs. Titi Aboyade Cole, Mr. Sunmonu Adio, and members of OPU in European countries.
At the well-attended event, Adams, who is also the OPU Convener, declared that the Yoruba must remember their past “to shape our present and prepare for the future through advocacy in the media”.
“The vision to plant these platforms of communication is not out of mere wishful thinking or brain wave. It is in continuation of the vision and graduation of the path-finding strides of Oodua Progressive Union, which was convened to protect, enhance, showcase cultural integrity, values, heritage and tradition of Yoruba outside the geographical contraption of Nigeria, apology to the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who founded the Egbe Omo Oduduwa here in London in 1947”.
Drawing a distinction between the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and OPU, Adams declared: “Yoruba is the fifth respectable race in the world. Regrettably, this culture and tradition, which make the Yoruba why they are, who they are, is gradually being swept inside the ocean by the torrent wave of superlative indoctrination, systematic cultural imperialism via exposition to unbridled vogues, socio effect of globalisation and indecent social interaction”.
Declaring that OPU had been launched in 63 countries, Adams said the inauguration of the radio station was necessary to further propagate the cultural belief of the Yoruba.
“You will agree with me that an organisation, which relies solely on patronage of communication platforms at this age of information super highway, may be defective in its stride to effectively pass messages and information to the public. Thus, the setting up of the Oodua Voice Radio and Magazine is a deliberate attempt to establish platforms of communication solely for the public and celebrate, enhance, promote, transmit and showcase Yoruba culture and ethics from here in London. We must ensure that the pristine Yoruba tradition, culture, ethics, morals and values are daily celebrated on international platform and fora or else, we are forgotten as a race”.
He declared to the admiration of all that the inauguration of television and FM stations would soon follow to complement the effort of Oodua Radio.
In his address, Akinadewo told the audience to always “remember the son and daughter of whom you are in this foreign land”.
“You all know that General Muhammadu Buhari is the president of the country today but it is not Buhari, as an individual, that will change Nigeria. It is you that will lead the change. You must be cultural ambassadors of Nigeria. We must all support the Federal Government by projecting the image and protecting the name of Nigeria for the Change Mantra to work and Oodua Radio is a platform for everybody living in London to do this”.
Ojo-Lanre also described the station as a good project which must be supported by all.
Other speakers lauded the Yoruba race
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