While the nation is still grappling with various agitations across the
country, a coalition of Yoruba groups, Yoruba Liberation Command
(YOLICOM), has declared that the Yorubas are set to secede from Nigeria
to form Oduduwa Republic.
Speaking on Thursday in Lagos, Opeoluwa
Akinola, spokesperson of the coalition, said Nigeria is slowing down
the progress of the Yorubas, killing and maiming the citizenry for
selfish interests.
Ancient Yoruba warlord, Agbekoya, Oodua
Redemption Alliance, among others, who were part of the coalition also
said though they were not agitating for war but they are equal to the
task, should there be need.
Akinola stressed that Yorubas were
forced by the British into Nigeria in 1914 and the best time for
peaceful dissolution, like other countries is now.
“Nigeria has
become a burden on Yoruba people. We suddenly have been exposed to
unimaginable threats of violence, wiping off entire families through
clubbing to death, kidnapping of women and adults, savage killings,
kidnap of school children and rape of infants.
“Stealing of
public wealth and the public display of the stolen wealth, with
arrogance by the criminals, the complete annihilation and confrontation
of the poor people by the Nigerian state and many other ills that were
hitherto strange to our long lasting ancient civilisation and values,”
he said.
Akinola added that “the destruction of regional system
of government has turned Nigeria into a unitary state dotted with savage
vulture of corruption, ineptitude, inefficiency, moral degeneration,
death, violence crimes and now violent religious extremism.
“The
so-called democracy is nothing but the imposition of individual will
through an orchestrated mass corruption where the poverty of the voters
are exploited for electoral gains by politicians seeking political
offices.
“Democracy is not about the interest of the few elected
people and their cronies. Democracy is now government of the party for
the party leaders and by the party members,” he said.
Akinola
further stated that YOLICOM supports the aspiration of the Igbo nation,
“irrespective of the unfortunate hate speeches, infantile savage
utterances of a certain Nnamdi Kanu, who appears to have singled out
Yoruba nation for ridicule and revulsion.
“We take solace in the
fact that we work with many large-hearted, better-exposed, principled
and consciousness Igbo leaders who have richer sense of history and
understand better the complex nature of nation building and who also
realise the importance of alliances, networking in statesmanship and
international friendship and solidarity.”
He also said YOLICOM
totally rejects the idea of restructuring as proposed by the Nigerian
state and the political elite, adding that it is an attempt to
restructure Nigeria on their own terms and not on the terms of the
people.
“Nigeria will never be genuinely restructured by the
present crop of political leaders who are themselves beneficiaries of
the same skewed system.
“Even if the country will be
restructured, it will still pass through the National Assembly which was
created during the era of military rule of the Fulani to ensure an
upper hand for the Fulani North”, he added.
One of the speakers,
Francis Abayomi, corroborated that Oodua Republic is an alternative to
agitation for Nigeria’s restructuring bid.
“We want to be free
from generation of bond. We don’t want our children to be enslaved any
longer. Most of us have spent good time in prison, so no threat can stop
our agitation. Yoruba nation has an alternative. We can exist as a
distinct nation. We want to ascertain our right to live as a country,”
he said.