In a bold call for unity among the Yoruba people in Southwest Nigeria, HRM Oba Odunayo Ajayi JP, Arowotawaya II, the Elerinmo of Erinmo-Ijesa, Osun State, urged the Yoruba nation to come together and work towards a common goal.

He further emphasized the need for the Yoruba language to be used in all Southwest State Assembly deliberations, in order to promote unity and cultural preservation.

He said: “It may interest you to know that the Yoruba are the foremost close-knitted people in the world. We have had our system long before colonization; that is our traditional system including commerce and other cultural and social system of government before the emergence of colonial people. I am saying that we need unity irrespective of our differences, be it political or otherwise. There is a need for unity among the Yoruba nation.

“Talking about institutional organisation, there was no State government in the past. What we have is region, and this region extended as far as Edo State, Delta State, and some parts of Kogi State. And as far as that is concerned, we must begin to emphasize the use of our language within this region. I do not buy the idea of our language being called a vernacular. I personally propose that Yoruba language should be used in our primary and secondary schools throughout the Yoruba land. I will also emphasis that Yoruba language should be adopted by lawmakers in the State Assembly within the Southwestern States of Nigeria,” Oba Ajayi said.