ODA NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL APPOINTS ARABA RUFUS AIYENIGBA AS ACTING NATIONAL SECRETARY
The National Executive Council (NEC) of Okun Development Association (ODA), the apex socio-cultural organisation representing the Okun-Yoruba people of Kogi State, has taken a major decision to regig and reinforce its national structure in response to the challenge of vacuum created by the demise of High Chief (Barrister) Femi Amos Oloruntoba, the National Secretary of the association, who also doubled as Secretary of the Okun Security Trust Fund (OSTF).
Barrister Femi Oloruntoba, the Alada of Ogidi-Ijumu and President, Ogidi Development Association, passed away on January 31, 2026.
In coming to terms with, and embracing the reality of the sad occurrence, which created a void in its national structure, the National Executive Council (NEC) of the association, at an emergency meeting on Sunday, March 22, 2026, which was presided over by the President-General, Ambassador Akenson Rotimi, in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the association, approved the appointment of Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, a member of the NEC from Ekinrin-Adde, Ijumu, as the Acting National Secretary, ODA.
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Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, who, until the new appointment, served on the NEC of the ODA as Secretary of the Elders Council, is a food technologist-cum social development consultant, and a former Deputy Country Director, Democracy for Africa Program (DfAP) – an African Union (AU) social development organisation with Headquarters in Kigali, Rwanda.
He is a renowned and active figure in Nigeria’s third sector, and a social development consultant with impressive national presence, spanning over two decades, having served in the last 20 years, on many national civil society coalitions, either as Secretary or Convener.
In 2006, during the leadership of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Dapo Olorunyomi, an illustrious Okun compatriot, as his Chief of Staff, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba served as Secretary, EFCC-CISPAD Joint Committee on Anti-corruption.
He is an author, biograper, public affairs analyst, and a man of remarkable multiple competencies, capacity for multi-tasking and strategic networking.
Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitration and Mediation (CIArb) UK, Nigerian Branch, brings to the job, an uncommon virtue of character nobility, integrity, forthrightness, good public image, requisite social capital, and a wealth of valuable experience in socio-political engineering, community organizing, and civil society networking in general.
As a community development enthusiast and grassroots mobilizer, he is highly reckoned as a remarkable and greatly influential figure in the socio-cultural dynamics of Ekinrin-Adde, his homeland, and Ijumu land.
He has served meritoriously in various positions and levels, making significant impacts in the community organizing firmament of his hometown over the last three decades.
Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, an ideas bank, is reputed and esteemed for his broad world view, dedication, commitment, value-adding resourcefulness, versatality, and capacity to generate creative solutions and strategies towards goal-attainment
In 2014, he founded Okun Agenda Global Network (OAGN), a popular Okun community facebook platform as a public group committed to galvanizing Okun people for positive actions, and enhancing the socio-political and economic conditions of the Okun nation. As a leading digital marketplace for idea-synthesis towards building a better and sustainable Okun homeland, the network currently has a membership base of over 1,500 active members.
In 2016, the late President-General of ODA, Ambassador Babatunde Paul Fadumiyo, appointed him to serve as Secretary, Afenifere, Kogi State Chapter, as part of efforts to create the essential visibility for, and mainstreaming of the Okun nation in the scheme of things in the social, cultural and political mobilization of the South-West.
In 2018, also, Dr. David Oluwayomi Atte, a highly respected elderstasteman and the face of the Okun nation within the Afenifere national structure, who in 1983, served in the old Kwara State as Commissioner for Education, under Governor Cornelius Adebayo, recommended and forwarded the name of Araba Rufus Aiyenigba to the global leadership of Odua Consultative Forum, a USA based Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, and he was appointed the Coordinator for Kogi State.
In 2020, he co-founded, with Otunba Tayo Onayemi, the Yoruba Interest Group (YIG), and got appointed as the Deputy Director-General (in charge of Africa) of the socio-political advocacy organisation, which has its headquarters in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.
In the first quarter of 2022, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, and Chief J.O Yusuf, a greatly recognised Okun interest advocate, jointly convened the Okun Agenda Network to galvanize Okun people towards achieving an Okun Governor for Kogi State.
The group organised the first round-table for the Okun for Governor project at Rock View Hotel, Abuja, in February 2022, with a number of eminent Okun compatriots in attendance.
Later, in 2022, in recognition of his contributions and influence, he was invited to join and was appointed the deputy secretary, Central And West Consultative Forum, under the leadership of the late Professor Nuhu Yaquub Mahmud.
The forum, which was a strategic political advocacy coalition, comprised a number of seasoned administrators, retired public servants, academics, respected opinion molders, elderstastemen and women from Ebira and Okun lands, promoting equity and social justice, and working towards the emergence of a Kogi State governor of Okun extraction.
Araba Rufus Aiyenigba was honoured in Kabba, in June 2013, with the Okun Youths Torch Bearer Award by Okun Youths for Change, along with other illustrious Okun compatriots, including, Professor Olayemi Durotimi Akinwunmi, the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja.
He was also awarded, in 2006, the Ambassador for Peace (AFP), by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), an NGO in general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, promoting world peace and inter-faith harmony.
Araba Rufus Aiyenigba currently serves on the Board of Ekinrin-Adde Community Radio (Akogba 88 3 FM), the first community radio in the entire Okun land, having earlier served in 2023, as the Secretary of the Technical Committee that set up the radio station, with Prince Babajide Kolade-Otitoju (BKO), current Director of News, Television Continental (TVC) as Committee Chairman.
As a mark of recognition for his significant contributions to community development for over three decades, he was honoured in June 2022, with the Ekinrin-Adde Community Development Association (EACDA) Distinguished Community Development Service Award, and in June 2024, the Ekinrin-Adde Traditional Council, during the Ekinrin-Adde Day Celebrations, confered on him, the highly revered honourary chieftaincy title of Araba of Ekinrin-Adde, under the Royal Seal of His Royal Majesty, Olu Anthony Bamigbaiye Idowu (Ahe-Maworo 1), CON, Olu-Adde of Ekinrin-Adde.
The ODA National Executive Council (NEC), notes that the appointment of Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, as Acting National Secretary is a testament to his demonstrable capacity and recognised contributions to the association in the last two years of the administration.
The appointment takes immediate effect.
Signed:
Dayo Thomas,
National Publicity Secretary, ODA
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER, MARCH 23RD 2026)
