Wife of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Mrs. Hannah Awolowo, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, and other prominent sons and daughters of the South West geo-political zone are expected to converge on Ikenne resident of the late sage on Thursday to discuss the future of the zone.
Other? guests? expected at the parley to be chaired by the Ooni include traditional rulers, former and serving political office holders at the state, local government as well as the federal levels.
Already,? the organisers of the meeting said that? Oba Sijuade ha sent out invitations to guests most of whom have indicated their willingness to attend.
At the meeting also to be attended by leaders of various self-determination groups, issues relating to the state of the region, the slide in its fortune as well as its perceived marginalisation in the scheme of things as they relate to absence of the zone from top power loop in the hierarchy of state would be discussed.
A source within the organising committee told LEADERSHIP that the meeting, would articulate a position for the zone, with respect to how to forge unity of purpose as well as how to arrest the trend of its continued marginalisation .
“Yes! A meeting of all Yoruba stakeholders is expected to hold at the Ikenne residence of Pa Obafemi Awolowo on Thursday and it is to be chaired by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade to explore ways of addressing the recent slide of the zone in the power equation,” the source who pleaded anonymity said.
The source also said that the outcome of the meeting,? would form the basis for future engagement and action plan of the decisions reached.
According to the source, a number of strategies are being devised, one of which is to explore the possibility of sending a high powered delegation to the president to look at the seeming marginalisation of the area with a view to redressing.
“I don’t want to sound pre-emptive by assuming the outcome of the meeting but all I can say for now is that the zone might consider the option of sending emissary to the president to look at the issue,” the source said.