Aareonakakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams has said memories of the fallen heroes and heroines of the Oodua People’s Congress(OPC) would continue to linger on, saying the group had lost over five thousand members in the course of the struggle to liberate the Yoruba race.
Giving reasons why many of the OPC’s fallen heroes and heroines should be remembered, Iba Gani Adams said they deserve honour for putting their lives on the line in the course of the struggle.
Aare Adams stated this on Tuesday at the OPC’s National Secretariat in Ikeja, Lagos, during the 2023 edition of the OPC’s heroes day.
He stated further that wives of the fallen heroes are not widows but they are truly the wives that should be taken care of.
The Yoruba generalissimo said the late Kola Arowosaye’s death in the hands of the police operation Sweep in Somolu during the struggle was the reason for the celebration of the heroes day.
Iba Adams maintained that there are other groups in Yoruba land that didn’t celebrate their heroes and heroines.
“The reason for this event is to remember our fallen heroes and heroines because there’s need for us to support their families and help them in our own little way by putting smiles on the faces of the widows.
“For instance,the death of the late Kola Arowosaye on November 8, marked the beginning of the celebration of this special day in the history of the OPC.
“The late Kola Arowosaye was a courageous member that paid the supreme price for our group, and like everyone of them that died either naturally or accidentally,it is our responsibility to honour and remember them even in death.
“Widows of our fallen heroes deserve the best because their husbands and breadwinners laid down their lives by paying the supreme price in the course of the struggle.
“Many of the heroes and heroines were part of the struggle that culminated in the democracy we have today.
“I want to tell the beneficiaries of this gesture that the death of their breadwinners and husbands are not in vain.And our group will continue to play key roles in sustaining the struggle for which they lived and died for”.
“We have packaged the little that we can to support their businesses and this is what we do annually.
Beyond this,we look into the education of the children and see how we can help in sponsoring those children left behind by our heroes and heroines.We give at least two of the widows in all the local governments both in Lagos state and other states in the south west”,
The leadership of the group also organized a special prayer session for the fallen heroes and heroines.
Some of the beneficiaries include Mrs. Kehinde Ogundana, from Ikosi Isheri local Council Development Area, Adebayo Oluwakemi, from Oshodi Isolo LCDA, Sarah Ogunlayo, and Adebisi Idayat,and Wasiu Olomu among others
Guests present at the event include the members of the National Executive Council (NEC) and National Coordinating Council (NCC)
