Their latest effort to malign our leader is an attempt to drag Otunba Adams before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC) over various baseless allegations published in the national dailies of Monday, March 14, 2016.
Among their allegations were the formation of Oodua Progressives Union (OPU) and Oodua Voice, which according to them, were formed to rip people off.
They also alleged that the sum of N20 million, which they claimed was paid as compensation to the OPC for the killing of our members in Owo in 2002, was diverted. Other allegations include an alleged sum of 22 million US dollars from the late Libyan leader, Ghadafi and diversion of ID cards money among others.
While one may want to overlook these allegations as a ranting of some confused, frustrated and wicked people, we, the true leaders of the OPC feel it is high time that these people stopped their wicked machinations, which of course are aimed at one thing, to malign and bring down Otunba Gani Adams.
As a leader and the Coordinator of the OPC in Lagos, I think I am very qualified and competent to speak on this matter.
It is indeed laughable that anybody in his right senses would condemn the formation of OPU and Oodua Voice, much more alleging that they were meant to rip off the people.
For the benefit of those who don’t know, the OPU is an organization formed to bring together and unite Yoruba sons and daughters in the Diaspora. And to the best of my knowledge, since the formation of the organization, it has created a big forum for all Yorubas in foreign lands to unite and speak with one voice.
It must be said that the OPU now have branches in more than 64 countries around the globe, with more struggling to come on board.
It is the same for Oodua Voice. It was formed to give Yorubas all over the world a voice, which ordinarily they would not have been opportune to have.
Giving what these two organisations have done to our image abroad, especially by promoting the culture and tradition of Yoruba people all over the world, I think Otunba Adams deserves our commendation instead of all these efforts to bring him down
On the 22 million US dollars allegedly received from Ghadafi, I would love to ask these people three fundamental questions: {1). They should come out and tell the world the account through which the money was paid. {2), They should also tell the world what the money was meant for. (3). As we speak, the OPC has been actively involved in the promotion of Yoruba culture and tradition all over the world. If that is the case, was this Ghadafi’s money meant to promote Yoruba culture? Ghadafi is an Arab, and he was well-known to promote activities that have to do with his people and Islam. I doubt if he will ever promote the tradition and culture of Yoruba people. Sincerely, I don’t know what he would gain from such thing.
It will, therefore, interest you to know that this has been the major focus of the OPC and Olokun Festival Foundation in the last fifteen years.
Therefore, they should tell the world the relationship between Otunba Adams and Ghadafi. (4) Information at my disposal has it that Otunba Adams has never traveled to any North African country. So they should furnish us with how, where and who witnessed his meetings with Ghadafi.
At the beginning, these bad people used the name of a faceless organization, Global Civilians for Peace in Libya, led by one Abass Ibn Idris, as asking Otunba Adams and Dokubo for their money. But it was after we discovered that this organization is faceless that they chose to come out themselves.
I am also aware that after this allegations were made, Otunba Adams wrote a petition to the State Secret Service (SSS), Lagos State Command, through his lawyer, Barrister Kehinde Oluwole, asking the organization to investigate the source of the story. But, unfortunately, as we speak, nothing has been heard from the SSS.
On the allegation of N20 million allegedly paid as compensation for the killing of our members in Owo. It is highly regrettable that anybody would play with an issue as painful as the death of a comrade. The particular incident remains one of the saddest in the annals of the OPC, and I am sad that these people are now trying to play politics with such issue. I particularly regard this case as dancing on the graves of those comrades killed on that day.
However, one thing that I find common in both the Ghadafi case and Owo allegations is that the two people who allegedly paid the money are dead. It is obvious that the dead cannot defend himself or speak. And both Governor Adebayo Adefarati and Ghadaffi are dead, maybe this is the reason why these people have chosen to use their names to give their lies a face.
And speaking on the alleged ID card fraud, the records are there for everybody to see. This particular allegation is indeed very funny. These impostors should asked the last time they themselves paid for the organisation’s ID card, that is if they ever paid for it during their time with the OPC.
It is important to note that all the signees of the alleged petition, except just three, namely Moruf Salam, AdeolaAdeagbo and Rotimi Akinsowon, are not members of the OPC or have been expelled from the organization long before now.
And it is only these three that indeed rose to the position of NCC until they were removed for anti-organisation activities recently.
And, since these people claim to be leaders of the organization, why are they using the office address of our organization. It is on record that the OPC office at 13 Olusoga Street, Mushin, Lagos, was purchased for the organization by Otunba Adams in 2004, as part of his legacies and contributions to the OPC.
If you recall, when we moved away from Dr. Fredrick Fasehun in 1999, we gave ourselves the identity that we wanted. The address, office, logo and even motto were different. We also fashioned a new way of operation. If truly they are serious and competent, they should seek their own path and stopping distracting us.
Now, we members of the National Coordinating Council (NCC) of the OPC has asked our leader, Otunba Gani Adams, to go ahead and seek redress from these false allegations by going to court. For us in the NCC, enough is enough.
Alhaji Mutairu Adesina,
Lagos State Coordinator,
Oodua Peoples Congress
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