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•Declares he’s truest, purest Awoist

Dike Onwuamaeze

Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has described Chief Ayo Adebanjo as the epitome and personification of its principles of equity and justice, upon which Afenifere was founded in 1951 by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

That was contained in a tribute on Adebanjo by members of Afenifere to commemorate his 96th birthday.

The statement was signed by  Deputy Leader and National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Oba Oládipo Oláìtán, and Mr. Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo, respectively.

Titled, “The Leader of Leaders, The Àrólé Awólowo, Chief Ayo Adebanjo at 96,” the statement lavished adulation on Adebanjo as “the Titan, the last of the Mohicans, the last of the original cast of 1951” that founded the Afenifere.

Afenifere added, “That we of the Afenifere have decided to do our Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, this definitive rectitude to put forward his varied but rich, vivid, yet factual experiences, garnered like trophies along the path of life, even into his 96th very exemplary years of service to humanity! 

“And that is also the reason, the elders are wont to proffer always, that the hunter’s son cherishes the hunter’s gourd, likewise the son of the wood hewer would have serious interest in gathering wood splinters…

“In essence, that is just what this testimonial is about – to appreciate our brilliant leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, on his birthday. To the leader of men, the institution by which the progressives all over the country are defined;

“Death will not claim the bee, so that we shall forever relish in the abundance of honey. Death will not claim the banana tree, such that the beauty of the riverbed will continue to delight.

“When our outstanding leaders do not leave us to mourn, we become indeed the generation of the fortunate ones. May the Almighty bless you and bless all your efforts.”

Afenifere said the life of Adebanjo had become the embodiment of all of the empirical, critical and imaginable successes, and “the ante and standard for aspiring leaders in Afenifere, in other groups, in our climate and beyond to espy, study, aspire and project unto their own.”