Yoruba young delegates from the South-West on Tuesday rejected an “offensive document” circulated by their northern counterparts.
The delegates expressed dismay about the document titled, ‘Issues before the northern contingents.’
Rising from an emergency meeting in Abuja, the Yoruba young delegates said the document was “provocative and divisive.”
Their spokesperson, Chief Bisi Adegbuyi, said the document was predicated on “assumptions and outright falsehood.”
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday night, Adegbuyi said the Yoruba might be pushing for a confederal arrangement in Nigeria.
He said, “In the light of what is happening particularly the provocative, highly incendiary and a disuniting document distributed by northern delegates to all the delegates who are working at the committee level, it is important to say that the Yoruba may be pushing for a confederal arrangement in the Nigeria.
“This is predicated on assumptions and lies contained in the document.”
Adegbuyi said the front page of the document contained a Nigerian map purportedly apportioning 80 percent of the Nigerian land mass to the North while the whole of the South-West, South-East and South-South occupied just 20 percent.
“We have thought that the essence of this conference was to foster unity and find solutions to the problems confronting the Nigeian state.
“It is extremely provocative for the North to be circulating document purporting that the whole of the South does not matter claiming the North is the backbone of Nigeria.”
Adegbuyi said events at the committee level showed that any proposal by Yoruba delegates had met stiff resistance “no matter the merit and benefits.”
“There is a mindset and collective decision to oppose it,” he added.
He said the parliamentary and state police demanded by Yoruba delegates had been opposed by a voice vote as against the rule set for the conference.
Adegbuyi said there were issues coming up that might make the Yoruba young delegates at the conference to take a hard decision.
“Yorubas have never pushed for secession in the Nigerian state, we have always laboured for unity. Our leaders, starting from the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was imprisoned, the late M.K.O Abiola that won the presidential election was not allowed to rule and was murdered,” he said.
Continuing, he cited Chief Olu Falae, Gen. Alani Akinrinade, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Olaniwun Ajayi, the late Bisi Onabanjo and the late Bola Ige, among Yorubas that had paid heavy sacrifices for the unity of Nigeria.
“We are going to respond to the inaccuracies and sometimes outright falsehood contained in the incendiary document.
“The content of the document is divisive and will likely undermine the search for unity in Nigeria.
“The essence of this conference is to put our heads together and imbibe the spirit of give and take so that we can have a very strong, indivisive and progressive country that will cater to the needs of the people.
“A country that will be safe. A country where school children will not be abducted or kidnapped.”
Adegbuyi warned that the incident at the conference might tear the country apart if not immediately addressed.
Recalling that a consensus had been built on devolution of power, he stated that the Committee on Devolution of Power had only been able to remove six of the 68 items on the Exclusive List of the 1999 Constitution.
He said, “The problem with Nigeria is that the centre is by far too strong. If we don’t devolve power as agreed upon, that means this conference might turn out to be a waste of time.”
He stated that about 70 percent of Nigerians that submitted memorandum asked for restructuring in governance.
“The committee on restructuring have retained the existing 36 states as the federating units. Are we in anyway restructuring Nigeria by that?” he queried.
He said the conference must consider devolution of power and state police as a minimum irreducible condition.
He asked, “If we can’t achieve state police, we can’t achieve fiscal federalism, devolution of power, restructuring of Nigeria, then why are we at the conference?”
Calling for regionalism, he said the presidential system currently being practised in Nigeria encourages corruption and impunity.
“Regionalism is very crucial to us. If some parts of the country don’t want regionalism, those of us that want it should be allowed to pursue it.
“We demand for self- determination within Nigeria. Failure to do this, the Yoruba nation would push for self determination.
“We don’t want Nigeria to take us back, we have suffered enough. We will push for the right of people to secede from Nigeria if they so desire because if people don’t have their wishes and aspirations met, they have the right to pull out. The United Nations guarantees that.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Yes good morning. Read the Aburi accord.
ReplyDeleteThank you the young Yoruba delegates. Please, please make sure you dont bow down for this Abokis. Remember how they use Akintola against Awolowo. Remember how they gang up and killed MKO and his wife. Please dont allow mallam used you this time. This is our last.hope. North always have hidden agenda.
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect to Yoruba nation, you have been known as group of people with no balls, gutts.
ReplyDeleteShouting and barking very hard is what most of us know you for, so this is not to be considered serious unless you able to take some risks and action.
Good observations. However the sincerity of purpose of the conference had always been in doubt. Majority of the citizenry abinitio had no faith in the federal government to uphold the recommendations of the conference.
ReplyDeleteIntellectually aptly put. Well said! What is the point of "unity" when "we", all of us can not decide on what is best for the country as a whole. A hundred years should have taught us that we can not proceed as we have been doing so far! Change is mandatory to the health of the Nation. I love my country and have nowhere else I can call home no matter where else I may go. We need a new formula as the equation keeps returning to the negative. Otherwise this whole "confab" is a sham and total play at eye/lip service.
ReplyDeleteThe. North are. Tricky and fonny, they can not always have their ways, cos they think that ruling this country is their birth right. Nigeria belong to all of us and if they didn't want to compromise let every section of the country go it's own way. We are no fools.
ReplyDeleteThis generation of present Nigerians have lost the dreams and visions of the founding fathers that gave them the zeal to push and fight 'ONE NIGERIA' as a result, it does not tantamount to a crime if we should tell ourselves the naked truth that we can not cope with this project called NIGERIA any longer. When our wishes and aspirations are not being met in the present arrangement why can't we face the truth and addressed the big question of whether we want to continue with this project or not. I lost interest in the CONFAB when the president said that the issue of sovereignty is non negotiable.
ReplyDeletejst waste of fund. Instead of looking 4 a way 4wd they r dia rejecting n arguing n disagreeing. Whats d need 4 deliberating. D house of reps n senate wil stil do thier pdp n apc stuff after all said n done
ReplyDeleteHow do you do business with the northerners ? Bare in mind, Nigeria will be dead without the great yourubas.
ReplyDeleteGood morning my Yoruba friend, what the Igbos saw and fought for since 58 years ago is what you are seeing and shouting now. Akintola and Awolowo sold the south to the north, this is what we are suffering now. You should not not ask why they don't want devolution of power or state police, they are simply afraid of separation because of the harnessed resources in the south instead of thinking how to harness theirs, or do they want to be depending on south forever?
ReplyDeleteThis is going tobe fight to finish. Never ever yorubas bow down with these born to rule animals. South is no more tobe second class citizens in Nigeria. Let the south hold their destiny in their hands. We can no longer be slaves to mallams any more. If the north dont like it that way, they can declare their born to rule AREWA Republic period. No more no less.
ReplyDeleteAfter the civil war, they devastated southern land in the name of creating states. There are people that were in old eastern region and western region who are in northern states now. But I can say that they are using the advantage of the fractions in the south. they call us south west, south east and south south but call themselves the north. If the entire south will unite, the north cannot underestimate them.
ReplyDeleteYoruba! Good Morning This Evening....
ReplyDeleteI believe in ONE NIGERIA, but this issue is biting one hard. it's only God that can undo whatever evil that is merge with Nigeria. If it's separation that we want let's go for it and God will c us thru.
ReplyDelete