…It is not a preferred option
There is no room for a pretence or a denial of the current strong agitation for separation from most of the Federating units in Nigeria. Many are trying to moderate their calling for separation with a call for what they refer to as RESTRUCTURING.
In the case of the call for a Yoruba Nation, it is anchored on the acceptable alternative of restructuring the Federation.
First before trying to look into the causes of these calls for separation , we need to be concerned about certain facts likely to be seen as political opportunism on the part of most self – appointed tribal champions of these calls. Have they been thorough in the process? Are they truly and sincerely representing the aggregate opinion of the people?
It is commonly known for example that the Yorubas have been on the seat of the President of Nigeria for about 11 years of which 11of the years were under the Presidency of Chief Olusegun Aremu Okiki Obasanjo, and the cry for re-structuring of the Nation was very strident and loudly so from the South West of the Yorubas but instead of OBJ to consider the possibility of working on the demand, he chose to ignore the calls. He chose by himself to give himself a testimonial of successful Presidency and started to arm-twist the National Assembly to corruptly tinker with the Constitution to give him a third term tenure.
How can OBJ who has severally proven himself to be a substantial part of the National Problem informing this agitation be taken seriously on his role in the present call for re-structuring of the Federation?
Pardon the above digression. Again , have the processes of seeking for separation been tailored enough to the Constitutional provisions?
However, the fact is that we, in Ogun State Labour Party, strongly believe that separation is not an acceptable alternative.
The factors that encourage the call for separation are numerous but the salient ones are :
The seeming visible impression that the Federal Government creates in its various key appointments that either deliberately or unintentionally are made to greatly favour only one of the Federating Units namely the Northern and especially the Fulanis.
The unending glove-in-hand tolerant manner the self-surrendered or arrested Boko Haram killers were treated with Federal sponsored overseas training and very large sums of money for resettlement.
Having said the above, it is necessary to point out that the level of insecurity in the Nation today is the direct result of the Government created impression that insurgency is lucrative over the way and manner various State Governments kept negotiating with kidnappers.
Today, as a single Nation, the Federation is heavily indebted to some International organizations and Countries. These debts are mainly expended in a large percentage in other regions that do not include the South West, the catch is that if there is to be a separation, we are all liable for the refund of the debts and as such will be burdened with a share of the debts.
Again, have the self-appointed ones championing Yoruba Nation examined the implications of the separation in all ramifications and compared same to the advantages of remaining one Country?
From where we are here in Ogun State LP, we are convinced and sure enough that separation won’t be near preference on all scales.
We as a Nation should not allow temporary political set-back and political partisanship to impair our capacity to reason well. We Yorubas have invested far too much in this Country for us to support separation, it will be very unintelligent.
If you start to look at the names involved in this dangerous and very volatile attempt at separation despite its grave possible consequences, just try to match them with their antecedents and you will come up very reluctant to be part of this their hare-brained venture.
We in Labour party are aware that most of those proponents of divisiveness, separation and call for revolution either have dual citizenship or connections to get an asylum in choice countries with valid visa.
The Federal Government should immediately stop seeing criminals in the garments of Nativity, crimes have no tribe and have no religion. All criminals should be openly made to face the consequences of being criminals. Either as a kidnapper, sadistic killers, Boko Haram or sponsors of all or any of these must be arrested and charged to Court.
All Federal appointments should reflect the Federating Nationalities .
We in Ogun State LP do not share the opinion of the Yorubas going away or separating from the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
As a corollary, we suggest that:
( a) Let the SW consider regional (joint) economic development.
(b) Strengthen the political Institutions to discourage official Executive malfeasance, rascality and general tendencies of the Executive overbearing attitude, such that inform the manipulations of the Legislature into a rubber stamp, removing the Principal Officers at the whims of the Executive in the State and National Houses Of Assembly.
The President is fast emerging as one President determined to favour his ethnic unit in all and everything , this must stop immediately to give peaceful co existence a meaning.
Appointments must be made on merit and not based on coming from the President’s Constituency .
Furthermore, no group should arrogantly assume the position of the engine of decision for the Yorubas without Constitutionally consulting the people.
No group, no matter how visible, should be allowed to colour the collective interests of the Yorubas in their private desires.
Yes , the security situation in the Country is not acceptable but it is not a problem that cannot be overcome. Cutting the head can’t be a solution to headache.
We have all in one way or the other, most especially the political class contributed to the current level of National insecurity. When you provide sophisticated arms to your political thugs and eventually found it impossible to recover them from the thugs, such weapons become arms used in committing all kinds of crimes. Even , it is known that some politicians do sponsor crises to use same for political advantages but very unaware of the evil consequences.
At this point, it is not in the best interest of the Yorubas to start thinking of separating from the Nation.
The Federal Government must from here on show much more concern for the escalating insecurity in the Country. A much more visible and verifiable series of actions to fully and aggressively confront the insecurity must begin.
The Yorubas are too intelligent to be railroaded into any kind of regrettable commitment as in separating from the Nation this it is with all sense of sincerity and responsibility that we in Ogun State Labour Party suggest that seeking for a Yoruba Nation at this point is not the best and in fact not reasonable. All we need to do is to ensure that we join hands as one and single Nation to collectively defeat the ongoing large – scale National insecurity.
COMRADE GENTLEMAN ARABAMBI ABAYOMI
Chairman of Labour party (Ogun State)
And also
Chairman of IPAC Southwest