Citing insecurity among others, the Aare Onakankanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams has called for the creation of Oodua Republic, stating that it was long overdue to “rescue the Yoruba race from a rudderless nation called Nigeria.”
He made the call at an International Webinar Conference of the Yoruba One Voice (YOV), a coalition of over 174 Yoruba groups in Diaspora at the weekend titled “Dealing With Critical Fault-Lines of a Failed Federation: Is it to Unbundle or Restructure the Leviathan”.
He added that he believed that the South-West region could create a better nation than Nigeria.
Also making its position known at the event, the coalition restated its commitment to the actualisation of the O’odua Republic, saying the call for self-determination remains the last option for the Yoruba nation.
The group insisted also that long years of misrule, nepotism and failure to embrace true federalism and also tackle the protracted spate of insecurity across the country have been the bane of the nation, adding that the southwest region can no longer play the second fiddle in Nigeria.
This is following a recent call from the Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho that the South-West region was ready to actualise the Yoruba nation as there was no going back.
Mr Adams who doubles as the group’s Grand patron said the voice of the people is the voice of God, adding that the call for an Oodua Republic is a true reflection of the present mindset of all Yoruba sons and daughters in the diaspora.
“YOV is a coalition of all Yoruba groups and socio-cultural organisations in the diaspora that came together to rescue the Yoruba race from a rudderless nation called Nigeria. We decided to raise our voices against the unjust system that had for a very long time become the nemesis of our race.
“A race of about 200 million people spreading across the world cannot continue to play a second fiddle in a country called ours. We cannot continue to live in self-denial and complete hopelessness,” he said.
The Guest speaker, Prof. Akin Alao said that the failure of the leadership was the reason for continuous agitations for a Yoruba nation adding that the British colonist did more damage to the unity and sanctity of Nigeria than any other country of the world.
He argued that the country before independence had been divided and that the prolonged spate of unrests and insecurity, including killings, kidnappings and banditry, became more pronounced when a particular section of the country determines the fate and destiny of other regions.
“Nigeria is at a crossroads. The concept of our amalgamation was rooted in fraud, selfishness and distrust. And sadly too, the process of achieving independence and choosing our leaders have been so deficient. There has always been a deliberate attempt by the North to frustrate the economic activities of the Southwest”, he said.
“For instance, when insecurity persists, there will be famine when farmers could no longer go to their farms, the educational system will be paralysed when students could no longer go to schools, so how do we secure the future when there is no food and education?” he queried.
Others in attendance were General Secretary, Dr Sina Okanlomo, Prof. Olufemi Oluyeju, Prof. Kolawole Raheem, Prof. Kehinde Yusuf, Prof. Seun Kolade, Mogaji Gboyega.
