‘Elections must hold on schedule’

The Yoruba took a position on the state of the nation yesterday: elections must hold on schedule on March 28 and April 11.

The race will not accept any undemocratic government in whatever form but will take its destiny in its hands should its democratic tenets be tampered with.

The Yoruba Leaders of Thought expressed their stance in a charter of demands issued after a summit at the House of Chiefs, Parliament Building, Oyo State Secretariat in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The convener of the summit is Gen. Alani Akinrinade, a former Chief of Defence Staff.

Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi underscored the importance of the summit, which he likened to the 1955 Yoruba conference on the way forward for the race. It was also held at the same venue.

Ajimobi said: “Talking about historical significance, this great chamber – the House of Chiefs – for those who were old enough to know its political history, has hosted great men and women of renown in Yorubaland, at various historical junctures. As history would someday record that, at a critical period of our peoples’ lives as this, we gathered here today to dissect the way forward for the Yoruba in the Nigerian federation, so also did Obafemi Awolowo, Samuel Ladoke Akintola, Adekunle Ajasin, Bola Ige, to mention but a few, gather inside this House of Chiefs, innumerable times, to brainstorm on the future of our people. Indeed, today, I feel as if I am addressing the crème de la crème of Yorubaland at the 1951 Yoruba National Conference held here on the soil of Ibadan.”

Speaking on the topic: “Marginalisation of Yoruba in the Current  Dispensation:” Dr Goke Adegoroye, said Yoruba are 22 per cent of the Nigerian population, stressing that the ethnic group is the single largest nationality in Nigeria.

According to him, Hausa and Fulani will have to be merged to produce a population that is higher than Yoruba.

Because of this, the retired technocrat said only the Senate Presidency is appropriate for Yoruba at any time they do not clinch the presidential or the vice presidential positions.

Adegoroye said no Yoruba is occupying any of the top 16 positions in the country.

He said the claim of marginalisation of Yoruba is not a fluke because they do not occupy top positions and that distribution of positions does not reflect the population strength of Yoruba, particularly in the current administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Adegoroye said Yoruba are not in the rank of becoming the Chief Executive in so many Federal Government agencies, departments  or parastatals in the next 10 years.

After reviewing how the Southwest got to its present state where it is “marginalised in political appointments, federal projects and other areas”, the leaders issued a communique decried the erosion of Yoruba values, virtues, and morals.

The meeting affirmed that the marginalisation of Yoruba had attained a deliberate policy of the central government and intensified under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. The marginalisation, according to them extended to Itsekiri land.

The leaders expressed concern about attempts to invade Yoruba land and frowned at those they referred to as “misguided elements” in Yoruba land who have resorted to brazen violence. They decried alleged decimation of entrepreneurial ambitions of people in the region.

The communique reflecting the the Yoruba Assembly DEMANDS states:

•”Yoruba land will not be an occupied territory

•Yoruba must pursue their destiny in line with the development priorities and ambitions of her people.

.The creation of a structural environment for effective devolution of powers to the country’s constituent units as a strategic development imperative.

•”A repeal of laws and policies that stifle the creativity of her people.

•”The dismantling of all pseudo-security agencies that impede peace, harass and terrorise citizens in order to enforce pre-determined agenda that are not consistent with the wishes of Yoruba people.

• “That regional competitiveness should be the basis and indeed the key driver of growth and development of Nigeria, recognising that the creative spirit and latent capabilities of the country reside within the geo-political zones.

• “That the effectiveness of the Federal Government of Nigeria lies on focusing on the critical issues of governance that are common to all components, like defence, national security, foreign affairs, currency and exchange rate, etc, while all other socio-economic responsibilities, especially that of resource control, devolve to the federating units.

• “The removal of all bottlenecks in the way of provision of effective and efficient transportation system, electricalpower, and petroleum refining infrastructure.

• “The facilitation of a fully diversified economy, moving away from the existing mono-product scenario to one in which the federating units can leverage on their endowment and productive resources.

• ”The resolutions of the National Conference failed to resolve fundamental issues that are the prerequisite to a sustainable federalism and without which the few useful recommendations would become meaningless.

• “Finally, Yoruba people hereby state categorically that the General Elections scheduled to commence on Saturday, March 28, 2015 MUST not be postponed or jeopardised. Yoruba people will not countenance any form of unelected government, be it Government of National Unity, Interim National Government or howsoever described.

• Yoruba people will not hesitate to take our destiny in our own hands in the event of any attempt to compromise our democratic existence.”