Olaolu Oladipo 
Chief Mohammed Ajibola Olagbaye is the National President of the Awori Welfare Association of Nigeria in this interview with OLAOLU OLADIPO, he talked about the essence of the association, its goals, accomplishments as well as many of its challenges. Excerpt:
What is the essence of your association to the Awori speaking people of Lagos and Ogun States?
We are a socio-cultural body that serves as the umbrella body for all other Awori organisations in Lagos and Ogun States. It also covers all other Awori groups in The Diaspora. It was established over seventy years ago for the unity, progress and development of Aworiland and its people.
What have been the landmark achievements of the organisation since coming into being over seventy years ago?
When the founding fathers started the organisation, the focus then was on welfare and to ensure unity within the ranks of the various traditional rulers within Aworiland. Grading of traditional rulers in Lagos and Ogun states was initiated and has been carried out by the organisation. The association has had cause to change its nomenclature and scope of operations over a period of time until some forty-five to fifty years ago when it metamorphosed to the current name. We tried at some time to unify all Awori speaking people to be in one single state but due to one reason or the other that did not come to pass. This is despite the recommendations of many commissions of enquiries that the government set up who favour some form of our demands. A former military head of state refused to grant us our requests to be in a single state but soon after, the Aworis were further balkanised into many local governments. For example in Lagos, the Aworis were in one local government including Isheri Olofin, Ado and Igbesa now became members of three local governments. We have those of them that are in Ado, Ifo while some of them are even in Yewa Local Governments. The same thing happens with the traditional councils. All these have not given the Awori the needed impetus for unity and to speak with one voice.
How then, have you been able to surmount this hurdle?
Well! You have to make the best of the opportunity of the situation that you find yourself in. The Aworis in Lagos constitute not less than 17 of the 20 local governments making up the state are working together to have a body called the Awori Obas Forum (AOF). The body is currently under the leadership of Oba Tijani Akinloye who is the Ojomo of Ajiranland. As an Awori organisation, we are working together with Aworis in the Diaspora. We are doing this with a group called, The Coalition of Awori Descendants in the Diaspora (CADD). This coalition is an arm of AWAN. To complement the efforts of these groups is The Awori Think Tank made up of accomplished professionals in various fields of human endeavours. Through the efforts of the Think Tank Group, we have been able to launch a dedicated website for the Awori. We now have a database too.
Is your group not engaging in civic or community development schemes?
Yes! We started about two years ago through the recommendation of one of us, Professor Fagbohun, a former vice chancellor of Lagos State University, to build a hall of residence for students of the institution which we calle ‘Awori House.’ We are also doing it as a mark of honour for the successful tenure of office of Professor Fagbohun. On the cultural side, we have been planning to have ‘Awori Day’ for the past few years but by the grace of God we had our first outing on December 11, 2024.
Since you have the bulk of the indigenous population, why has it been difficult for the Awori speaking people to produce a governor for the state?
We are still working on it and praying that it will happen soon. We believe that we have the men and women that would administer the state successfully but it is unfortunate that politics today is played based on the deep level of financial war chest any candidate possesses. Whoever doesn’t have the financial muscle will not succeed. At the moment, we can only pray that our people are sufficiently empowered enough to be able to have the right financial strength to contest the governorship.
Are you saying there is unity of purpose on the path of Awori people to be able to achieve that?
Yes!
What is the relationship between AWAN and your children holding several political offices?
One thing that I want to make categorically clear is that AWAN has been trying not to be political. We are indeed apolitical that is why you find members of the various political parties who are also members of AWAN. Our doors are opened to all sons and daughters of Aworiland irrespective of any political affiliation that they belong to. We thank God though that most of our sons and daughters in government have been doing a lot to assist the association.
What is the role of the youths in AWAN?
You will agree with me that a nation or society cannot preserve its heritage when and if the youths are left out of the scheme of things. The vibrancy and the energy of the youths will always be an asset and I can tell you that AWAN as a body utilizes these as parts of its programmes and objectives. We usually devote some percent of membership of various committees to women and youths who are our members.
