YORUBA leaders who converged on Akure, the Ondo state capital early this month itemized some national issues that needed to be urgently addressed by the present administration so as to continue to guarantee the unity of the country and equally give a sense of belonging to all constituent units in the country.
The second summit which came barely two months after its maiden edition was held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital was an indication that the leaders are uncomfortable with some development in the Polity hence the need to lend their voices on the present state of the polity, economy and security of Nigeria. They were unanimous in their submissions at the meeting under the auspices of Yoruba Summit.
Conveners of the summit are the Chairman of the Yoruba Unity Forum, Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi, Chairman of Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, leader of Oodua Peoples Congress, Otunba Gani Adams and Chairman of Yoruba Council of Elders Gen Adeyinka Adebayo ,Chairman of the Summit Planning Committee Dr Kunle Olajide.
The event which was held at the 5,000 capacity sitting International event centre christened “the Dome” was full and witnessed delegates from across the South West states. The Akure edition was an improvement over its maiden edition. Former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr Yemi Farounbi delivered the summit lecture entitled “ Economic Downturn and unemployment in Yorubaland”
Of special interest to the leaders of the Yoruba socio-cultural groups include the dwindling economy, menace of the fulani herdsmen to their host Communities, the 2014 implementation of the report of the national conference by President Muhammadu Buhari, the agitation by the Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB) and inconclusive elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states
They also deliberated on the need for Yoruba State governors to meet with leaders of the nation to fashion out an agenda for cooperation that would leverage on the economic strength of each state to create a conducive atmosphere for entrepreneurs to tap into the resources across the states that would empower the people to float businesses that can engage millions of youths in the states.
First to fire the salvo was the Chairman of the occasion, the leader of Afenifere group, Pa Reuben Fasoranti who lamented the activities of the Fulani herdsmen across the South West states and other states. “A case in point is the one which affected Chief Olu Falae, when Fulani herdsmen abducted him from his farm and was kept away for four days under very harsh condition s day and night.
“ He was finally released by his captors as a result of public outcry and had to find his way back to Akure in tattered clothes, exhausted and manhandled. “ This is not becoming of a civilized society to treat a man of Chief Falae’s stat ure the way he was treated before his captors succumb to the public outcry that led to his release.
“There are many similar cases of kidnap by fulani herdsmen in the Yoruba sector of the Country, which the authorities did not do anything about, perhaps the law enforcement agencies are expecting the victims to take the laws into their hands and that would be jungle justice,” he said. Fasoranti submitted that “ a solution to this fulani menace is to restrict the fulani herdsmen to specific areas as its done in other Countries.
“By so doing, grazing will be restricted to such areas designated for that purpose. We shall then have the necessary peace for good living. “ By restricting the herdsmen to designated areas we shall be combating the problem of unemployment and curb unnecessary wandering and create good neighborliness and understanding among Nigerians.”
Speaking on the summit lecture, Ambassador Farounbi suggested ways of creating jobs in the region and the need to move from what he called ornamental education to technical. He said that “we have graduates of mechanical engineering that have probably not seen a piston before, graduates of marketing that cannot do a proposal for an advertising agency.
Dr Farounbi who described Yoruba nation as the economic hub of the nation in the pre and post colonial era. He noted that Yoruba land has been relegated to the background and the need for Yoruba leaders to wake up to their responsibilities in repositioning the region. While advocating for vocational education and training which should go side by side with education he noted that this will go a long way to create employment opportunities for the unemployed youths in the region.
He urged the people of Yoruba nation to go back to the drawing board to remain in its vintage position saying “ the best part of Yoruba nation should not be in its yesterday but should be in its tomorrow” He noted that Yoruba nation has been relegated to the background and the need for Yoruba leaders to wake up to their responsibilities in repositioning the region.
He urged the people of Yoruba nation to go back to the drawing board to remain in its vantage position. According to him “ the best part of Yoruba nation should not be in its yesterday but should be in its tomorrow”
Chief Olu Falae, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi, Chief Gani Adams and Chief Olanihun Ajayi harped on the need for the present administration to urgently implement the 2014 report of the national conference. They argued that the panacea for true federalism and the “ trouble “ in the polity is the implementation of the report.
They also stressed the need for other Yoruba leaders to attend the summit and the coming together of the south west governors for the development of the region irrespective of political parties. Chief Adebanjo said anyone who cherishes the unity of the country should not oppose the confab report.
“ If President Muhammadu Buhari is sincere about the peace and unity of this country he should implement the recommendation of the confab report he asserted.“ On his part, the summit planning committee Chairman Dr Kunle Olajide said that the “ yoruba summit is still evolving. It is work in progress. Yoruba Socio political and socio cultural groups are welcome to the club of conveners.
“The aim is to enable the rainbow coalition of the leadership of Yoruba Organisation to speak with one voice on matter of interest to the Yoruba nation. Olajide who pointed out that most prominent Yoruba leaders of the ruling party have not been very visible in the summit, said the summit will be meeting periodically to appraise the position of Yoruba land in the Country.
He was quick to add that some members of the ruling party were in attendance at the last summit held two months ago at Ibadan, Oyo State. Governor Olusegun Mimiko in his address at the summit said; “For Nigeria to make a quantum leap in economic development and meet up with the rest of the world, the country must be restructured.’’
He pointed out that the country would not move forward unless it is restructured in line with the resolutions of the 2014 national conference were implemented. “ If government must lift the people out of poverty and make them live as God intended them to live, the Nigerian Federation needed to be restructures. The Yoruba nation is in a hurry for development and not interested in using statistic to torture people.
“ What the nation needed was self evident development. In the area of security Nigeria was too big to be run by a unified police force. According to him, this is not the best of time for the people of the country and the nation but advocated for total restructuring of the the country saying this would bring about healthy rivalry amongst the ethnic nationalities.
Dr Mimiko also frowned over the security challenge in the country noting that the Federal government has failed to curtail the Boko Haram insurgency saying the terrorists have regained their strength, killing 1,600 people in the last six months. He equally condemned the two recent elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) saying the two elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states call for great concern.
The governor appealed to Yoruba leaders and political leaders irrespective of their political affiliation to always come together and speak with one voice in moving Yoruba nation forward. To him a meeting such as this remains fundamental to the constant examination and re-examination of the place of the Yoruba nation in our country, Nigeria. “This gathering is indeed essential for us as a people to think through so many things considering the resent state of the politics, economy and security of Nigeria.
A seven point Communique issued by the Yoruba leaders after the over six hour meeting asked the federal government to to look critically into the causes of separatist feelings and initiate constitutional reforms to give sense of belonging to all constituent units of the country. They said in the communique that “ We should not paper over the cracks and watch till the situation gets out of hands nor take precipitate actions.
The leaders observed the protracted agitation by the indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for the Republic of Biafra. “ We stand for the unity of Nigeria, we ask the federal government look critically into the causes of separatist feelings and initiate constitutional reforms to give sense of belonging to all constituent units of the country
“ The recommendation of the 2014 national conference offers a good template for such engagement of the nationality question. “.To this end, summit is irrevocably committed to pushing for the resolution of the lingering national question via restructuring of our federation, devolution of power and corresponding review of the revenue allocation in favour of the federating unit and centralization of the security network.
“The summit will work with all groups in Nigeria who believe in the true federalism to ensure their attainment of this project. Also, the Communique review the “harsh economic situation in the country as evident in massive unemployment, fuel scarcity, biting inflation, difficulties businesses are facing over the volatile foreign exchange regime by the CBN.
The summit therefore called on the Federal government to roll out a comprehensive economic plan to rebuild the nation’s “ infrastructures, reflate the economy, create massive jobs, raise the standard of education. Provide affordable health care and review monetary policies making investors to flee Nigeria.
While lamenting the security challenges confronting Nigeria and describing them as daunting, the leaders said that the Boko Haram insurgency tops the scary security situation of our country. “The scourge has pitted neighbor against neighbor, displaced close to half a million people, destroyed hundreds of schools and government buildings and devastated the economy . Other leaders present at the summit include
Pa Reuben Fasoranti, Chief Ayo Adebanjo,Chief Olu Falae,former governor of Lagos state Alhaji Raji Rasaki, the secretary of Afenifere Basorun Sehinde Arogbofa, Chief Olanihun Ajayi while Ajibade Oyekan represented the Alafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, former Lagos state governor Alhaji Lateef Jakande sent representatives and some prominent university Professors. The third edition of the summit according to the Chairman of the YCA, General Adebayo will hold in Abeokuta, Ogun state at a date yet to be fixed.
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