By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
President of pan-Yoruba self-determination group, Ilana Omo Oodua, Professor Banji Akintoye, on Saturday admonished leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Southwest to use their clout in the ruling party to stop the mayhem visited on the Yoruba populace by terrorists.
Professor Akintoye urged the APC leaders to use the opportunity of their meeting scheduled in Lagos for today “to discuss the unsavoury state of Nigeria.”
Admonishing them that they owe a duty to the Yoruba nation, he said: “In the interest of our Yoruba nation and your own political future you cannot and must not continue to keep quiet while the Yoruba nation is seriously endangered by Fulani marauders, militia and terrorists that have invaded the Yoruba homeland for over five years raping, maiming, killing, kidnapping, destroying their farms and other means of livelihood and generally brutalizing your people.”
Prof Akintoye said the Yoruba APC leaders should use the opportunity of the meeting to demand not only “the security of life and property in Yorubaland,” but also that “Fulani marauders and terrorists vacate Yorubaland unconditionally and immediately.”
The statement also urged Tinubu and the other APC leaders in the region to use the platform of the meeting to demand for the right of each component Nationality of Nigeria, to exercise their right of self determination without let or hindrance.
The statement reads in full:
We welcome the meeting of significant leaders of Southwest APC in Lagos on Sunday May 23rd 2021 to discuss the unsavoury state of Nigeria.
By the grace of God your political party APC is the strongest political party in the Yoruba southwest. It is the party of the most important Yoruba political leader of today.
Of the six states of the Yoruba southwest your party controls five of the state Governorships and State Assemblies.
In this party also are most Yoruba high officials in the Nigerian federal government. Therefore the APC is the party that is in charge of the Yoruba wellbeing and future today. Because of these important realities we ask you to give serious considerations to the following at your meeting:
In the interest of our Yoruba nation and your own political future you cannot and must not continue to keep quiet while the Yoruba nation is seriously endangered by Fulani marauders, militia and terrorists that have invaded the Yoruba homeland for over five years raping, maiming, killing, kidnapping, destroying their farms and other means of livelihood and generally brutalizing your people.
We Yoruba people remember the enormous pride we felt when you accomplished what looked impossible by helping Gen Buhari win the presidency.
We had good reasons to expect at the time that many good things will follow upon your victory into our homeland, but since then your people have been going through unbelievable brutalities at the hand of the Fulani terrorists now joined by international terrorists such as ISIS, ISWAP and Al-Qaeda.
In the face of the killings, maiming of the people and destruction, extortion of ransom- something unknown before in the history of the Yoruba, namely the fleeing of large numbers of Yoruba people abroad as refugees is now happening.
As you illustrious sons and daughters of Yoruba nation meet on Sunday, please we urge you to accomplish a number of things in the interest of the Yoruba nation and your selves.
1). You must demand the security of life and property in Yorubaland.
2). You must demand that Fulani marauders and terrorists vacate Yorubaland unconditionally and immediately.
3). To achieve 1 and 2 above, you must demand that all obstacles and encumbrances placed on the path of Amotekun by the Federal Government be removed forthwith.
4). You must declare your unclouded support for the accepted norm in all the world today that all ethnic nationalities have the right of self determination, and that that right is inalienable according to the constitution of the United Nations, The United Nations’ declaration of the rights of indigenous peoples and the various instruments of the African Union. All of which constitutions and conventions and declarations Nigeria is signatory to and therefore constitute parts of the laws of Nigeria.
5). As is the norm of federalism the world over, you must demand for the right of each component Nationality of Nigeria, to exercise their right of self determination without let or hindrance.
6). You must demand the convocation of a negotiation conference to settle the raging controversies over the future of Nigeria before any 2023 general elections.
7). You illustrious sons and daughters of the Yoruba people must be careful not to continue to appear to be swimming against the tide of Yoruba desire in the world; you must be careful not to make your selves enemies of your Yoruba nation.
We close this fraternal letter by wishing you success in your meeting and pray that you will emerge heroes among your people.
For too long the Yoruba people have been sold cheaply by their own leading citizens, we pray that you will so conduct yourselves on Sunday that you will emerge as true leaders of the Yoruba nation and worthy sons and daughters of your people.