A former Governor of Osun State and Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has stated that he was not the original composer of the Yoruba nation’s anthem as it is believed in some quarters.
Aregbesola noted that the song was originally composed by Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, but he insisted that the song must be sung while he was the governor.
The minister made this known on Thursday at the presentation of an award to him by a group, Yoruba Heritage Group, at a programme ta tagged “Ipate Asa”.
The event was organised by the group, in partnership with the Ondo State Ministry of Culture And Tourism.
According to him, the Yoruba anthem, which is being adopted in Ondo State at public events was full of lyrics meant to move the Yoruba race forward.
He said, ” I am not the real composer of the Yoruba anthem. It was Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo who wrote the song in 1978 when he created UPN. He then called on Late Hubert Ogunde to help add melody and tunes to the song.
“When I became governor, my swearing-in ceremony was done in a haste. The court ordered my victory on Friday and stated that I must be sworn in before noon the following day, Saturday, November 27th.
” So my swearing-in ceremony was done hastily but I still insisted that the Yoruba anthem must be recited before I was sworn in. It means we know the importance and the essence of the anthem. For those who have intelligence, they would understand that the anthem was a pointer to our direction as a Yoruba race.”
He commended Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for allowing the song to be sung at officials events in Ondo State.
In his remarks, Akeredolu, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Chief Olugbenga Ale, described the minister’s efforts at promoting the culture of the Yoruba race, especially when he served as the Governor of Osun State between 2010 and 2018, as commendable.
