By Akinwale Kasali
Emphasises Yoruba people may be forced to organise itself
The Yoruba Assembly has warned of dire consequences if the Military makes any attempt to stage coup in Nigeria.
The group after its extensive conference which drew over 1000 people to Lagos on Wednesday said military incursion into politics at this time has the potential of throwing Nigeria into turmoil. The group also warned about latest reports that Islamic State of West Africa is about to attack Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara and Osun States saying that the Yoruba people may be forced to organize itself to resist the invasion in their quest for survival.
The group said it is worried about armed opposition to democracy which appears to be sponsored by fascist elements who live under the illusion that the control and management of Nigerian political economy is their birth right.
“We warn military adventurists to stay away from politics. Any attempt to truncate democracy at this moment will end up creating unprecedented violence”, the Yoruba Assembly warned.
In a speech by former National Assembly Lawmaker, Hon. Wale Osun, the Yoruba Assembly said though the military denied allegations of military coup, it however noted it has been the pattern for a certain cabal in the country to destabilize democratic structures once they perceive the loss of the stronghold on the political economy.
Yoruba Assembly said military intervention at this time will scuttle the economy, undermine free speech and destroy the gains of democracy since 1999 while setting the tone for ethnic violence across the country.
The Assembly said the antidote to the lingering situation in Nigeria is to restructure the country along the pre-independence format.
The lead speaker at the conference was Hon Osun and Other speakers that included renowned journalist, Adewale Adeoye, leaders of Pan Yoruba Groups, Rasaq Arogundade, Wasiu Afolabi, Rasaq Olokooba and Taofik Adeyemi, alongside representatives from Itsekiri in Delta State, Akoko Edo, Kwara and Kogi States.
The Summit cautioned desperate politicians not to exploit the socio-political situation to instigate military coup warning that the consequences are unpredictable if the military were to stage a comeback.
The Assembly condemned the invasion and killings in Yoruba ancestral land in Kogi and Kwara States warning that the people cannot continue to tolerate the brazen assault on the culture and heritage.
On Security, the Yoruba Assembly said the marauding terrorists, bandits and criminals in-spite of diverse kinetic and non kinetic efforts of the security agencies still manage to thrive and drive fear in the citizens.
“I believe the circulating news about their activities are more real than unreal, and the Oke Ode implosion in Kwara state is a dire warning to each of the Yoruba states in our region.
“Have we not been silent witnesses to the murder of a traditional ruler, Onikoro of Ikoro in our domain? Have some communities not been overrun by these terrorists wrongfully described as herdsmen, in pursuit of a livelihood, when in reality they are a nationality alien to Nigeria in pursuit of land conquest, occupation and political domination?
The Assembly however questioned what the governors and governments of the Yoruba states are doing.
“Does any of them think or is any in a position to contemplate that he acting by himself can protect his people?
“Even when the mighty force of the Federal government and her military sometimes wary under the onslaught of these terrorists! I doubt if the governors’ many internal and external travels would allow them concentrate on tackling the issue of insecurity under their nose.
“It cannot all be the responsibility of the Central government particularly when we speak of the need and inevitability of subnational policing system that is allowed to kit its formation and stand up to the marauders. The governors working together across the country should make the issue of subnational policing become a reality and degrade the cartel that had turned the National Police Agency into more or less an occupational police”.
The Group further said it was important in resolving the issue of insecurity in Yorubaland and in providing solutions to many developmental problems that face our people is the role of traditional fathers.
“The Obas know themselves, and they must unite their acts if truly they are the custodians of our spirit and heritage. Without any delay a conference of all titular thrones in existence in 1960 to be joined by the Olubadan of Ibadan and Soun of Ogbomosho should quickly be co-convened by the Ooni of Ife and Alafin of Oyo before long.
“This should mark the beginning of positioning Yoruba traditional institutions for the ancestral roles marked out for them.
It emphasized agriculture, security and primary industrial productivity.
“Equally important is the place of Industrial Extension centers which in the days of yore, the Federal government groomed as Industrial Development Centers (IDCs) enabled states to play similar role as provided for the Agriculture Extension Centers.
The IDCs rally round potential small scale producers, masons, and furniture makers, auto mechanics operating fully from industrial parks, offer technical and investment advice, and more than often, deploy the then Bank for Commerce and Industry to support their investment activities”.
Osun further contend that at the center of governance all the indices of growth are claimed; not by the federal government alone but by international agencies who for once could see a deliberate effort to revamp the nation’s economic policies: viz a steadily growing revenue earnings, a Gross Domestic Product, marked to grow at 3.4% in 2024 and 3.8% this quarter; even if regrettably driven more by the financial services sectors rather than the real and or productive sectors.
The group identified a declining inflation which in mid 2024 was 34% but has steadily come down to 22% by September, according to the latest figures by the National Bureau of Statistics( NBS . )
“We can reel out positive figures on the Nigerian economy, but how are they being translated to growth and development felt by the ordinary citizen, rather than just stories of growth disbelieved and spurned by a grumbling populace?
“By my own assessment, the economic iron is already in a blistering furnace, what is left is the additional determination and will to ensure that all citizens benefit from the products of the blast furnace. That is all we can describe as development.’On governance in the South West states, Osun said the State Governors need to do more.
“That you need to collaborate with one another, really lean on one another to grow our region. And is the reason that each one of you should work with other interests towards supporting a complete rework of the 1999 Unitary Constitution to a Federal and regional Constitution where the federating units will have the autonomy to advance the wellbeing of their citizens”.
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