Beginning with the late Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi, the Ibadan Discourse Group will kick off national discussions in honour of notable past heroes.
The Group is imbued with the mission to take desirable steps to integrate the values of the national heroes into the national political and leadership systems.
The maiden edition of the national discourse, slated for Thursday, 10 July, 2025, and holding at House of Chiefs, Ibadan, is titled Fajuyi: The Essentials For National Leadership.
The late Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi was the first governor of the Western Region who was killed in the July 1966 military coup.
A statement by the Group Coordinator, Mr. Clement Ige and the Director of Media Strategy, Mr. Dapo Falade, stated the Group identified strongly with the values of the late Colonel Fajuyi, particularly the attendant ingredients of passion for national sacrifice and cohesion.
“We are in a crucial stage of nation building where our values have almost vanished, and both leaders and followers have almost lost elementary national visions and goals,” the Group said.
“At this stage,” the Group added, “we have to remind ourselves of our history for the purpose of national re-orientation which will re-engineer leadership process towards strategic national visions.”
According to the statement, the event has the governor of Oyo State, Engr. ‘Seyi Makinde, as the host, Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State as the Guest of Honour, while the Chairmen of Southern and Northern Governors Forums are the Special Guests of Honour.
The Chairman of the Conference of Speakers, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, is the Guest Speaker, while Dr. Festus Adedayo and Prof. O.C. Nwolise are discussants.
The Ibadan Discourse Group is an assembly of elder statesmen from across the South-West.
It has Dr. Yemi Farounbi as the Patron, Chief Adebisi Adesola, a former SSG to the Oyo State Government, as the Chairman.
Other eminent members of the Group include Chief Tola Adeniyi, Amb. Ayo Olukanni, Erelu Olusola Obada, Oloye Lekan Alabi, among several others.
