FEMI OYEWESO 29/08/2012 01:36:00

Former House of Representat ives Speaker Dimeji Bankole yesterday paid a private visit to the Matriarch of the Awolowo family, Mama H.I.D Awolowo, in her Ikenne home. Bankole, who arrived at the Ikenne home of the Awolowos at about 1:18 pm, was received by H.I.D Awolowo in company of her daughter, Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu. The former Speaker, who drove himself to Ikenne in a black Mercedes GL 550 4Matic jeep, was clad in his usual white Kaftan with white cap and black sandals to match. He immediately went into a secret meeting that lasted close to 45 minutes with Mama H.I.D Awolowo.

Although detail of the meeting was not made known to journalists, National Mirror gathered that it might not be unconnected with the glaring marginalisation of the Yoruba race by the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
It will be recalled that the Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF) last week met at the Ikenne home of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, where issues relating to the alleged marginalisation of the South- West region by President Jonathan’s administration were discussed.
Shortly before Bankole went into the closed door meeting, he said that he preferred to remain silent on national issues because he wanted to live long.
He said: “I did not run away; you know since I left office, I have not said a word, I prefer it to remain so. I will continue watching from a distance, I don’t want to dabble into what is happening because I want to live long”.
Attempts by journalists to get the former Speaker to grant an interview failed as he went into his jeep and drove off.

Source: National Mirror